¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty^[a];^(A) be fruitful and increase in number.^(B) A nation^(C) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^(D)

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He too will become a people, and he too will become great.^(A) Nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he,^(B) and his descendants will become a group of nations.^(C)”

¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.^(A) So then, he is the father^(B) of all who believe^(C) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(A) and may be guaranteed^(B) 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.^{(C) 17} As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”^[a](D) He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed—the God who gives life^(E) to the dead and calls^(F) into being things that were not.^(G)

¹⁸ Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations,^(H) just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”^[b](I)