Genesis 17
17
God’s covenant with Abraham
1When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am El Shaddai.#17.1 Or God Almighty or God of the Mountain Walk with me and be trustworthy. 2I will make a covenant between us and I will give you many, many descendants.” 3Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, 4“But me, my covenant is with you; you will be the ancestor of many nations. 5And because I have made you the ancestor of many nations, your name will no longer be Abram#17.5 Or exalted ancestor but Abraham.#17.5 Or ancestor of a multitude 6I will make you very fertile. I will produce nations from you, and kings will come from you. 7I will set up my covenant with you and your descendants after you in every generation as an enduring covenant. I will be your God and your descendants’ God after you. 8I will give you and your descendants the land in which you are immigrants, the whole land of Canaan, as an enduring possession. And I will be their God.”
9God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants in every generation. 10This is my covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Circumcise every male. 11You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it will be a symbol of the covenant between us. 12On the eighth day after birth, every male in every generation must be circumcised, including those who are not your own children: those born in your household and those purchased with silver from foreigners. 13Be sure you circumcise those born in your household and those purchased with your silver. Your flesh will embody my covenant as an enduring covenant. 14Any uncircumcised male whose flesh of his foreskin remains uncircumcised will be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
15God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you will no longer call her Sarai. Her name will now be Sarah. 16I will bless her and even give you a son from her. I will bless her so that she will become nations, and kings of peoples will come from her.”
17Abraham fell on his face and laughed. He said to himself, Can a 100-year-old man become a father, or Sarah, a 90-year-old woman, have a child? 18To God Abraham said, “If only you would accept Ishmael!”
19But God said, “No, your wife Sarah will give birth to a son for you, and you will name him Isaac.#17.19 Or he laughs I will set up my covenant with him and with his descendants after him as an enduring covenant. 20As for Ishmael, I’ve heard your request. I will bless him and make him fertile and give him many, many descendants. He will be the ancestor of twelve tribal leaders, and I will make a great nation of him. 21But I will set up my covenant with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this time next year.” 22When God finished speaking to him, God ascended, leaving Abraham alone.
23Abraham took his son Ishmael, all those born in his household, and all those purchased with his silver—that is, every male in Abraham’s household—and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that same day, just as God had told him to do. 24Abraham was 99 years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, 25and his son Ishmael was 13 years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised. 26That same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27All the men of his household, those born in his household and those purchased with silver from foreigners, were circumcised with him.
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 17
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