Genesis 17

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty^[a]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.’ Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.

Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

I will make a covenant with you, by which I will guarantee to give you countless descendants.”

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,

At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him,

“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

“This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations!

No longer will you be called Abram^[b]; your name will be Abraham,^[c] for I have made you a father of many nations.

What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham,^[a] for you will be the father of many nations.

I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

“I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants^[b] after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

The Mark of the Covenant

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.

Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility.

This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised.

You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you.

You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.

For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring.

From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased.

Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.

All must be circumcised. Your bodies will bear the mark of my everlasting covenant.

Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Any male who fails to be circumcised will be cut off from the covenant family for breaking the covenant.”

Sarai Is Named Sarah

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.

Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah.^[c]

I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”

Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”

Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”

And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!”

So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!”

Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.^[d] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.

But God replied, “No—Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac,^[d] and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.”

But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”

When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.

When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham.

On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.

On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him.

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised,

and his son Ishmael was thirteen;

and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen.

Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day.

Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day,

And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.