Abraham Is Tested and God Provides a Ram

After these things, God tested Abraham. When Abraham answered, God told him to take Isaac, the son he loved, to the land of Moriah and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains God would show him.

Early the next morning, Abraham saddled his donkey, took two young men and Isaac, and split wood for the offering. On the third day he saw the place far away. He told the young men to stay with the donkey while he and the boy went on to worship.

Abraham placed the wood on Isaac and carried the fire and the knife himself. As they walked together, Isaac asked where the lamb for the burnt offering was. Abraham answered that God would provide the lamb, and they went on together.

At the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood. He bound Isaac and laid him on the altar. As Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son, the angel of the LORD called from heaven and told him not to harm the boy. The angel said Abraham had not withheld his son from God.

Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. He took the ram and offered it instead of his son. Abraham named that place “The LORD will provide”. Then the angel called again and repeated God's promise to bless Abraham, multiply his offspring like the stars and the sand, and bring blessing to all nations through his offspring. After that, Abraham returned to the young men, and they went together to Beersheba, where Abraham lived.