Genesis 22-24; Psalms 7

Abraham’s Faith Tested

22Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am."H310H1697H430H5254H85H559H85H559 2"Take your son, your only son—yes, Isaac, whom you love so much—and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you."H559H3947H1121H3173H3327H157H3212H776H4179H5927H5930H259H2022H559 3The next morning Abraham got up early. He saddled his donkey and took two of his servants with him, along with his son, Isaac. Then he chopped wood for a fire for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had told him about.H85H7925H1242H2280H2543H3947H8147H5288H3327H1121H1234H6086H5930H6965H3212H4725H430H559 4On the third day of their journey, Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.H7992H3117H85H5375H5869H7200H4725H7350 5"Stay here with the donkey," Abraham told the servants. "The boy and I will travel a little farther. We will worship there, and then we will come right back."H85H559H5288H3427H2543H5288H3212H3541H7812H7725 6So Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac's shoulders, while he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them walked on together,H85H3947H6086H5930H7760H3327H1121H3947H784H3027H3979H3212H8147H3162 7Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?"H3327H559H85H1H559H1H559H1121H559H784H6086H7716H5930 8"God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together.H85H559H1121H430H7200H7716H5930H3212H8147H3162 9When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.H935H4725H430H559H85H1129H4196H6186H6086H6186H6123H3327H1121H7760H4196H4605H6086 10And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice.H85H7971H3027H3947H3979H7819H1121 11At that moment the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Yes," Abraham replied. "Here I am!"H4397H3068H7121H8064H559H85H85H559 12"Don't lay a hand on the boy!" the angel said. "Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son."H559H7971H3027H413H5288H6213H3972H6258H3045H3373H430H3808H2820H1121H3173 13Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.H85H5375H5869H7200H310H352H270H5442H7161H85H3212H3947H352H5927H5930H8478H1121 14Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means "the LORD will provide"). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."H85H7121H8034H4725H3070H834H559H3117H2022H3068H7200 15Then the angel of the LORD called again to Abraham from heaven.H4397H3068H7121H85H8064H8145 16"This is what the LORD says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name thatH559H7650H5002H3068H3282H834H6213H1697H3808H2820H1121H3173 17I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants

beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.H1288H1288H7235H7235H2233H3556H8064H2344H3220H8193H2233H3423H8179H341 18And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed—all because you have obeyed me."H2233H1471H776H1288H834H6118H8085H6963 19Then they returned to the servants and traveled back to Beersheba, where Abraham continued to live.H85H7725H5288H6965H3212H3162H884H85H3427H884 20Soon after this, Abraham heard that Milcah, his brother Nahor's wife, had borne Nahor eight sons.H310H1697H5046H85H559H4435H3205H1121H251H5152 21The oldest was named Uz, the next oldest was Buz, followed by Kemuel (the ancestor of the Arameans),H5780H1060H938H251H7055H1H758 22Kesed, Hazo, Pildash, Jidlaph, and Bethuel.H3777H2375H6394H3044H1328 23(Bethuel became the father of Rebekah.) In addition to these eight sons from Milcah,H1328H3205H7259H8083H4435H3205H5152H85H251 24Nahor had four other children from his concubine Reumah. Their names were Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah.H6370H8034H7208H3205H2875H1514H8477H4601

