Add parallel Print Page Options

Circumcision, the Sign of the Covenant

17 Now it happened that when Abram was ninety-nine years old, (A)Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him,

“I am [a]God (B)Almighty;
Walk before Me and be [b](C)blameless,
so that I may [c]confirm My (D)covenant between Me and you,
And that I may (E)multiply you exceedingly.”

Then Abram (F)fell on his face, and God spoke with him, saying,

“As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,
And you will be the father of a (G)multitude of nations.
And no longer shall your name be called [d]Abram,
But (H)your name shall be [e]Abraham;
For (I)I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

And I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and (J)kings will go forth from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an (K)everlasting covenant, (L)to be God to you and (M)to your seed after you. (N)And I will give to you and to your seed after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and (O)I will be their God.”

God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, (P)you shall keep My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. 10 (Q)This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And (R)you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 And every male among you who is (S)eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, one who is born in the house or one who is bought with money from any foreigner, who is not of your seed. 13 A servant who is born in your house or (T)who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be (U)cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

Sarah Will Bear Isaac

15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but [f]Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her, and indeed I will give you (V)a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; (W)kings of peoples will [g]come from her.” 17 Then Abraham (X)fell on his face and laughed and said in his heart, “Will a son be born to a man one hundred years old? And (Y)will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you (Z)a son, and you shall call his name [h]Isaac; and (AA)I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him and (AB)will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. (AC)He shall [i]become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a (AD)great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with (AE)Isaac, whom (AF)Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” 22 So He finished talking with him, and (AG)God went up from Abraham.

23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all who were (AH)born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day, (AI)as God had spoken with him. 24 Now Abraham was ninety-nine years old when (AJ)he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And (AK)Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 Now all the men of his household, who were (AL)born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Heb El Shaddai
  2. Genesis 17:1 Or having integrity; lit complete, perfect
  3. Genesis 17:2 Lit give
  4. Genesis 17:5 Lit exalted father
  5. Genesis 17:5 Lit father of a multitude
  6. Genesis 17:15 Lit princess
  7. Genesis 17:16 Lit be
  8. Genesis 17:19 Lit he laughs
  9. Genesis 17:20 Lit beget twelve princes

17 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am [a]God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called [b]Abram, but thy name shall be [c]Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of a covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner that is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but [d]Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her. 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name [e]Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. 23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. 24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El Shaddai.
  2. Genesis 17:5 That is, exalted father.
  3. Genesis 17:5 That is, father of a multitude.
  4. Genesis 17:15 That is, Princess.
  5. Genesis 17:19 From the Hebrew word meaning to laugh.