Chapter 17

Chapter 17

1 When Abram was 99 years old, The Sovereign, The Self-Existent appeared to him and said, “I am The All-Powerful, Unyielding One. Walk before Me and be uncompromised.

2 I will establish My binding agreement between Me and you, and I will multiply your numbers exceptionally.”

3 Abram fell face down, and The All-Powerful, Almighty One spoke with him further:

4 “As for Me, this is My binding agreement with you: You will become the father of a vast multitude of nations.

5 Your name will no longer be Abram (Exalted Father); your name will be Abraham (Father of a Vast Multitude), for I have made you a father of many nations.

6 I will make you exceptionally fruitful; I will turn you into nations, and kings will descend from you.

7 I will maintain this binding agreement between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations as a permanent arrangement—to be The All-Powerful, Almighty One to you and to your offspring after you.

8 I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land where you are now a foreigner—the entire land of Canaan—as a permanent possession; and I will be their The All-Powerful, Almighty One.”

9 The All-Powerful, Almighty One continued to Abraham, “As for you, you must keep My binding agreement—you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

10 This is My binding agreement, which you and your offspring after you must keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.

11 You are to cut away the flesh of your foreskin, and it will serve as the physical sign of the binding agreement between Me and you.

12 Throughout your generations, every male among you who is 8 days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from any foreigner—those who are not your biological offspring.

13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My binding agreement will be marked directly in your flesh as a permanent arrangement.

14 Any uncircumcised male who fails to cut away the flesh of his foreskin must be cut off from his people; he has broken My binding agreement.”

15 The All-Powerful, Almighty One further stated to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall no longer call her name Sarai; her name will be Sarah (Princess).

16 I will endow her with the power of active life and surely give you a son through her. I will endow her with the power of life so that she will become nations; kings of peoples will come from her. ”

17 Abraham fell face down and laughed, saying to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is 100 years old? Can Sarah give birth at 90 years old?”

18 And Abraham said to The All-Powerful, Almighty One, “If only Ishmael might live directly in Your presence!”

19 But The All-Powerful, Almighty One replied, “No, your wife Sarah will physically bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac (Laughter). I will establish My binding agreement with him as a permanent arrangement for his offspring after him.

20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you. I will surely endow him with the power of active life; I will make him fruitful and multiply his numbers exceptionally. He will father 12 chieftains, and I will turn him into a great nation.

21 But My binding agreement I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this exact time next year.”

22 When He finished speaking with Abraham, The All-Powerful, Almighty One ascended from him.

23 On that very same day, Abraham took his son Ishmael, all those born in his household, and all those bought with his money—every male in Abraham’s household—and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins, just as The All-Powerful, Almighty One had commanded him.

24 Abraham was 99 years old when the flesh of his foreskin was cut away,

25 and his son Ishmael was 13 years old when he was circumcised.

26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that exact same day.

27 And all the men of his household—both those born in the house and those bought with money from foreigners—were circumcised along with him.