Genesis 17
17
1 In truth, after he began to be ninety-nine years of age, the Lord appeared to him. And he said to him: "I am the Almighty God. Walk in my sight and become complete.
2 And I will set my covenant between me and you. And I will multiply you very exceedingly."
3 Abram fell prone on his face.
4 And God said to him: "I AM, and my covenant is with you, and you will be the father of many nations.
5 No longer will your name be called Abram. But you will be called Abraham, for I have established you as the father of many nations.
6 And I will cause you to increase very greatly, and I will set you among the nations, and kings will come forth from you.
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you, and with your offspring after you in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
8 And I will give to you and to your offspring, the land of your sojourn, all the land of Canaan, as an eternal possession, and I will be their God."
9 Again God said to Abraham: "And you therefore shall keep my covenant, and your offspring after you in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which you shall observe, between me and you, and your offspring after you: All the males among you shall be circumcised.
11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, so that it may be a sign of the covenant between me and you.
12 An infant of eight days will be circumcised among you, every male in your generations. So also servants born to you, as well as those bought, shall be circumcised, even those who are not of your stock.
13 And my covenant shall be with your flesh as an eternal covenant.
14 The male, the flesh of whose foreskin will not be circumcised, that soul shall be eliminated from his people. For he has made my covenant void."
15 God said also to Abraham: "Your wife Sarai, you shall not call Sarai, but Sarah.
16 And I will bless her, and from her I will give you a son, whom I will bless, and he will be among the nations, and the kings of the peoples will rise from him."
17 Abraham fell on his face, and he laughed, saying in his heart: "Do you think a son can be born to a one hundred year old man? And will Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?"
18 And he said to God, "If only Ishmael would live in your sight."
19 And God said to Abraham: "Your wife Sarah shall give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Isaac, and I will establish my covenant with him as a perpetual covenant, and with his offspring after him.
20 Likewise, concerning Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I will bless and enlarge him, and I will multiply him greatly. He will produce twelve leaders, and I will make him into a great nation.
21 Yet in truth, I will establish my covenant with Isaac, to whom Sarah will give birth for you at this time next year."
22 And when he had finished speaking with him, God ascended from Abraham.
23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all who were born in his house, and all whom he had bought, every male among the men of his house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin promptly, the very same day, just as God had instructed him.
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And his son Ishmael had completed thirteen years at the time of his circumcision.
26 On the very same day, Abraham was circumcised with his son Ishmael.
27 And all the men of his house, those born in his house, as well as those who were bought, even the foreigners, were circumcised with him.
Genesis 17
17
Covenant Circumcision
1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty.#Gn 28:3; 35:11; Ex 6:3 Live#17:1 Or Walk in my presence and be blameless.#Gn 6:9; Ps 15:2; Lk 1:6 2I will set up my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.”
3Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: 4“As for me, here is my covenant with you: You will become the father of many nations. 5Your name will no longer be Abram;#17:5 = The Father Is Exalted your name will be Abraham,#17:5 = Father of a Multitude for I will make you the father of many nations.#Gn 35:11; 48:19; Rm 4:11–12,16–18 6I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you. 7I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant#Gn 9:16 to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.#Ex 6:7; Lv 11:45; 26:12,45; Dt 29:13; Heb 11:16; Rv 21:7 8And to you and your future offspring#17:8 Lit seed#Gl 3:16 I will give the land where you are residing — all the land of Canaan — as a permanent possession,#Gn 48:4; Ac 7:5 and I will be their God.”
9God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant. 10This is my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you, which you are to keep: Every one of your males must be circumcised. 11You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and you.#17:11 You in v. 11 is pl.#Ex 12:48; Dt 10:16; Ac 7:8; Rm 4:11 12Throughout your generations, every male among you is to be circumcised#Lv 12:3; Lk 1:59; 2:21; Php 3:5 at eight days old — every male born in your household or purchased from any foreigner and not your offspring. 13Whether born in your household or purchased, he must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as a permanent covenant. 14If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
15God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah#17:15 = Princess will be her name. 16I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her.#Gn 18:10 I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”
17Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed#Gn 21:6–7; Rm 4:19 and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?” 18So Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael were acceptable#17:18 Lit alive to you!”
19But God said, “No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac.#17:19 = He Laughs I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will certainly bless him; I will make him fruitful and will multiply him greatly. He will father twelve tribal leaders,#Gn 25:13–16 and I will make him into a great nation. 21But I will confirm my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year.”#Gn 18:10,14; 21:1 22When he finished talking with him, God withdrew#17:22 Lit went up, or ascended from Abraham.#Gn 35:13
23So Abraham took his son Ishmael and those born in his household or purchased — every male among the members of Abraham’s household — and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, just as God had said to him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised, 25and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised. 26On that very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27And all the men of his household — whether born in his household or purchased from a foreigner — were circumcised with him.
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers