Miscellaneous

Some time after these events, God put Abraham to the test. He called to him, ?Abraham!? ?Ready!? he replied. Then God said: ?Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There you shall offer him up as a holocaust on a height that I will point out to you.? Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey, took with him his son Isaac, and two of his servants as well, and with the wood that he had cut for the holocaust, set out for the place of which God had told him.

On the third day Abraham got sight of the place from afar. Then he said to his servants: ?Both of you stay here with the donkey, while the boy and I go on over yonder. We will worship and then come back to you.? Thereupon Abraham took the wood for the holocaust and laid it on his son Isaac?s shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two walked on together, Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. ?Father!? he said. ?Yes, son,? he replied. Isaac continued, ?Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the holocaust?? ?Son,? Abraham answered, ?God himself will provide the sheep for the holocaust.? Then the two continued going forward.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. Next he tied up his son Isaac, and put him on top of the wood on the altar. Then he reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the Lord?s messenger called to him from heaven, ?Abraham, Abraham!? ?Yes, Lord,? he answered. ?Do not lay your hand on the boy,? said the messenger. ?Do not do the least thing to him. I know now how devoted you are to God, since you did not withhold from me your own beloved son.?

?Source: New American Bible.