The Sacrifice of Isaac
1 After these things vGod wtested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, x“Here I am.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your yonly son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy1 will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and zlaid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the alamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham bbuilt the altar there and laid the wood in order and cbound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the dangel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, e“Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you fhave not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”;2 as it is said to this day, “On gthe mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”3
15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, h“By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely ibless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring jas the stars of heaven and as the ksand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his4 enemies, 18 land in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.
20 Now after these things it was told to Abraham, “Behold, Milcah also has borne children to your brother Nahor: 21 Uz his firstborn, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22 Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23 m(Bethuel fathered Rebekah.) These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24 Moreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
The Law and the Promise
15 wTo give a human example, brothers:1 even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now xthe promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, y“And to your offspring,” zwho is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: athe law, which came b430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the cinheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? dIt was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was eput in place through angels fby an gintermediary. 20 Now an hintermediary implies more than one, but iGod is one.
21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then jrighteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture kimprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by lfaith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith came, we were held captive munder the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian nuntil Christ came, in order that we might be ojustified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were pbaptized into Christ have qput on Christ. 28 There is rneither Jew nor Greek, there is sneither slave2 nor free, there is tno male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And uif you are vChrist’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
