¹¹ God also said to him, “I am God Almighty.^(A) Be fruitful and multiply.^(B) A nation, indeed an assembly of nations, will come from you,^(C) and kings will descend from you.^[a](D)

¹⁹ But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know! He too will become a tribe,^[a] and he too will be great; nevertheless, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his offspring will become a populous nation.”^[b]

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision^(A) as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith^[a](B) while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father^(C) of all who believe^(D) but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. ¹² And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.

¹⁶ This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace,^(A) to guarantee it to all the descendants^(B)—not only to the one who is of the law^[a] but also to the one who is of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all. ¹⁷ As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations^[b](C)—in the presence of the God in whom he believed,the one who gives life to the dead^(D) and calls^(E) things into existence that do not exist.^{(F) 18} He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations^[c](G) according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.^[d](H)