Genesis 17

God's Promise to Abraham

1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right, 2I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.” 3Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:

4-5 # Ro 4.17. I promise that you will be the father of many nations. So now I'm changing your name from Abram to Abraham.#17.4,5 Abraham: In Hebrew “Abraham” sounds like “father of many nations.” 6I will give you a lot of descendants, and they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.

7 # Lk 1.55. I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. 8#Ac 7.5. I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.

9Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me. 10-11#Ac 7.8; Ro 4.11. As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family. 12-13From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last forever. 14Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his part of the promise and cannot be one of my people.

15Abraham, from now on your wife's name will be Sarah instead of Sarai. 16I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.

17Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, “I am almost 100 years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is 90. How can she have a child?” So he started laughing. 18Then he asked God, “Why not let Ishmael#17.18 Ishmael: Ishmael was the son of Sarah's slave Hagar (see 16.1-16). inherit what you have promised me?”

19But God answered:

No! You and Sarah will have a son. His name will be Isaac,#17.19 Isaac: In Hebrew “Isaac” sounds like “laugh.” and I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants.

20However, I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation. 21But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.

22God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.

23-27On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all the other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was 99 years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was 13.

Genesis 17

Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

1Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him,

“I am #17.1: Heb El ShaddaiGod Almighty;

Walk before Me, and be #17.1: Lit complete, perfect; or having integrityblameless.

2“I will #17.2: Lit givemake My covenant between Me and you,

And I will multiply you exceedingly.”

3Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,

4“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,

And you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

5“No longer shall you be named #17.5: I.e., exalted fatherAbram,

But your name shall be #17.5: I.e., father of a multitudeAbraham;

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 will come from you. 7I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your #17.7: Lit seeddescendants after you throughout their generations as an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your #17.7: Lit seeddescendants after you. 8And I will give to you and to your #17.8: Lit seeddescendants after you the land where you live as a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

9God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your #17.9: Lit seeddescendants after you throughout their generations. 10This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your #17.10: Lit seeddescendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, including a slave who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your #17.12: Lit seeddescendants. 13A slave who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall certainly be circumcised; so My covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14But as for an uncircumcised male, one who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

15Then God said to Abraham, “As for your wife Sarai, you shall not call her by the name #17.15: I.e., princessSarai, but #17.15: I.e., princess (in another dialect)Sarah shall be her name. 16I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples will #17.16: Lit become from her.” 17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man a hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth to a child?” 18And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” 19But God said, “No, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him #17.19: I.e., he laughsIsaac; and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his #17.19: Lit seeddescendants after him. 20As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. 21But I will establish My covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” 22When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23Then Abraham took his son Ishmael, and all the slaves who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin on this very same day, as God had said to him. 24Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26On this very same day Abraham was circumcised, as well as his son Ishmael. 27And all the men of his household, those who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

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Genesis 17

Genesis 17