Genesis 17
New Century Version
Proof of the Agreement
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Obey me and do what is right. 2 I will make an agreement between us, and I will make you the ancestor of many people.”
3 Then Abram bowed facedown on the ground. God said to him, 4 “I am making my agreement with you: I will make you the father of many nations. 5 I am changing your name from Abram[a] to Abraham[b] because I am making you a father of many nations. 6 I will give you many descendants. New nations will be born from you, and kings will come from you. 7 And I will make an agreement between me and you and all your descendants from now on: I will be your God and the God of all your descendants. 8 You live in the land of Canaan now as a stranger, but I will give you and your descendants all this land forever. And I will be the God of your descendants.”
9 Then God said to Abraham, “You and your descendants must keep this agreement from now on. 10 This is my agreement with you and all your descendants, which you must obey: Every male among you must be circumcised. 11 Cut away your foreskin to show that you are prepared to follow the agreement between me and you. 12 From now on when a baby boy is eight days old, you will circumcise him. This includes any boy born among your people or any who is your slave, who is not one of your descendants. 13 Circumcise every baby boy whether he is born in your family or bought as a slave. Your bodies will be marked to show that you are part of my agreement that lasts forever. 14 Any male who is not circumcised will be cut off from his people, because he has broken my agreement.”
Isaac—the Promised Son
15 God said to Abraham, “I will change the name of Sarai,[c] your wife, to Sarah.[d] 16 I will bless her and give her a son, and you will be the father. She will be the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”
17 Abraham bowed facedown on the ground and laughed. He said to himself, “Can a man have a child when he is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth to a child when she is ninety?” 18 Then Abraham said to God, “Please let Ishmael be the son you promised.”
19 God said, “No, Sarah your wife will have a son, and you will name him Isaac.[e] I will make my agreement with him to be an agreement that continues forever with all his descendants.
20 “As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will bless him and give him many descendants. And I will cause their numbers to grow greatly. He will be the father of twelve great leaders, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will make my agreement with Isaac, the son whom Sarah will have at this same time next year.” 22 After God finished talking with Abraham, God rose and left him.
23 Then Abraham gathered Ishmael, all the males born in his camp, and the slaves he had bought. So that day Abraham circumcised every man and boy in his camp as God had told him to do. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. 25 And Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. 26 Abraham and his son were circumcised on the same day. 27 Also on that day all the men in Abraham’s camp were circumcised, including all those born in his camp and all the slaves he had bought from other nations.
Footnotes
- 17:5 Abram This name means “honored father.”
- 17:5 Abraham The end of the Hebrew word for “Abraham” sounds like the beginning of the Hebrew word for “many.”
- 17:15 Sarai An Aramaic name meaning “princess.”
- 17:15 Sarah A Hebrew name meaning “princess.”
- 17:19 Isaac The Hebrew words for “he laughed” (v. 17) and “Isaac” sound the same.
Genesis 17
New King James Version
The Sign of the Covenant(A)
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord (B)appeared to Abram and said to him, (C)“I am [a]Almighty God; (D)walk before Me and be (E)blameless. 2 And I will make My (F)covenant between Me and you, and (G)will multiply you exceedingly.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: 4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be (H)a father of [b]many nations. 5 No longer shall (I)your name be called [c]Abram, but your name shall be [d]Abraham; (J)for I have made you a father of [e]many nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make (K)nations of you, and (L)kings shall come from you. 7 And I will (M)establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, (N)to be God to you and (O)your descendants after you. 8 Also (P)I give to you and your descendants after you the land (Q)in[f] which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and (R)I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you, (S)you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: (T)Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be (U)a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you (V)shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person (W)shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but [g]Sarah shall be her name. 16 And I will bless her (X)and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother (Y)of nations; (Z)kings of peoples shall be from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his face (AA)and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham (AB)said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”
19 Then God said: “No, (AC)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My (AD)covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and (AE)will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget (AF)twelve princes, (AG)and I will make him a great nation. 21 But My (AH)covenant I will establish with Isaac, (AI)whom Sarah shall bear to you at this (AJ)set time next year.” 22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old 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 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael; 27 and (AK)all the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 17:1 Heb. El Shaddai
- Genesis 17:4 Lit. a multitude of nations
- Genesis 17:5 Lit. Exalted Father
- Genesis 17:5 Lit. Father of a Multitude
- Genesis 17:5 a multitude of
- Genesis 17:8 Lit. of your sojournings
- Genesis 17:15 Lit. Princess
Genesis 17
English Standard Version
Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision
17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[a] walk before me, and be (A)blameless, 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and (B)may multiply you greatly.” 3 Then Abram (C)fell on his face. And God said to him, 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be (D)the father of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,[b] but (E)your name shall be Abraham,[c] (F)for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make (G)you into nations, and (H)kings shall come from you. 7 And I will (I)establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, (J)to be God to you and to your offspring after you. 8 And (K)I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and (L)I will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a (M)sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is (N)eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or (O)bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”
Isaac's Birth Promised
15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah[d] shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will (P)give[e] you a son by her. I will bless her, and (Q)she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” 17 Then Abraham (R)fell on his face (S)and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but (T)Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name (U)Isaac.[f] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and (V)multiply him greatly. He (W)shall father twelve princes, and (X)I will make him into a great nation. 21 But (Y)I will establish my covenant with Isaac, (Z)whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.”
22 When he had finished talking with him, (AA)God went up from Abraham. 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old 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 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 17:1 Hebrew El Shaddai
- Genesis 17:5 Abram means exalted father
- Genesis 17:5 Abraham means father of a multitude
- Genesis 17:15 Sarai and Sarah mean princess
- Genesis 17:16 Hebrew have given
- Genesis 17:19 Isaac means he laughs
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
