Genesis 17

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, Jehovah appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect.

When Abram was 99, the Lord appeared to him and told him, “I am God Almighty. Live in my presence and don't do wrong.

2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.

I will make my agreement between me and you, and I will give you many, many descendants.”

3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying,

Abram bowed down with his face to the ground, and God told him,

4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.

“Listen! This is the agreement I'm making with you. You will be the father of many nations,

5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.

so your name won't be Abram any longer. Instead, your name will be Abraham because I'm going to make you the father of many nations.

6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

I will make sure you have a large number of descendants. They will become many nations, and some of their kings will also come from your line.

7 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.

I promise to continue my agreement with you, and with your descendants who come after you, for generations to come. This is an eternal agreement. I will always be your God, and the God of your descendants.

8 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.

I will give you and your descendants the whole country of Canaan—where you've been living as a foreigner—as land to own forever, and I will be their God.”

9 And God said unto Abraham, And as for thee, thou shalt keep my covenant, thou, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations.

Then God told Abraham, “Your part is to keep my agreement—you and your descendants for generations to come.

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.

This is my agreement with you and your descendants who come after you, the agreement you are to keep: 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.

You are to circumcise your foreskin, and this will be the sign of the agreement between 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.

From now and for all generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. This includes not only your sons but also those born in your household or bought from foreigners.

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.

You must circumcise those born in your household or bought from foreigners as a sign in your bodies of my eternal agreement.

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.

Any uncircumcised male who refuses circumcision will be excluded from his people because he has broken my agreement.”

15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

Then God told Abraham, “Now about Sarai your wife. Don't call her Sarai any longer. Instead, her name will be Sarah.

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.

I will bless her and I promise to give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will become the mother of nations, and kings will be among her descendants.”

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?

Abraham bowed down with his face to the ground. But inside he was laughing, asking himself, “How on earth could I have a son at the age of one hundred? How could Sarah have a child when she is ninety?”

18 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live before thee!

Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael always live under your blessing!”

19 And God said, Nay, but Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.

“No, it's your wife Sarah who is going to have a son for you!” God replied. “You are to call him Isaac. I will keep my agreement with him and his descendants as an eternal agreement.

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.

Now about Ishmael. I heard what you said, and I will also bless him. I will make sure he has a great many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him into 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.

But it's with Isaac that I will keep my agreement, the son Sarah will give birth to about this time next year.”

22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

When God had finished speaking with Abraham he left him.

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.

That day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael as well as all those born in his household or purchased, in fact every male among the members of Abraham's household, just as God had told him.

24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Abraham was 99 when he was circumcised,

25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

and his son Ishmael was thirteen.

26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

Both Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day.

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.

All the males in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or purchased from foreigners, were circumcised with him.