1:19One MessageMany witnesses · one GOD
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Plain text of Chapter 18

And God said to him, "Abraham, Abraham"; and he said, "Behold, here am I."

And He said, "Take thy beloved son whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and go unto the high country, and offer him on one of the mountains which I will point out unto thee."

And he rose early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took his two young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood of the burnt offering, and he went to the place on the third day, and he saw the place afar off.

And he came to a well of water, and he said to his young men, "Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad shall go yonder, and when we have worshipped we shall come again to you."

And he took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took in his hand the fire and the knife, and they went both of them together to that place.

And Isaac said to his father, "Father"; and he said, "Here am I, my son." And he said unto him, "Behold the fire, and the knife, and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering, father?"

And he said, "God will provide for Himself a sheep for a burnt offering, my son." And he drew near to the place of the mount of God.

And he built an altar, and he placed the wood on the altar, and bound Isaac his son, and placed him on the wood which was upon the altar,

and stretched forth his hand to take the knife to slay Isaac his son.

And I stood before him, and God said, "Bid him not to lay his hand on the lad, nor to do anything to him, for it is shown that he feareth God."

And I called to him from heaven, and said unto him: "Abraham, Abraham"; and he was terrified and said: "Behold, here am I."

And I said unto him: "Lay not thy hand upon the lad, neither do thou anything to him; for now it is shown that thou fearest God, and hast not withheld thy beloved son."

And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, a single ram caught by his horns, and Abraham went and took the ram and offered it for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

And Abraham called that place "God hath seen," so that it is said "in the mount God hath seen": that is Mount Zion.

And God called Abraham by his name a second time from heaven, as He caused us to appear to speak to him in His name.

And He said: "By Myself have I sworn, saith God, because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy beloved son from Me,

that in blessing I shall bless thee and in multiplying I shall multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore. And thy seed will inherit the cities of its enemies,

and in thy seed will all nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed My voice, and it is shown to all that thou art faithful unto Me in all that I have said unto thee: go in peace."

And Abraham went to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba, and Abraham dwelt by the Well of the Oath.

And he celebrated this festival every year, seven days with joy, and he called it the festival of God according to the seven days during which he went and returned in peace.

And accordingly hath it been ordained and written on the heavenly tables regarding Israel and its seed that they should observe this festival seven days with the joy of festival.