Elohist’s “Binding of Isaac”
Now after these events it was
that God tested Avraham
and said to him:
Avraham!
He said:
Here I am.
He said:
Pray take your son,
your only-one,
whom you love,
Yitzhak,
and go-you-forth to the land of Moriyya/Seeing,
and offer him up there as an offering-up
upon one of the mountains
that I will tell you of.
Avraham started-early in the morning,
he saddled his donkey,
he took his two serving-lads with him and Yitzhak his son,
he split wood for the offering-up
and arose and went to the place that God had told him of.
On the third day Avraham lifted up his eyes
and saw the place from afar.
Avraham said to his lads:
You stay here with the donkey,
and I and the lad wish to go yonder,
we wish to bow down and then return to you.
Avraham took the wood for the offering-up,
he placed them upon Yitzhak his son,
in his hand he took the fire and the knife.
Thus the two of them went together.
Yitzhak said to Avraham his father, he said:
Father!
He said:
Here I am, my son.
He said:
Here are the fire and the wood,
but where is the lamb for the offering-up?
Avraham said:
God will see-for-himself to the lamb for the offering-up,
my son.
Thus the two of them went together.
They came to the place that God had told him of;
there Avraham built the slaughter-site
and arranged the wood
and bound Yitzhak his son
and placed him on the slaughter-site atop the wood.
And Avraham stretched out his hand,
he took the knife to slay his son.
But YHWH’s messenger called to him from heaven
and said:
Avraham! Avraham"Avraham! Avraham"
He said:
Here I am.
He said:
Do not stretch out your hand against the lad,
do not do anything to him!
For now I know
that you are in awe of God—
you have not withheld your son, your only-one, from me.
Avraham lifted up his eyes and saw:
here, a ram was caught behind in the thicket by its horns!
Avraham went,
he took the ram
and offered it up as an offering-up in place of his son.
Avraham called the name of that place: YHWH Sees.
As the saying is today: On YHWH’s mountain (it) is seen.
Now YHWH’s messenger called to Avraham a second time from heaven
and said:
By myself I swear
—YHWH’s utterance—
indeed, because you have done this thing, have not withheld your son, your only-one,
indeed, I will bless you, bless you,
I will make your seed many, yes, many,
like the stars of the heavens and like the sand that is on the shore of the sea;
your seed shall inherit the gate of their enemies,
all the nations of the earth shall enjoy blessing through your seed,
in consequence of your hearkening to my voice.
Avraham returned to his lads,
they arose and went together to Be’er-Sheva.
And Avraham stayed in Be’er-Sheva.