Genesis 22
Open in the reader1Some time later God tested Father-of-a-Multitude and said to him, “Father-of-a-Multitude!” “Here I am,” he answered.
2“Take your son,” God said, “your only son He-Laughs, whom you love, and go to the land of Seen-by-He-Who-Is. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
3So Father-of-a-Multitude got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son He-Laughs. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.
4On the third day Father-of-a-Multitude looked up and saw the place in the distance.
5“Stay here with the donkey,” Father-of-a-Multitude told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.”
6Father-of-a-Multitude took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son He-Laughs. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together.
7Then He-Laughs said to his father Father-of-a-Multitude, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said He-Laughs, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8Father-of-a-Multitude answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.
9When they arrived at the place God had designated, Father-of-a-Multitude built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son He-Laughs and placed him on the altar, atop the wood.
10Then Father-of-a-Multitude reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11Just then the messenger of He-Who-Is called out to him from heaven, “Father-of-a-Multitude, Father-of-a-Multitude!” “Here I am,” he replied.
12“Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him,” said the messenger, “for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
13Then Father-of-a-Multitude looked up and saw behind him a ram in a thicket, caught by its horns. So he went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
14And Father-of-a-Multitude called that place He-Who-Is Will Provide. So to this day it is said, “On the mountain of He-Who-Is it will be provided.”
15And the messenger of He-Who-Is called to Father-of-a-Multitude from heaven a second time,
16saying, “By Myself I have sworn, declares He-Who-Is, that because you have done this and have not withheld your only son,
17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.
18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
19Father-of-a-Multitude went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Well-of-Oath. And Father-of-a-Multitude settled in Well-of-Oath.
20Some time later, Father-of-a-Multitude was told, “Queen has also borne sons to your brother Snorter:
21Consultation the firstborn, his brother Contempt, Risen-of-God (the father of Highland),
22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Man-of-God.”
23And Man-of-God became the father of Rebekah. Queen bore these eight sons to Father-of-a-Multitude’s brother Snorter.
24Moreover, Snorter’s concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Flame, Tahash, and Pressed-Down.