Genesis 17

The Sign of the Covenant

1When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, "I am God Almighty;a walk before me, and be blameless. 2And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly." 3Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4"Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. 5No longer shall your name be Abram,b but your name shall be Abraham;c 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 forth from you. 7And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8And I will give to you, and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

9And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12He that 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 who is not of your offspring, 13both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh 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."

15And God said to Abraham, "As for Sar'ai your wife, you shall not call her name Sar'ai, 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 be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." 17Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?" 18And Abraham said to God, "O that Ish'mael might live in thy sight!" 19God said, "No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.d I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasing covenant for his descendants after him. 20As for Ish'mael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and make him fruitful and multiply him exceedingly; he shall be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this season next year."

22When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. 23Then Abraham took Ish'mael his son and all the slaves born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25And Ish'mael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26That very day Abraham and his son Ish'mael were circumcised; 27and all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.