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.

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.

2 I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you greatly."

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

3 Then Abram fell facedown, and God talked with him, saying,

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

4 "As for me, look, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

“Listen! This is the agreement I'm making with you. 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.

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.

6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.”

9 God said to Abraham, "As for you, you are to keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

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

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 agreement with you and your descendants who come after you, the agreement you are to keep: every male 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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."

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

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

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

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.”

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 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?”

18 Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before you."

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

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.

“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.

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.

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.

21 But my covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year."

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

22 When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

When God had finished speaking with Abraham he left him.

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.

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.

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

Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised,

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

and his son Ishmael was thirteen.

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

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

27 All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

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