Genesis 17

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty;#17.1 Heb El Shaddai walk before me, and be blameless. 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4“Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5#Rom 4.17. No longer shall your name be Abram,#17.5 That is exalted father but your name shall be Abraham;#17.5 Here taken to mean father of a multitude for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come forth from you. 7#Lk 1.55; Gal 3.16. And 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. 8#Acts 7.5. And 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.”

9And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10#Acts 7.8. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11#Gen 17.24; 21.4. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

15And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael might live in thy sight!” 19God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.#17.19 That is he laughs I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasing covenant for his descendants after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year.”

22When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all the slaves born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised; 27and all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America

Learn More About Revised Standard Version

Genesis 17

CHAPTER 17

1Forsooth after that Abram began to be of ninety years and nine, the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, I am Almighty God; go thou before me, and be thou perfect;

2and I shall set my covenant of peace betwixt me and thee; and I shall multiply thee full greatly.

3And Abram felled down low on his face. And God said to him,

4I am, and my covenant of peace is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of many folks;

5and thy name shall no more be called Abram, but thou shalt be called Abraham, for I have made thee [the] father of many folks;

6and I shall make thee to wax full greatly, and I shall set thee in folks, and kings shall go out of thee;

7and I shall make my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee, in their generations, by everlasting bond of peace, that I be thy God, and of thy seed after thee;

8and I shall give to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy pilgrimage, all the land of Canaan, into everlasting possession, and I shall be the God of them.

9God said again to Abraham, And therefore thou shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee, in their generations.

10This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, betwixt me and you, and thy seed after thee; each male kind of you shall be circumcised,

11and ye shall circumcise the flesh of your man’s rod, that it be into a sign of bond of peace betwixt me and you.

12A young child of eight days shall be circumcised in you, all male kind in your generations, as well a born servant [of your household], as a servant bought, shall be circumcised,

13and whoever is of your kindred, he shall be circumcised; and my covenant shall be in your flesh into everlasting bond of peace.

14A man whose flesh of his rod shall not be circumcised, that man shall be done away from his people; for he made void my covenant.

15Also God said to Abraham, Thou shalt not call Sarai, thy wife, Sarai, but Sarah;

16and I shall bless her, and of her I shall give to thee a son, whom I shall bless, and he shall be into nations, and kings of peoples shall be born of him.

17Abraham felled down on his face, and laughed in his heart, and said, Guessest thou, whether a child shall be born to a man of an hundred years, and Sarah of ninety years shall bear a child?

18And he said to the Lord, I would that Ishmael might live before thee.

19And the Lord said to Abraham, Sarah, thy wife, shall bear a son to thee, and thou shalt call his name Isaac, and I shall make my covenant with him into everlasting bond of peace, and to his seed after him;

20also on Ishmael I have heard thee, lo! I shall bless him, and I shall increase him, and I shall multiply him greatly; he shall engender twelve dukes, and I shall make him into a great folk.

21Forsooth I shall make my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall child to thee in this time in the tother year.

22And when the word of the speaker with him was ended, God ascended from Abraham.

23Forsooth Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all the born servants of his house, and all which he had bought, all the males of all men of his house, and circumcised the flesh of their rods, anon in that day, as the Lord commanded to him.

24Abraham was of ninety years and nine when he circumcised the flesh of his rod,

25and Ishmael, his son, had filled thirteen years in the time of his circumcision.

26Abraham was circumcised in the same day, and Ishmael his son,

27and all the men of his house, as well born servants, as those bought and aliens, were circumcised together.

Learn More About Wycliffe's Bible with Modern Spelling