Genesis 17

1 Now when Abram was 99 years old, Yehovah appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my contract between me and you, and will make you become very, very many.”

3 And Abram bowed down on his face. And God talked with him, saying, 4 “As for Me, look, My contract is with you, and you will become the father of many of nations. 5 Your name will no more be called Abram (which means Exalted Father), but your name will be Abraham (which means Father of Many); because I have made you the father of many nations. 6 I will make you very reproductive, and I will make nations of you. And kings will come out from you. 7 And I will establish My contract between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting contract, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling—all the land of Canaan--for an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.”

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you are to keep My contract, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My contract, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins. It will be a sign of the contract between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you is to be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. And My contract will be in your flesh for an everlasting contract. 14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that individual shall be cut off from his people. He has broken My contract.”

15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, because her name is Sarah (which means Princess). 16 And I will bless her, and I will also give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will become a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”

17 Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a 100-year-old man have a child? Will Sarah, who is 90 years old, give birth?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!”

19 And God said, “No, Sarah your wife will give birth to a son for you, and you shall call his name Isaac (which means He Will Laugh). I will establish My contract with him for an everlasting contract for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Look, I have blessed him, and will make him reproduce, and will make him become very, very many. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation of him. 21 But I will establish My contract with Isaac, whom Sarah will give birth to on your behalf at this appointed time next year.”

22 And He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money—every male among the men of Abraham’s house--and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on that same day, as God had told him. 24 And Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 On that same day, Abraham and Ishmael his son were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.


Next: Chapter 18

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