B'resheet (Gen) 22
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1(vii) After these things, God tested Avraham. He said to him, “Avraham!” and he answered, “Here I am.” 2He said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Yitz’chak; and go to the land of Moriyah. There you are to offer him as a burnt offering on a mountain that I will point out to you.”
3Avraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with Yitz’chak his son. He cut the wood for the burnt offering, departed and went toward the place God had told him about. 4On the third day, Avraham raised his eyes and saw the place in the distance. 5Avraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. I and the boy will go there, worship and return to you.” 6Avraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on Yitz’chak his son. Then he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went on together.
7Yitz’chak spoke to Avraham his father: “My father?” He answered, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “I see the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8Avraham replied, “God will provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son”; and they both went on together.
9They came to the place God had told him about; and Avraham built the altar there, set the wood in order, bound Yitz’chak his son and laid him on the altar, on the wood. 10Then Avraham put out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.
11But the angel of Adonai called to him out of heaven: “Avraham? Avraham!” He answered, “Here I am.” 12He said, “Don’t lay your hand on the boy! Don’t do anything to him! For now I know that you are a man who fears God, because you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13Avraham raised his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in the bushes by its horns. Avraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son. 14Avraham called the place Adonai Yir’eh [Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, “On the mountain Adonai is seen.”
15The angel of Adonai called to Avraham a second time out of heaven. 16He said, “I have sworn by myself — says Adonai — that because you have done this, because you haven’t withheld your son, your only son, 17I will most certainly bless you; and I will most certainly increase your descendants to as many as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the cities of their enemies, 18and by your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — because you obeyed my order.”
19So Avraham returned to his young men. They got up and went together to Be’er-Sheva, and Avraham settled in Be’er-Sheva.
(Maftir) 20Afterwards, Avraham was told, “Milkah too has borne children, to your brother Nachor — 21‘Utz his firstborn, Buz his brother, K’mu’el the father of Aram, 22Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf and B’tu’el. 23B’tu’el fathered Rivkah. These eight Milkah bore to Nachor Avraham’s brother. 24His concubine, whose name was Re’umah, bore children also: Tevach, Gacham, Tachash and Ma‘akhah.
Haftarah Vayera: M’lakhim Bet (2 Kings) 4:1–37 (A); 4:1–23 (S)
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Vayera: Luke 17:26 –37; Romans 9:6 – 9; Galatians 4:21–31; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 6:13–20; 11:13–19; Ya‘akov (James) 2:14–24; 2 Kefa (2 Peter) 2:4–10
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleGenesis 22
22
Binding of Isaac
1After these events, God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!”
Abraham answered, “I’m here.”
2God said, “Take your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him up as an entirely burned offering there on one of the mountains that I will show you.” 3Abraham got up early in the morning, harnessed his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, together with his son Isaac. He split the wood for the entirely burned offering, set out, and went to the place God had described to him.
4On the third day, Abraham looked up and saw the place at a distance. 5Abraham said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will walk up there, worship, and then come back to you.”
6Abraham took the wood for the entirely burned offering and laid it on his son Isaac. He took the fire and the knife in his hand, and the two of them walked on together. 7Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father?”
Abraham said, “I’m here, my son.”
Isaac said, “Here is the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the entirely burned offering?”
8Abraham said, “The lamb for the entirely burned offering? God will see to it,#22.8 Or God will see; or God will provide my son.” The two of them walked on together.
9They arrived at the place God had described to him. Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He tied up his son Isaac and laid him on the altar on top of the wood. 10Then Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. 11But the LORD’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven, “Abraham? Abraham?”
Abraham said, “I’m here.”
12The messenger said, “Don’t stretch out your hand against the young man, and don’t do anything to him. I now know that you revere God and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, from me.” 13Abraham looked up and saw a single ram#22.13 LXX, Sam, Syr, Tg; MT a ram behind caught by its horns in the dense underbrush. Abraham went over, took the ram, and offered it as an entirely burned offering instead of his son. 14Abraham named that place “the LORD sees.”#22.14 Or the LORD is seen; or the LORD provides That is the reason people today say, “On this mountain the LORD is seen.”#22.14 Or the LORD sees; or on the LORD’s mountain, it will be provided
15The LORD’s messenger called out to Abraham from heaven a second time 16and said, “I give my word as the LORD that because you did this and didn’t hold back your son, your only son, 17I will bless you richly and I will give you countless descendants, as many as the stars in the sky and as the grains of sand on the seashore. They will conquer their enemies’ cities. 18All the nations of the earth will be blessed because of your descendants, because you obeyed me.” 19After Abraham returned to the young men, they got up and went to Beer-sheba where Abraham lived.
Abraham’s nephews in Syria
20After these events, Abraham was told: “Milcah has now also given birth to sons for your brother Nahor. 21They are Uz his oldest son, Buz his brother, Kemuel the father of Aram, 22Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.” 23Bethuel became the father of Rebekah. These are the eight Milcah bore for Nahor, Abraham’s brother. 24His secondary wife’s name was Reumah, and she gave birth to Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.