Genesis 17

Genesis 17

1And after he began to be ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to him: and said unto him: I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be perfect.

2And I will make my covenant between me and thee: and I will multiply thee exceedingly.

3Abram tell flat on his face.

4And God said to him: I AM, And my covenant is with thee; and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

5Neither shall thy name be called any more Abram. But thou shalt be called Abraham: because I have made thee a father of many nations.

6And I will make thee increase, exceedingly: and I will make nations of thee; and kings shall come out of thee.

7And I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and between thy seed after thee in their generations, by a perpetual covenant: to be a God to thee, and to thy seed after thee.

8And I will give to thee, and to thy seed, the land of thy sojournment, all the land of Chanaan for a perpetual possession: and I will be their God.

9Again God said to Abraham: And thou therefore shalt keep my covenant, and thy seed after thee in their generations.

10This is my covenant which you shall observe, between me and you, and thy seed after thee: All the male kind of you shall be circumcised.

11And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin: that it may be for a sign of the covenant between me and you.

12An infant of eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations. He that is born in the house, as well as the bought servant shall be circumcised, and whosoever is not of your stock.

13And my covenant shall be in your flesh, for a perpetual covenant.

14The male, whose flesh of his foreskin shall not be circumcised, that soul shall be destroyed out of his people: because he hath broken my covenant.

15God said also to Abraham: Sarai, thy wife, thou shalt not call Sarai, but Sara.

16And I will bless her, and of her I will give thee a son, whom I will bless: and he shell become nations, and kings of people shall spring from him.

17Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, saying in his heart: Shall a son, thinkest thou, be born to him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sara that is ninety years old bring forth?

18And he said to God: O that Ismael may live before thee.

19And God said to Abraham: Sara, thy wife, shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him for a perpetual covenant, and with his seed after him.

20And as for Ismael I have also heard thee. Behold, I will bless him, and increase, and multiply him exceedingly: he shall beget twelve chiefs, and I will make him a great nation.

21But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sara shall bring forth to thee at this time in the next year.

22And when he had left off speaking with him, God went up from Abraham.

23And Abraham took Ismael his son, and all that 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 forthwith the very same day, as God had commanded him.

24Abraham was ninety and nine years old, when he circumcised the flesh of his foreskin.

25And Ismael his son was full thirteen years old at the time of his circumcision.

26The selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ismael his son.

27And all the men of his house, as well they that were born in his house, as the bought servants and strangers were circumcised with him.

Genesis 17

1-2When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, “I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! I’ll make a covenant between us and I’ll give you a huge family.”

3-8Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face.

Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: You’ll be the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that ‘I’m making you the father of many nations.’ I’ll make you a father of fathers—I’ll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. I’m establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. And I’m giving you and your descendants this land where you’re now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I’ll be their God.”

9-14God continued to Abraham, “And you: You will honor my covenant, you and your descendants, generation after generation. This is the covenant that you are to honor, the covenant that pulls in all your descendants: Circumcise every male. Circumcise by cutting off the foreskin of the penis; it will be the sign of the covenant between us. Every male baby will be circumcised when he is eight days old, generation after generation—this includes house-born slaves and slaves bought from outsiders who are not blood kin. Make sure you circumcise both your own children and anyone brought in from the outside. That way my covenant will be cut into your body, a permanent mark of my permanent covenant. An uncircumcised male, one who has not had the foreskin of his penis cut off, will be cut off from his people—he has broken my covenant.”

15-16God continued speaking to Abraham, “And Sarai your wife: Don’t call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah. I’ll bless her—yes! I’ll give you a son by her! Oh, how I’ll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her.”

17Abraham fell flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, “Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?”

18Recovering, Abraham said to God, “Oh, keep Ishmael alive and well before you!”

19But God said, “That’s not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I’ll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever.

20-21“And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I’ll also bless him; I’ll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He’ll father twelve princes; I’ll make him a great nation. But I’ll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year.”

22God finished speaking with Abraham and left.

23Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all his servants, whether houseborn or purchased—every male in his household—and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins that very day, just as God had told him.

24-27Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised the same day together with all the servants of his household, those born there and those purchased from outsiders—all were circumcised with him.

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Genesis 17