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17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God, all sufficient. Walk before me and be upright.

“And I will make My Covenant between Me and you; and I will multiply you exceedingly.”

Then Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying,

“Behold, I make My Covenant with you; and you shall be a father of many nations.

“Nor shall your name be called Abram anymore; but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

“Also, I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and will make nations from you. Indeed, kings shall proceed from you.

“Moreover, I will establish My Covenant between Me and you and your seed after you (in their generations, for an everlasting Covenant), to be God to you and to your seed after you.

“And I will give you the land wherein you are a stranger, to you and your seed after you, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

Again, God said to Abraham, “You also shall keep My Covenant, you and your seed after you, in their generations.

10 “This is My Covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your seed after you: Let every male child among you be circumcised.

11 “That is, you shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh; and it shall be a sign of the Covenant between Me and you.

12 “And every male child among you of eight days old shall be circumcised in your generations, as well he who is born in your house (such as he who was bought with money from any stranger; who is not of your seed).

13 “He who is born in your house, and he who was bought with your money, must be circumcised. So, My Covenant shall be in your flesh, for an everlasting Covenant.

14 “But the uncircumcised child (in whose flesh the foreskin is not circumcised), even that person shall be cut off from his people. He has broken My Covenant.”

15 Afterward, God said to Abraham, “Sarai, your wife, you shall not call ‘Sarai’; but ‘Sarah’ shall be her name.

16 “And I will bless her and will also give you a son by her. Indeed, I will bless her; and she shall be the mother of nations. Kings of people shall come from her.”

17 Then, Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to him who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?”

18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live in Your sight.”

19 Then God said, “Sarah, your wife, shall indeed bear you a son. And you shall call his name ‘Isaac’; and I will establish My Covenant with him and with his seed after him, for an everlasting Covenant.

20 “And concerning Ishmael, I have heard you. Lo, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes; and I will make a great nation from him.

21 “But I will establish My Covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you next year at this season.”

22 And he ceased talking with him; and God went up from Abraham.

23 Then, Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all who were born in his house, and all that was bought with his money (that is, every male child among the men of Abraham’s house) and he circumcised the foreskin of their flesh on that same day, as God had commanded him.

24 And Abraham himself was ninety-nine years old when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.

25 And Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when the foreskin of his flesh was circumcised.

26 Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised the same day.

27 And all the men of his house (born in his house and bought from a stranger, with money) were circumcised with him.

The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,(A) the Lord appeared to him(B) and said, “I am God Almighty[a];(C) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.(D) Then I will make my covenant between me and you(E) and will greatly increase your numbers.”(F)

Abram fell facedown,(G) and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you:(H) You will be the father of many nations.(I) No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham,[c](J) for I have made you a father of many nations.(K) I will make you very fruitful;(L) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.(M) I will establish my covenant(N) as an everlasting covenant(O) between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God(P) and the God of your descendants after you.(Q) The whole land of Canaan,(R) where you now reside as a foreigner,(S) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;(T) and I will be their God.(U)

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,(V) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.(W) 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.(X) 11 You are to undergo circumcision,(Y) and it will be the sign of the covenant(Z) between me and you. 12 For the generations to come(AA) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,(AB) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.(AC) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.(AD) 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised(AE) in the flesh, will be cut off from his people;(AF) he has broken my covenant.(AG)

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai(AH) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.(AI) 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.(AJ) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;(AK) kings of peoples will come from her.”

17 Abraham fell facedown;(AL) he laughed(AM) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?(AN) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”(AO) 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael(AP) might live under your blessing!”(AQ)

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,(AR) and you will call him Isaac.[d](AS) I will establish my covenant with him(AT) as an everlasting covenant(AU) for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.(AV) He will be the father of twelve rulers,(AW) and I will make him into a great nation.(AX) 21 But my covenant(AY) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you(AZ) by this time next year.”(BA) 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.(BB)

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household(BC) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.(BD) 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old(BE) when he was circumcised,(BF) 25 and his son Ishmael(BG) was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household(BH), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father.
  3. Genesis 17:5 Abraham probably means father of many.
  4. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs.