Abraham Is Tested

1 And it happened after these things that the Lord tested Abraham with the tenth test, and said to him, “Abraham.” And Abraham answered in the language of the sanctuary, and Abraham said to him, “Here I am.” 2 And he said, “Take now your son, your only one, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Mount Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I will tell you of.” 3 And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took his two young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and rose and went to the place that the Lord had told him of. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from far off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the boy will go on as far as over there, and we will pray, and we will come back to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two of them went on together with a whole heart. 7 And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “Father.” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” And he said, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” 8 And Abraham said, “From before the Lord a lamb has been made ready for him for the burnt offering; and if not, you are the lamb for the burnt offering.” And the two of them went on together with a whole heart.

The Binding of Isaac

9 And they came to the place that the Lord had told him of, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 And Abraham put out his hand and took the knife to slaughter Isaac his son. Isaac answered and said to Abraham his father, “Father, tie me up well, so that I do not kick you, and your offering be made unfit, and we be thrust down into the pit of destruction in the world to come.” Abraham’s eyes were on Isaac’s eyes, and Isaac’s eyes were gazing at the angels on high. Abraham did not see them. At that hour a voice came out from the heavens and said, “Come, see two only ones in my world: one slaughters and one is slaughtered. The one who slaughters does not hold back, and the one who is slaughtered stretches out his neck.” 11 And the angel of the Lord called to him from the heavens and said, “Abraham, Abraham.” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 And he said, “Do not put out your hand against the boy, and do not do anything to him; for now I know that you fear from before the Lord, and you have not withheld your son, your only one, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw, and there was a ram caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14 And Abraham worshiped and prayed in the name of the Memra of the Lord, and said, “I beg, by the mercy from before you, Lord: everything is revealed and known before you, that there was no division in my heart at the first time, when you told me to offer Isaac my son, to make him dust and ashes before you; but at once I rose early in the morning and carried out your word with joy,⁠a and I fulfilled your decree. And now, when his sons stand in the hour of distress, may you remember the binding of Isaac their father, and hear the voice of their prayer, and answer them, and save them from every distress, so that the generations that are to arise after him will say: On the mountain of the sanctuary of the Lord Abraham offered Isaac his son, and on this mountain the Glory of the Shekinah of the Lord was revealed to him.” 15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from the heavens, 16 and said, “By the name of his Memra I have sworn, says the Lord: because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only one, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your sons like the stars of the heavens and like the sand that is on the shore of the sea; and your sons will inherit the cities of their enemies. 18 And all the nations of the earth will be blessed in your descendants, because you have listened to the voice of his Memra.” 19 And Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham lived in Beersheba.

The Descendants of Nahor

20 And after these things it was told to Abraham, saying, “Look, Milcah too has borne sons to Nahor your brother: 21 Uz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 and Chesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel.” 23 And Bethuel fathered Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, also bore Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.