Circumcision—Proof of the Agreement

17 When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am God All-Powerful.^[a] Obey me and live the right way. ² If you do this, I will prepare an agreement between us. I will promise to make your people a great nation.”

³ Then Abram bowed down before God. God said to him, ⁴ “This is my part of our agreement: I will make you the father of many nations. ⁵ I will change your name from Abram^[b] to Abraham,^[c] because I am making you the father of many nations. ⁶ I will give you many descendants. New nations and kings will come from you. ⁷ And I will prepare an agreement between me and you. This agreement will also be for all your descendants. It will continue forever. I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. ⁸ And I will give this land to you and to all your descendants. I will give you the land you are traveling through—the land of Canaan. I will give you this land forever, and I will be your God.”

Isaac—the Promised Son

¹⁵ God said to Abraham, “I will give Sarai,^[a] your wife, a new name. Her new name will be Sarah.^{[b] 16} I will bless her. I will give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many new nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”

¹⁷ Abraham bowed his face to the ground to show he respected God. But he laughed and said to himself, “I am 100 years old. I cannot have a son, and Sarah is 90 years old. She cannot have a child.”

¹⁸ Then Abraham said to God, “I hope Ishmael will live and serve you.”

¹⁹ God said, “No, I said that your wife Sarah will have a son. You will name him Isaac.^[c] I will make my agreement with him that will continue forever with all his descendants.