The Burial of Sarah

23When Sarah was 127 years old,H8283H3967H8141H7651H8141H6242H8141H2416H8141H2416H8283 2she died at Kiriath-arba (now called Hebron) in the land of Canaan. There Abraham mourned and wept for her.H8283H4191H7153H2275H776H3667H85H935H5594H8283H1058 3Then, leaving her body, he said to the Hittite elders,H85H6965H6440H4191H1696H1121H2845H559 4"Here I am, a stranger and a foreigner among you. Please sell me a piece of land so I can give my wife a proper burial."H1616H8453H5414H272H6913H6912H4191H6440 5The Hittites replied to Abraham,H1121H2845H6030H85H559 6"Listen, my lord, you are an honored prince among us. Choose the finest of our tombs and bury her there. No one here will refuse to help you in this way."H8085H113H430H5387H8432H4005H6913H6912H4191H3808H376H3607H6913H6912H4191 7Then Abraham bowed low before the HittitesH85H6965H7812H5971H776H1121H2845 8and said, "Since you are willing to help me in this way, be so kind as to ask Ephron son of ZoharH1696H559H3426H5315H6912H4191H6440H8085H6293H6085H1121H6714 9to let me buy his cave at Machpelah, down at the end of his field. I will pay the full price in the presence of witnesses, so I will have a permanent burial place for my family."H5414H4631H4375H7097H7704H4392H3701H4392H5414H272H6913H8432 10Ephron was sitting there among the others, and he answered Abraham as the others listened, speaking publicly before all the Hittite elders of the town.H6085H3427H8432H1121H2845H6085H2850H6030H85H241H1121H2845H935H8179H5892H559 11"No, my lord," he said to Abraham, "please listen to me. I will give you the field and the cave. Here in the presence of my people, I give it to you. Go and bury your dead."H3808H113H8085H7704H5414H4631H5414H5869H1121H5971H5414H6912H4191 12Abraham again bowed low before the citizens of the land,H85H7812H6440H5971H776 13and he replied to Ephron as everyone listened. "No, listen to me. I will buy it from you. Let me pay the full price for the field so I can bury my dead there."H1696H6085H241H5971H776H559H3863H8085H5414H3701H7704H3947H6912H4191 14Ephron answered Abraham,H6085H6030H85H559 15"My lord, please listen to me. The land is worth 400 pieces

of silver, but what is that between friends? Go ahead and bury your dead."H113H8085H776H702H3967H8255H3701H996H6912H4191 16So Abraham agreed to Ephron's price and paid the amount he had suggested—400 pieces of silver, weighed according to the market standard. The Hittite elders witnessed the transaction.H85H8085H6085H85H8254H6085H3701H1696H241H1121H2845H702H3967H8255H3701H5674H5503 17So Abraham bought the plot of land belonging to Ephron at Machpelah, near Mamre. This included the field itself, the cave that was in it, and all the surrounding trees.H7704H6085H4375H6440H4471H7704H4631H6086H7704H1366H5439H6965 18It was transferred to Abraham as his permanent possession in the presence of the Hittite elders at the city gate.H85H4736H5869H1121H2845H935H8179H5892 19Then Abraham buried his wife, Sarah, there in Canaan, in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre (also called Hebron).H310H3651H85H6912H8283H802H4631H7704H4375H6440H4471H2275H776H3667 20So the field and the cave were transferred from the Hittites to Abraham for use as a permanent burial place.H7704H4631H6965H85H272H6913H1121H2845

A Wife for Isaac

24Abraham was now a very old man, and the LORD had blessed him in every way.H85H2204H935H3117H3068H1288H85

2One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, "Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh.H85H559H2205H5650H1004H4910H7760H3027H3409

3Swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.H7650H3068H430H8064H430H776H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H7130H3427

4Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son Isaac."H3212H776H4138H3947H802H1121H3327

5The servant asked, "But what if I can't find a young woman who is willing to travel so far from home? Should I then take Isaac there to live among your relatives in the land you came from?"H5650H559H802H14H3212H310H776H7725H1121H7725H776H3318

6"No!" Abraham responded. "Be careful never to take my son there.H85H559H8104H7725H6435H1121H7725

7For the LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and my native land, solemnly promised to give this land to my descendants

. He will send his angel ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a wife there for my son.H3068H430H8064H3947H1H1004H776H4138H1696H7650H559H2233H5414H776H7971H4397H6440H3947H802H1121

8If she is unwilling to come back with you, then you are free from this oath of mine. But under no circumstances are you to take my son there."H802H14H3212H310H5352H7621H7725H1121H7725

9So the servant took an oath by putting his hand under the thigh of his master, Abraham. He swore to follow Abraham's instructions.H5650H7760H3027H3409H85H113H7650H5921H2088H1697

