Genesis 17:1-13

New International Version

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

³Abram 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) ⁵No 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) ⁶I will make you very fruitful;^(L) I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.^(M) ⁷I 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) ⁸The whole land of Canaan,^(R) where you now reside as a foreigner,^(S) I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you;^(T) and I will be their God.^(U)”

⁹Then God said to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep my covenant,^(V) you and your descendants after you for the generations to come.^(W) ¹⁰This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.^(X) ¹¹You are to undergo circumcision,^(Y) and it will be the sign of the covenant^(Z) between me and you. ¹²For the generations to come^(AA) every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised,^(AB) including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner—those who are not your offspring. ¹³Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised.^(AC) My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant.^(AD)

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Footnotes

Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El-Shaddai
Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father.
Genesis 17:5 Abraham probably means father of many.

Romans 2:17-29

New International Version

The Jews and the Law

¹⁷Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God;^(A) ¹⁸if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; ¹⁹if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, ²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— ²¹you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?^(B) ²²You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?^(C) ²³You who boast in the law,^(D) do you dishonor God by breaking the law? ²⁴As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”^[a]^(E)

²⁵Circumcision has value if you observe the law,^(F) but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.^(G) ²⁶So then, if those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements,^(H) will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?^(I) ²⁷The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you^(J) who, even though you have the^[b] written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.

²⁸A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly,^(K) nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.^(L) ²⁹No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart,^(M) by the Spirit,^(N) not by the written code.^(O) Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.^(P)