Genesis 17

The Covenant of Circumcision

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless, 2and I will establish my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.” 3Then Abram fell on his face. And God spoke with him, saying, 4“As for me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, 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 from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

9Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13Both the one born in your house and the one bought with your money must surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh as 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.”

Sarah and the Promised Son

15Then 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 become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.”

17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? Shall 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 shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” 22When he had finished speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.

Abraham’s Obedience

23Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house and all those bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on that very day, as God had spoken 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. 26On that very day Abraham and Ishmael his son were circumcised. 27And all the men of his household, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.