Read the Modern Pastor’s Version

After these things, God put Abraham to the test. "Abraham," he said, calling out to him. Abraham replied, "Here I am."

God told him, "Take your son, Isaac—your only child, the one you love—and go into the land of Moriah. Offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I'll show you." Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two young men with him, along with Isaac his son. They carried the wood for the sacrifice, just as God had instructed.

As they journeyed, Abraham looked up on the third day and saw a distant mountain range. "Stay here with the donkey," he told his young men. "My son and I will go over there to worship, then return to you." He took the wood for the burnt offering, laid it on Isaac's shoulders, and together they walked off.

Isaac looked up at his father and asked, "Father?" Abraham replied, "I'm here, my son." Then Isaac said, "Look, Father, we have fire and wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?" Abraham answered, "God will provide a lamb for himself."

They continued on to the mountain God had shown him. When they arrived, Abraham built an altar, laid the wood in order, bound his son Isaac with ropes, and placed him on top of the wood on the altar.

As he raised his knife to slay his son, the angel of the Lord called out from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" He replied, "I'm here." The angel said, "Don't harm your son or do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you haven't withheld your only child from me."

Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. He took the ram, cut it loose, and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son. Abraham named that place "The Lord Will Provide," saying, "Yes, this mountain range will be seen as a place where God is near."

Once more, the angel called out to Abraham from heaven. "By my own self I swear," said God, "because you have done this thing and not withheld your only son from me: In blessing I will bless you; I'll multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky or the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies."

Abraham's obedience pleased God, and he said, "All nations on earth will be blessed because you have obeyed my voice." After this incident, Abraham returned to his young men and together they journeyed to Beersheba, where he settled.

Later it was reported that Milcah had given birth to children for Nahor, Abraham's brother. They were Huz, the firstborn, Buz, Kemuel (the father of Aram), Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel. Bethuel was Rebekah's father, and these eight sons were born to Milcah by Nahor.

Rebekah's father's concubine Reumah also gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.