Genesis 17

1 When Abram was 99, the Lord appeared to him and told him, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and don't do wrong.

And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be you perfect.

2 I will make my agreement between me and you, and I will give you many, many descendants.”

And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.

3 Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, and God told him,

And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

4 “Listen! This is the agreement I'm making with you. You will be the father of many nations,

As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

5 so your name won't be Abram any longer. Instead, your name will be Abraham because I'm going to make you the father of many nations.

Neither shall your name any more be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made you.

6 I will make sure you have a large number of descendants. They will become many nations, and some of their kings will also come from your line.

And I will make you exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come out of you.

7 I promise to continue my agreement with you, and with your descendants who come after you, for generations to come. This is an eternal agreement. I will always be your God, and the God of your descendants.

And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you, and to your seed after you.

8 I will give you and your descendants the whole country of Canaan—where you've been living as a foreigner—as land to own forever, and I will be their God.”

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

9 Then God told Abraham, “Your part is to keep my agreement—you and your descendants for generations to come.

And God said to Abraham, You shall keep my covenant therefore, you, and your seed after you in their generations.

10 This is my agreement with you and your descendants who come after you, the agreement you are to keep: every male among you shall be circumcised.

This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

11 You are to circumcise your foreskin, and this will be the sign of the agreement between me and you.

And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you.

12 From now and for all generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. This includes not only your sons but also those born in your household or bought from foreigners.

And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of your seed.

13 You must circumcise those born in your household or bought from foreigners as a sign in your bodies of my eternal agreement.

He that is born in your house, and he that is bought with your money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 Any uncircumcised male who refuses circumcision will be excluded from his people because he has broken my agreement.”

And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.

15 Then God told Abraham, “Now about Sarai your wife. Don't call her Sarai any longer. Instead, her name will be Sarah.

And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

16 I will bless her and I promise to give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will become the mother of nations, and kings will be among her descendants.”

And I will bless her, and give you a son also of her: yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.

17 Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground. But inside he was laughing, asking himself, “How on earth could I have a son at the age of one hundred? How could Sarah have a child when she is ninety?”

Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?

18 Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael always live under your blessing!”

And Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before you!

19 “No, it's your wife Sarah who is going to have a son for you!” God replied. “You are to call him Isaac. I will keep my agreement with him and his descendants as an eternal agreement.

And God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed; and you shall call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

20 Now about Ishmael. I heard what you said, and I will also bless him. I will make sure he has a great many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

21 But it's with Isaac that I will keep my agreement, the son Sarah will give birth to about this time next year.”

But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear to you at this set time in the next year.

22 When God had finished speaking with Abraham he left him.

And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

23 That day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael as well as all those born in his household or purchased, in fact every male among the members of Abraham's household, just as God had told him.

And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said to him.

24 Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised,

And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen.

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

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

In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

27 All the males in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or purchased from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.