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.

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Genesis 17

1 WHEN ABRAM was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete).

2 And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly.

3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God said to him,

4 As for Me, behold, My covenant (solemn pledge) is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations.

5 Nor shall your name any longer be Abram [high, exalted father]; but your name shall be Abraham [father of a multitude], for I have made you the father of many nations.

6 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.

7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting, solemn pledge, to be a God to you and to your posterity after you. [Gal. 3:16.]

8 And I will give to you and to your posterity after you the land in which you are a stranger [going from place to place], all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. [Acts 7:5.]

9 And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall therefore keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your posterity after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.

11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token or sign of the covenant (the promise or pledge) between Me and you.

12 He who 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 not of your offspring.

13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

14 And the male who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.

15 And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai; but Sarah [Princess] her name shall be.

16 And I will bless her and give you a son also by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.

17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?

18 And [he] said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!

19 But God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac [laughter]; and I will establish My covenant or solemn pledge with him for an everlasting covenant and with his posterity after him.

20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard and heeded you: behold, I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. [Fulfilled in Gen. 25:12-18.]

21 But My covenant, My promise and pledge, I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.

22 And God stopped talking with him and went up from Abraham.

23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among [those] of Abraham's house, and circumcised [them] the very same day, as God had said to him.

24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised.

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised.

26 On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son as well.

27 And all the men of his house, both those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him.

1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation

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Genesis 17

Genesis 17