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) 2} Then I will make my covenant between me and you^(E) and will greatly increase your numbers.”^(F)

³ Abram fell facedown,^(G) and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you:^(H) You will be the father of many nations.^{(I) 5} 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) 6} I will make you very fruitful;^(L) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.^{(M) 7} 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)

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

¹³ It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise^(A) that he would be heir of the world,^(B) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.^{(C) 14} For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,^{(D) 15} because the law brings wrath.^(E) And where there is no law there is no transgression.^(F)

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(G) and may be guaranteed^(H) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.^{(I) 17} As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[a](J) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(K) to the dead and calls^(L) into being things that were not.^(M)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(N) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^{[b](O) 19} Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(P)—since he was about a hundred years old^(Q)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^{(R) 20} Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(S) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(T) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^{(U) 22} This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”^{(V) 23} The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, ²⁴ but also for us,^(W) to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him^(X) who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.^{(Y) 25} He was delivered over to death for our sins^(Z) and was raised to life for our justification.^(AA)

Jesus Predicts His Death^(A)

³¹ He then began to teach them that the Son of Man^(B) must suffer many things^(C) and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law,^(D) and that he must be killed^(E) and after three days^(F) rise again.^{(G) 32} He spoke plainly^(H) about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³ But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!”^(I) he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(J) 35} For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.^{(K) 36} What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man^(L) will be ashamed of them^(M) when he comes^(N) in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”