10Then he loaded ten of Abraham's camels with all kinds of expensive gifts from his master, and he traveled to distant Aram-naharaim. There he went to the town where Abraham's brother Nahor had settled.H5650H3947H6235H1581H1581H113H3212H2898H113H3027H6965H3212H763H5892H5152

11He made the camels kneel beside a well just outside the town. It was evening, and the women were coming out to draw water.H1288H1581H1288H2351H5892H413H875H4325H6256H6153H6256H3318H7579

12"O LORD, God of my master, Abraham," he prayed. "Please give me success today, and show unfailing love to my master, Abraham.H559H3068H430H113H85H6440H7136H3117H6213H2617H5973H113H85

13See, I am standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water.H5324H5869H4325H1323H582H5892H3318H7579H4325

14This is my request. I will ask one of them, 'Please give me a drink from your jug.' If she says, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!'—let her be the one you have selected as Isaac's wife. This is how I will know that you have shown unfailing love to my master."H5291H559H5186H3537H8354H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H3198H5650H3327H3045H6213H2617H113

15Before he had finished praying, he saw a young woman named Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Abraham's brother Nahor and his wife, Milcah.H3615H1696H7259H3318H834H3205H1328H1121H4435H802H5152H85H251H3537H7926

16Rebekah was very beautiful and old enough to be married, but she was still a virgin. She went down to the spring, filled her jug, and came up again.H5291H3966H2896H4758H1330H376H3045H3381H5869H4390H3537H5927

17Running over to her, the servant said, "Please give me a little drink of water from your jug."H5650H7323H7125H559H1572H4592H4325H3537

18"Yes, my lord," she answered, "have a drink." And she quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and gave him a drink.H559H8354H113H4116H3381H3537H3027H8248

19When she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels, too, until they have had enough to drink."H3615H8248H559H7579H1581H3615H8354

20So she quickly emptied her jug into the watering trough and ran back to the well to draw water for all his camels.H4116H6168H3537H8268H7323H875H7579H7579H1581

21The servant watched her in silence, wondering whether or not the LORD had given him success in his mission.H376H7583H2790H3045H3068H6743H1870H6743H518

22Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he took out a gold ring for her nose and two large gold bracelets

for her wrists.H1581H3615H8354H376H3947H2091H5141H1235H4948H8147H6781H3027H6235H4948H2091

23"Whose daughter are you?" he asked. "And please tell me, would your father have any room to put us up for the night?"H559H4310H1323H859H5046H3426H4725H1H1004H3885

24"I am the daughter of Bethuel," she replied. "My grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.H559H1323H1328H1121H4435H3205H5152

25Yes, we have plenty of straw and feed for the camels, and we have room for guests."H559H1571H8401H4554H7227H1571H4725H3885

26The man bowed low and worshiped the LORD.H376H6915H7812H3068

27"Praise the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham," he said. "The LORD has shown unfailing love and faithfulness to my master, for he has led me straight to my master's relatives."H559H1288H3068H430H113H85H5800H5973H113H2617H571H1870H3068H5148H1004H113H251

28The young woman ran home to tell her family everything that had happened.H5291H7323H5046H517H1004H1697

29Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, who ran out to meet the man at the spring.H7259H251H8034H3837H3837H7323H2351H376H5869

30He had seen the nose-ring and the bracelets on his sister's wrists, and had heard Rebekah tell what the man had said. So he rushed out to the spring, where the man was still standing beside his camels.H7200H5141H6781H269H3027H8085H1697H7259H269H559H3541H1696H376H935H376H5975H5921H1581H5869

31Laban said to him, "Come and stay with us, you who are blessed by the LORD! Why are you standing here outside the town when I have a room all ready for you and a place prepared for the camels?"H559H935H1288H3068H5975H2351H6437H1004H4725H1581

32So the man went home with Laban, and Laban unloaded the camels, gave him straw for their bedding, fed them, and provided water for the man and the camel drivers to wash their feet.H376H935H1004H6605H1581H5414H8401H4554H1581H4325H7364H7272H582H7272

