¹¹ Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.^(A)

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”^(A)

¹¹ By faith, with Sarah’s involvement, he received power of procreation, even though he was too old, because he considered^[a] him faithful who had promised.^{(A) 12} Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”^(B)

¹⁸ Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So shall your descendants be.” ¹⁹ He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already^[a] as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), and the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.^{(A) 20} No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹ being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.^(B)

¹⁹ He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.^(A)

³⁶ And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.

¹⁸ Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that this will happen? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.”^(A)

⁷ But they had no children because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.

¹⁹ “When a woman has a discharge of blood that is a menstrual discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.^(A)

³⁵ And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.^(A)