Genesis 17

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

1Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, 1the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am 2God 3Almighty; Walk before Me, and be 45blameless.2I will 6establish My 7covenant between Me and you, And I will 8multiply you exceedingly.” 3Abram 9fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,4“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a 10multitude of nations.5No longer shall your name be called 11Abram, But 12your name shall be 13Abraham; For 14I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and 15kings will come forth from you. 7I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your 16descendants after you throughout their generations for an 17everlasting covenant, 18to be God to you and 19to your 20descendants after you. 821I will give to you and to your 22descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and 23I will be their God.”

9God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, 24you shall keep My covenant, you and your 25descendants after you throughout their generations. 1026This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your 27descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11And 28you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12And every male among you who is 29eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your 30descendants. 13A servant who is born in your house or 31who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be 32cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

15Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but 33Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and indeed I will give you 34a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; 35kings of peoples will 36come from her.” 17Then Abraham 37fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And 38will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” 19But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you 39a son, and you shall call his name 40Isaac; and 41I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his 42descendants after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and 43will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. 44He shall 45become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a 46great nation. 21But My covenant I will establish with 47Isaac, whom 48Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” 22When He finished talking with him, 49God went up from Abraham.

23Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were 50born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, 51as God had said to him. 24Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when 52he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And 53Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27All the men of his household, who were 54born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.