The Offering of Isaac

(John 3:16-21; Romans 5:6-11)

1After these things, God tempted Abraham, and said to him: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. 2He said to him: Take thy only begotten son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go into the land of vision; and there thou shalt offer him for an holocaust upon one of the mountains which I will shew thee. 3So Abraham rising up in the night, saddled his ass, and took with him two young men, and Isaac his son: and when he had cut wood for the holocaust, he went his way to the place which God had commanded him. 4And on the third day, lifting up his eyes, he saw the place afar off. 5And he said to his young men: Stay you here with the ass; I and the boy will go with speed as far as yonder, and after we have worshipped, will return to you. 6And he took the wood for the holocaust, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he himself carried in his hands fire and a sword. And as they two went on together, 7Isaac said to his father: My father. And he answered: What wilt thou, son? Behold, saith he, fire and wood: where is the victim for the holocaust? 8And Abraham said: God will provide himself a victim for an holocaust, my son. So they went on together.

9And they came to the place which God had shewn him, where he built an altar, and laid the wood in order upon it; and when he had bound Isaac his son, he laid him on the altar upon the pile of wood. 10And he put forth his hand, and took the sword, to sacrifice his son.

The Sacrifice Averted

11And behold, an angel of the Lord from heaven called to him, saying: Abraham, Abraham. And he answered: Here I am. 12And he said to him: Lay not thy hand upon the boy, neither do thou any thing to him: now I know that thou fearest God, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake. 13Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw behind his back a ram, amongst the briers, sticking fast by the horns, which he took and offered for a holocaust instead of his son. 14And he called the name of that place, The Lord seeth. Whereupon, even to this day, it is said: In the mountain the Lord will see.

15And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, saying: 16By my own self have I sworn, saith the Lord: because thou hast done this thing, and hast not spared thy only begotten son for my sake: 17I will bless thee, and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is by the sea shore; thy seed shall possess the gates of their enemies. 18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19Abraham returned to his young men, and they went to Bersabee together, and he dwelt there.

Nahor's Sons

20After these things, it was told Abraham, that Melcha also had borne children to Nachor his brother. 21Hus, the firstborn, and Buz, his brother, and Camuel the father of the Syrians, 22And Cased, and Azau, and Pheldas, and Jedlaph, 23And Bathuel, of whom was born Rebecca: these eight did Melcha bear to Nachor, Abraham's brother. 24And his concubine, named Roma, bore Tabee, and Gaham, and Tahas, and Maacha.