Covenant Circumcision

# Chapter 17
1. When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, "I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and be blameless.
2. I will set up my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you greatly."

3. Then 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.
5. Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations.
6. I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you.
7. I will confirm my covenant that is between me and you and your future offspring throughout their generations. It is a permanent covenant to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.
8. And to you and your future offspring I will give the land where you are residing--all the land of Canaan--as a permanent possession, and I will be their God."

9. God also said to Abraham, "As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep my covenant.
10. This 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.
11. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between me and you.
12. Throughout your generations, every male among you is to be circumcised at eight days old--every male born in your household or purchased from any foreigner and not your offspring.
13. Whether born in your household or purchased, he must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as a permanent covenant.
14. If 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."

15. God said to Abraham, "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai, for Sarah will be her name.
16. I will bless her; indeed, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will produce nations; kings of peoples will come from her."

17. Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, "Can a child be born to a hundred-year-old man? Can Sarah, a ninety-year-old woman, give birth?"
18. So Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael were acceptable to you!"

19. But God said, "No. Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will confirm my covenant with him as a permanent covenant for his future offspring.
20. As 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, and I will make him into a great nation.
21. But I will confirm my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."
22. When he finished talking with him, God withdrew from Abraham.

23. So 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.
24. Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised,
25. and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised.
26. On that very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised.
27. And all the men of his household--whether born in his household or purchased from a foreigner--were circumcised with him.