33Then food was served. But Abraham's servant said, "I don't want to eat until I have told you why I have come." "All right," Laban said, "tell us."H7760H3455H6440H398H559H398H1696H1697H559H1696

34"I am Abraham's servant," he explained.H559H85H5650

35"And the LORD has greatly blessed my master; he has become a wealthy man. The LORD has given him flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, a fortune in silver and gold, and many male and female servants and camels and donkeys.H3068H1288H113H3966H1431H5414H6629H1241H3701H2091H5650H8198H1581H2543

36"When Sarah, my master's wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master's son, and my master has given him everything he owns.H8283H113H802H3205H1121H113H310H2209H5414

37And my master made me take an oath. He said, 'Do not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.H113H7650H559H3947H802H1121H1323H3669H776H3427

38Go instead to my father's house, to my relatives, and find a wife there for my son.'H518H3212H1H1004H4940H3947H802H1121

39"But I said to my master, 'What if I can't find a young woman who is willing to go back with me?'H559H113H802H3212H310

40He responded, 'The LORD, in whose presence I have lived, will send his angel with you and will make your mission successful. Yes, you must find a wife for my son from among my relatives, from my father's family.H559H3068H6440H1980H7971H4397H6743H1870H3947H802H1121H4940H1H1004

41Then you will have fulfilled your obligation. But if you go to my relatives and they refuse to let her go with you, you will be free from my oath.'H5352H423H935H4940H5414H5355H423

42"So today when I came to the spring, I prayed this prayer: 'O LORD, God of my master, Abraham, please give me success on this mission.H935H3117H5869H559H3068H430H113H85H3426H6743H1870H1980

43See, I am standing here beside this spring. This is my request. When a young woman comes to draw water, I will say to her, "Please give me a little drink of water from your jug."H5324H5869H4325H5959H3318H7579H559H8248H4592H4325H3537H8248

44If she says, "Yes, have a drink, and I will draw water for your camels, too," let her be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master's son.'H559H8354H7579H1581H802H3068H3198H113H1121

45"Before I had finished praying in my heart, I saw Rebekah coming out with her water jug on her shoulder. She went down to the spring and drew water. So I said to her, 'Please give me a drink.'H3615H1696H3820H7259H3318H3537H7926H3381H5869H7579H559H8248

46She quickly lowered her jug from her shoulder and said, 'Yes, have a drink, and I will water your camels, too!' So I drank, and then she watered the camels.H4116H3381H3537H559H8354H8248H1581H8248H8354H8248H1581H8248

47"Then I asked, 'Whose daughter are you?' She replied, 'I am the daughter of Bethuel, and my grandparents are Nahor and Milcah.' So I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.H7592H559H1323H559H1323H1328H5152H1121H4435H3205H7760H5141H639H6781H3027

48"Then I bowed low and worshiped the LORD. I praised the LORD, the God of my master, Abraham, because he had led me straight to my master's niece to be his son's wife.H6915H7812H3068H1288H3068H430H113H85H5148H571H1870H3947H113H251H1323H1121

49So tell me—will you or won't you show unfailing love and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no, and then I'll know what to do next."H3426H6213H2617H571H113H5046H5046H6437H3225H176H8040

50Then Laban and Bethuel replied, "The LORD has obviously brought you here, so there is nothing we can say.H3837H1328H6030H559H1697H3318H3068H3201H1696H7451H176H2896

51Here is Rebekah; take her and go. Yes, let her be the wife of your master's son, as the LORD has directed."H7259H6440H3947H3212H113H1121H802H3068H1696

52When Abraham's servant heard their answer, he bowed down to the ground and worshiped the LORD.H85H5650H8085H1697H7812H3068H776

53Then he brought out silver and gold jewelry and clothing and presented them to Rebekah. He also gave expensive presents to her brother and mother.H5650H3318H3627H3701H3627H2091H899H5414H7259H5414H251H517H4030

54Then they ate their meal, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning, Abraham's servant said, "Send me back to my master."H398H8354H582H3885H6965H1242H559H7971H113

55"But we want Rebekah to stay with us at least ten days," her brother and mother said. "Then she can go."H251H517H559H5291H3427H3117H176H6218H310H3212

