Genesis 17

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. 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 Then I will confirm my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

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

3 Abram bowed low with his face to the ground and God talked with him, saying,

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

4 “As for me, behold, 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 No longer will your name be Abram, but your name will be Abraham—for I appoint you to be 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, and kings will descend from 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 where you have been living, 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 Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must 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 must keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you must 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 must be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be the 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 Every male among you that is eight days old must be circumcised, throughout your people's generations. This includes him who is born into your household and him who is bought with money from any foreigner who is not one 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 into your household and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised. Thus 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 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin will 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, do not call her Sarai any more. Instead, 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 I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become the 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 bowed low with his face to the ground, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? How can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?”

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 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you must name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant 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. Behold, I hereby bless him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him abundantly. He will be the father of twelve leaders of tribes, and I will make him become 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 will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time in the 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 had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

When God had finished speaking with Abraham he left him.

23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all those who were born into his household, and all those who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in that 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 On the very same day Abraham and Ishmael his son were both circumcised.

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

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

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