Genesis 17

English NASU 1989 - New American Standard Update - Only for Website

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1When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said: "I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless.

2Between you and me I will establish my covenant, and I will multiply you exceedingly."

3When Abram prostrated himself, God continued to speak to him:

4"My covenant with you is this: you are to become the father of a host of nations.

5No longer shall you be called Abram; your name shall be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a host of nations.

6I will render you exceedingly fertile; I will make nations of you; kings shall stem from you.

7I will maintain my covenant with you and your descendants after you throughout the ages as an everlasting pact, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

8I will give to you and to your descendants after you the land in which you are now staying, the whole land of Canaan, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God."

9God also said to Abraham: "On your part, you and your descendants after you must keep my covenant throughout the ages.

10This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you that you must keep: every male among you shall be circumcised.

11Circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and that shall be the mark of the covenant between you and me.

12Throughout the ages, every male among you, when he is eight days old, shall be circumcised, including houseborn slaves and those acquired with money from any foreigner who is not of your blood.

13Yes, both the houseborn slaves and those acquired with money must be circumcised. Thus my covenant shall be in your flesh as an everlasting pact.

14If a male is uncircumcised, that is, if the flesh of his foreskin has not been cut away, such a one shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

15God further said to Abraham: "As for your wife Sarai, do not call her Sarai; her name shall be Sarah.

16I will bless her, and I will give you a son by her. Him also will I bless; he shall give rise to nations, and rulers of peoples shall issue from him."

17Abraham prostrated himself and laughed as he said to himself, "Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Or can Sarah give birth at ninety?"

18Then Abraham said to God, "Let but Ishmael live on by your favor!"

19God replied: "Nevertheless, your wife Sarah is to bear you a son, and you shall call him Isaac. I will maintain my covenant with him as an everlasting pact, to be his God and the God of his descendants after him.

20As for Ishmael, I am heeding you: I hereby bless him. I will make him fertile and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall become the father of twelve chieftains, and I will make of him a great nation.

21But my covenant I will maintain with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you by this time next year."

22When he had finished speaking with him, God departed from Abraham.

23Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all his slaves, whether born in his house or acquired with his money-- every male among the members of Abraham's household-- and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins on that same day, as God had told him to do.

24Abraham was ninety-nine years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised,

25and his son Ishmael was thirteen years old when the flesh of his foreskin was circumcised.

26Thus, on that same day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised;

27and all the male members of his household, including the slaves born in his house or acquired with his money from foreigners, were circumcised with him.

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