The Call of Abram

12 The Lord said to Abram:

Go out from your land,
your relatives,
and your father’s house
to the land that I will show you.(A)
I will make you into a great nation,(B)
I will bless you,(C)
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a](D)
I will bless those who bless you,
I will curse those who treat you with contempt,(E)
and all the peoples[b] on earth
will be blessed[c] through you.[d](F)

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was 75 years old when he left Haran.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 12:2 Or great. Be a blessing!
  2. Genesis 12:3 Lit clans
  3. Genesis 12:3 Or will find blessing
  4. Genesis 12:3 Or will bless themselves by you

The Abrahamic Covenant

15 After these events, the word of the Lord came(A) to Abram in a vision:

Do not be afraid,(B) Abram.
I am your shield;(C)
your reward will be very great.

But Abram said, “Lord God, what can You give me, since I am childless and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”[a] Abram continued, “Look, You have given me no offspring, so a slave born in[b] my house will be my heir.”

Now the word of the Lord came to him: “This one will not be your heir; instead, one who comes from your own body[c] will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look at the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then He said to him, “Your offspring will be that numerous.”(D)

Abram believed the Lord, and He credited it to him as righteousness.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 15:2 Hb obscure
  2. Genesis 15:3 Lit a son of
  3. Genesis 15:4 Lit loins

Covenant Circumcision

17 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him, saying, “I am God Almighty.(A) Live in My presence and be blameless.(B) I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you greatly.”

Then Abram fell facedown and God spoke with him: “As for Me, My covenant is with you: you will become the father of many nations.[a] Your name will no longer be Abram,[b] but your name will be Abraham,[c] for I will make you the father of many nations.(C) I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you. I will keep My covenant between Me and you, and your future offspring throughout their generations, as an everlasting covenant(D) to be your God and the God of your offspring after you.(E) And to you and your future offspring(F) I will give the land where you are residing—all the land of Canaan—as an eternal possession,(G) and I will be their God.”

God also said to Abraham, “As for you, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations are to keep My covenant. 10 This is My covenant, which you are to keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every one of your males must be circumcised. 11 You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you.[d](H) 12 Throughout your generations, every male among you at eight days old is to be circumcised.(I) This includes a slave born in your house and one purchased with money from any foreigner. The one who is not your offspring, 13 a slave born in your house, as well as one purchased with money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be marked in your flesh as an everlasting covenant. 14 If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:4 Abraham was the father of the Israelites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and Midianites. Spiritually, he is the father of all believers; Gl 3:7,29.
  2. Genesis 17:5 = The Father Is Exalted
  3. Genesis 17:5 = Father of a Multitude
  4. Genesis 17:11 You in v. 11 is pl.

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