¹⁹ Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead^(A)—since he was about a hundred years old^(B)—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.^(C)

¹⁷ Abraham fell facedown;^(A) he laughed^(B) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?^(C) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”^(D)

¹¹ And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(A) was enabled to bear children^(B) because she^[a] considered him faithful^(C) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(D) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(E)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(F) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(G) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(H) 14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.^{(I) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(J) Therefore God is not ashamed^(K) to be called their God,^(L) for he has prepared a city^(M) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(N) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[b](O) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(P) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened^(A) in his faith and gave glory to God,^{(B) 21} being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.^(C)

¹¹ Abraham and Sarah were already very old,^(A) and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.^{(B) 12} So Sarah laughed^(C) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord^(D) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

¹³ Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’^{(E) 14} Is anything too hard for the Lord?^(F) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,^(G) and Sarah will have a son.”^(H)