God's Covenant with Abram

15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ^(A)“Fear not, Abram, I am ^(B)your shield; your reward shall be very great.”

⁶ And ^(A)he believed the Lord, and ^(B)he counted it to him as righteousness.

⁷ And he said to him, “I am the Lord who ^(C)brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans ^(D)to give you this land to possess.” ⁸ But he said, “O Lord God, ^(E)how am I to know that I shall possess it?” ⁹ He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” ¹⁰ And he brought him all these, ^(F)cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But ^(G)he did not cut the birds in half.

¹⁷ When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.

⁷ And I will ^(A)establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, ^(B)to be God to you and to your offspring after you.

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 ^(A)sign of the covenant between me and you. ¹² He who is ^(B)eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or ^(C)bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,

¹⁶ Circumcise therefore ^(A)the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer ^(B)stubborn.

⁶ And ^(A)the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, ^(B)so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Let the Children Come to Me

^13 (A)Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples ^(B)rebuked the people, ¹⁴ but Jesus said, ^(C)“Let the little children ^(D)come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And he laid his hands on them and went away.

³⁸ And Peter said to them, ^(A)“Repent and ^(B)be baptized every one of you ^(C)in the name of Jesus Christ ^(D)for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive ^(E)the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For ^(F)the promise is for you and ^(G)for your children and for all ^(H)who are far off, everyone ^(I)whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”