Noah built an altar to the LORD; he took one of each kind of ritually clean animal and bird, and burned them whole as a sacrifice on the altar.

"Take your son," God said, "your only son, Isaac, whom you love so much, and go to the land of Moriah. There on a mountain that I will show you, offer him as a sacrifice to me."

Isaac spoke up, "Father!" He answered, "Yes, my son?" Isaac asked, "I see that you have the coals and the wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"

Abraham answered, "God himself will provide one." And the two of them walked on together.

Abraham looked around and saw a ram caught in a bush by its horns. He went and got it and offered it as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Then Jethro brought an offering to be burned whole and other sacrifices to be offered to God; and Aaron and all the leaders of Israel went with him to eat the sacred meal as an act of worship.

The LORD called to Moses from the Tent of the LORD's presence and gave him the following rules

Balaam said to Balak, "Stand here by your burnt offering, and I will meet God over there."

Balaam said to them, "Spend the night here, and tomorrow I will report to you whatever the LORD tells me." So the Moabite leaders stayed with Balaam.

God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these people that are staying with you?"

Then the LORD let Balaam see the angel standing there with his sword; and Balaam threw himself face downward on the ground.

But your donkey saw me and turned aside three times. If it hadn't, I would have killed you and spared the donkey."

But the angel said, "Go on with these men, but say only what I tell you to say." So Balaam went on with them.

By now Balaam knew that the LORD wanted him to bless the people of Israel, so he did not go to look for omens, as he had done before. He turned toward the desert