The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,(A) the Lord appeared to him(B) and said, “I am God Almighty[a];(C) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.(D) Then I will make my covenant between me and you(E) and will greatly increase your numbers.”(F)

Abram fell facedown,(G) and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you:(H) You will be the father of many nations.(I) No longer will you be called Abram[b]; your name will be Abraham,[c](J) for I have made you a father of many nations.(K) I will make you very fruitful;(L) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.(M) I will establish my covenant(N) as an everlasting covenant(O) between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God(P) and the God of your descendants after you.(Q) The whole land of Canaan,(R) where you now reside as a foreigner,(S) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;(T) and I will be their God.(U)

Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,(V) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.(W) 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.(X) 11 You are to undergo circumcision,(Y) and it will be the sign of the covenant(Z) between me and you. 12 For the generations to come(AA) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,(AB) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.(AC) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.(AD) 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised(AE) in the flesh, will be cut off from his people;(AF) he has broken my covenant.(AG)

15 God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai(AH) your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.(AI) 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her.(AJ) I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations;(AK) kings of peoples will come from her.”

17 Abraham fell facedown;(AL) he laughed(AM) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?(AN) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”(AO) 18 And Abraham said to God, “If only Ishmael(AP) might live under your blessing!”(AQ)

19 Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,(AR) and you will call him Isaac.[d](AS) I will establish my covenant with him(AT) as an everlasting covenant(AU) for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers.(AV) He will be the father of twelve rulers,(AW) and I will make him into a great nation.(AX) 21 But my covenant(AY) I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you(AZ) by this time next year.”(BA) 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him.(BB)

23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household(BC) or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him.(BD) 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old(BE) when he was circumcised,(BF) 25 and his son Ishmael(BG) was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household(BH), including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him.

The Three Visitors

18 The Lord appeared to Abraham(BI) near the great trees of Mamre(BJ) while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent(BK) in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up(BL) and saw three men(BM) standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.(BN)

He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(BO) my lord,[e] do not pass your servant(BP) by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet(BQ) and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat,(BR) so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant.”

“Very well,” they answered, “do as you say.”

So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. “Quick,” he said, “get three seahs[f] of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread.”(BS)

Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf(BT) and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. He then brought some curds(BU) and milk(BV) and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them.(BW) While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

“Where is your wife Sarah?”(BX) they asked him.

“There, in the tent,(BY)” he said.

10 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year,(BZ) and Sarah your wife will have a son.”(CA)

Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already very old,(CB) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.(CC) 12 So Sarah laughed(CD) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord(CE) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’(CF) 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?(CG) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,(CH) and Sarah will have a son.”(CI)

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father.
  3. Genesis 17:5 Abraham probably means father of many.
  4. Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs.
  5. Genesis 18:3 Or eyes, Lord
  6. Genesis 18:6 That is, probably about 36 pounds or about 16 kilograms

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