56But he said, "Don't delay me. The LORD has made my mission successful; now send me back so I can return to my master."H559H309H3068H6743H1870H7971H3212H113

57"Well," they said, "we'll call Rebekah and ask her what she thinks."H559H7121H5291H7592H6310

58So they called Rebekah. "Are you willing to go with this man?" they asked her. And she replied, "Yes, I will go."H7121H7259H559H3212H376H559H3212

59So they said good-bye to Rebekah and sent her away with Abraham's servant and his men. The woman who had been Rebekah's childhood nurse went along with her.H7971H7259H269H3243H85H5650H582

60They gave her this blessing as she parted: "Our sister, may you become the mother of many millions! May your descendants be strong and conquer the cities of their enemies."H1288H7259H559H859H269H1961H505H7233H2233H3423H8179H8130

61Then Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and followed the man. So Abraham's servant took Rebekah and went on his way.H7259H6965H5291H7392H1581H3212H310H376H5650H3947H7259H3212

62Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negev, had returned from Beer-lahai-roi.H3327H935H935H883H3427H5045H776

63One evening as he was walking and meditating in the fields, he looked up and saw the camels coming.H3327H3318H7742H7704H6437H6153H5375H5869H7200H1581H935

64When Rebekah looked up and saw Isaac, she quickly dismounted from her camel.H7259H5375H5869H7200H3327H5307H5921H1581

65"Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?" she asked the servant. And he replied, "It is my master." So Rebekah covered her face with her veil.H559H5650H4310H376H1976H1980H7704H7125H5650H559H113H3947H6809H3680

66Then the servant told Isaac everything he had done.H5650H5608H3327H1697H6213

67And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and she became his wife. He loved her deeply, and she was a special comfort to him after the death of his mother.H3327H935H517H8283H168H3947H7259H802H157H3327H5162H310H517

7[A psalm of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning Cush of the tribe of Benjamin.] I come to you for protection, O LORD my God. Save me from my persecutors—rescue me!H7692H1732H7891H3068H1697H3568H1121H1145H3068H430H2620H3467H7291H5337 2If you don't, they will maul me like a lion, tearing me to pieces with no one to rescue me.H2963H5315H738H6561H5337 3O LORD my God, if I have done wrong or am guilty of injustice,H3068H430H6213H3426H5766H3709 4if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,H1580H7451H7999H2502H7387H6887 5then let my enemies capture me. Let them trample me into the ground and drag my honor in the dust. InterludeH341H7291H5315H5381H7429H2416H776H7931H3519H6083H5542 6Arise, O LORD, in anger! Stand up against the fury of my enemies! Wake up, my God, and bring justice!H6965H3068H639H5375H5678H6887H5782H4941H6680 7Gather the nations before you. Rule over them from on high.H5712H3816H5437H7725H4791 8The LORD judges the nations. Declare me righteous, O LORD, for I am innocent, O Most High!H3068H1777H5971H8199H3068H6664H8537 9End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.H7451H7563H1584H3559H6662H6662H430H974H3826H3629 10God is my shield, saving those whose hearts are true and right.H4043H430H3467H3477H3820 11God is an honest judge. He is angry with the wicked every day.H430H8199H6662H410H2194H3117 12If a person does not repent, God

will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.H7725H3913H2719H1869H7198H3559 13He will prepare his deadly weapons and shoot his flaming arrows.H3559H3627H4194H6466H2671H1814 14The wicked conceive evil; they are pregnant with trouble and give birth to lies.H2254H205H2029H5999H3205H8267 15They dig a deep pit to trap others, then fall into it themselves.H3738H953H2658H5307H7845H6466 16The trouble they make for others backfires on them. The violence they plan falls on their own heads.H5999H7725H7218H2555H3381H6936 17I will thank the LORD because he is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.H3034H3068H6664H2167H8034H3068H5945

Genesis 22-24; Psalms 7 - Prayer Tents

Abraham’s Faith Tested

The Burial of Sarah

A Wife for Isaac