< Genesis 17 >
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Walk before me, and be blameless.
In truth, after he began to be ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him. And he said to him: “I am the Almighty God. Walk in my sight and become complete.
2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you greatly."
And I will set my covenant between me and you. And I will multiply you very exceedingly.”
3 Then Abram fell facedown, and God talked with him, saying,
Abram fell prone on his face.
4 "As for me, look, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.
And God said to him: “I AM, and my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of many nations.
5 Neither will your name any more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.
No longer will your name be called Abram. But you will be called Abraham, for I have established you as the father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.
And I will cause you to increase very greatly, and I will set you among the nations, and kings will come forth from you.
7 I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.
And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and with your offspring after you in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God."
And I will give to you and to your offspring, the land of your sojourn, all the land of Canaan, as an eternal possession, and I will be their God.”
9 God said to Abraham, "As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
Again God said to Abraham: “And you therefore shall keep my covenant, and your offspring after you in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
This is my covenant, which you shall observe, between me and you, and your offspring after you: All the males among you shall be circumcised.
11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, so that it may be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your descendants.
An infant of eight days will be circumcised among you, every male in your generations. So also servants born to you, as well as those bought, shall be circumcised, even those who are not of your stock.
13 He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
And my covenant shall be with your flesh as an eternal covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin on the eighth day, that person shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant."
The male, the flesh of whose foreskin will not be circumcised, that soul shall be eliminated from his people. For he has made my covenant void.”
15 God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah.
God said also to Abraham: “Your wife Sarai, you shall not call Sarai, but Sarah.
16 And I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. And I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her."
And I will bless her, and from her I will give you a son, whom I will bless, and he will be among the nations, and the kings of the peoples will rise from him.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?"
Abraham fell on his face, and he laughed, saying in his heart: “Do you think a son can be born to a one hundred year old man? And will Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”
18 Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you."
And he said to God, “If only Ishmael would live in your sight.”
19 And God said, "Truly, Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you are to name him Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.
And God said to Abraham: “Your wife Sarah shall give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant, and with his offspring after him.
20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Look, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.
Likewise, concerning Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless and enlarge him, and I will multiply him greatly. He will produce twelve leaders, and I will make him into a great nation.
21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."
Yet in truth, I will establish my covenant with Isaac, to whom Sarah will give birth for you at this time next year.”
22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.
And when he had finished speaking with him, God ascended from Abraham.
23 Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.
Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all whom he had bought, every male among the men of his house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin promptly, the very same day, just as God had instructed him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin.
25 Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
And his son Ishmael had completed thirteen years at the time of his circumcision.
26 In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.
On the very same day, Abraham was circumcised with his son Ishmael.
27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
And all the men of his house, those born in his house, as well as those who were bought, even the foreigners, were circumcised with him.