Genesis 17
17
Circumcision—Proof of the Agreement
1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am God All-Powerful.#17:1 God All-Powerful Literally, “El Shaddai.” Obey me and live the right way. 2If you do this, I will prepare an agreement between us. I will promise to make your people a great nation.”
3Then Abram bowed down before God. God said to him, 4“This is my part of our agreement: I will make you the father of many nations. 5I will change your name from Abram#17:5 Abram This name means “honored father.” to Abraham,#17:5 Abraham This name means “great father” or “father of many.” because I am making you the father of many nations. 6I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you. 7And I will prepare an agreement between me and you. This agreement will also be for all your descendants. It will continue forever. I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. 8And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God.”
9Then God said to Abraham, “Now, this is your part of the agreement: You and all your descendants will obey my agreement. 10This is my agreement that all of you must obey. This is the agreement between me and you and all your descendants. Every male must be circumcised. 11You will cut the skin to show that you follow the agreement between me and you. 12When the baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. Every boy born among your people and every boy who is a slave of your people must be circumcised. 13So every baby boy in your nation will be circumcised. Every boy who is born from your family or bought as a slave will be circumcised. 14Abraham, this is the agreement between you and me: Any male who is not circumcised will be cut off from his people#17:14 cut off from his people This means he must be separated from his family and lose his share of the inheritance. because he has broken my agreement.”
Isaac—the Promised Son
15God said to Abraham, “I will give Sarai,#17:15 Sarai A name, probably Aramaic, meaning “princess.” your wife, a new name. Her new name will be Sarah.#17:15 Sarah A Hebrew name meaning “princess.” 16I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”
17Abraham bowed his face to the ground to show he respected God. But he laughed and said to himself, “I am 100 years old. I cannot have a son, and Sarah is 90 years old. She cannot have a child.”
18Then Abraham said to God, “I hope Ishmael will live and serve you.”
19God said, “No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac.#17:19 Isaac This name means “he laughs” or “he is happy.” I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.
20“You mentioned Ishmael, and I heard you. I will bless him, and he will have many children. He will be the father of twelve great leaders. His family will become a great nation. 21But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son who Sarah will have. He will be born at this same time next year.”
22After God finished talking with Abraham, God went up into heaven. 23Then Abraham gathered together Ishmael and all the slaves born in his house. He also gathered all the slaves he had bought. Every man and boy in Abraham’s house was gathered together, and they were all circumcised. Abraham circumcised them that day, just as God had told him to do.
24Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. 25And Ishmael, his son, was 13 years old when he was circumcised. 26Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day. 27Also, on that day all the men in Abraham’s house were circumcised. All the slaves born in his house and all the slaves he had bought were circumcised.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Berĕshith (Genesis) 17
17
1And it came to be when Aḇram was ninety-nine years old, that יהוה appeared to Aḇram and said to him, “I am Ěl Shaddai – walk before Me and be perfect.
2“And I give My covenant between Me and you, and shall greatly increase you.
3And Aḇram fell on his face, and Elohim spoke with him, saying,
4As for Me, look, My covenant is with you, and you shall become a father of many nations.
5“And no longer is your name called Aḇram, but your name shall be Aḇraham, because I shall make you a father of many nations.
6“And I shall make you exceedingly fruitful, and make nations of you, and sovereigns shall come from you.
7“And I shall establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your seed after you.
8“And I shall give to you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Kena‛an, as an everlasting possession. And I shall be their Elohim.”
9And Elohim said to Aḇraham, “As for you, guard My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations.
10“This is My covenant which you guard between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male child among you is to be circumcised.
11“And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall become a sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12“And a son of eight days is circumcised by you, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your seed.
13“He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant.
14“And an uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, his life shall be cut off from his people – he has broken My covenant.”
15And Elohim said to Aḇraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name.
16“And I shall bless her and also give you a son by her. And I shall bless her, and she shall become nations – sovereigns of peoples are to be from her.”
17And Aḇraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Is a child born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or is Sarah, who is ninety years old, to bear a child?”
18And Aḇraham said to Elohim, “Oh, let Yishma‛ĕl live before You!”
19“And Elohim said, “No, Sarah your wife is truly bearing a son to you, and you shall call his name Yitsḥaq. And I shall establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.
20“And as for Yishma‛ĕl, I have heard you. See, I shall bless him, and shall make him fruitful, and greatly increase him. He is to bring forth twelve princes, and I shall make him a great nation.
21“But My covenant I establish with Yitsḥaq, whom Sarah is to bear to you at this appointed time next year.”
22And when He had ended speaking with him, Elohim went up from Aḇraham.
23And Aḇraham took Yishma‛ĕl his son, and all those born in his house and all those bought with his silver, every male among the men of Aḇraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that same day, as Elohim told him.
24And Aḇraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25And Yishma‛ĕl his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26Aḇraham and his son Yishma‛ĕl were circumcised that same day.
27And all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with silver from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
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