The Sign of the Covenant
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, theLordappeared to Abram and said to him,“IamAlmighty God;walk before Me and beblameless.
2 And I will make Mycovenant between Me and you, andwill multiply you exceedingly.”
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying:
4 “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be afather of many nations.
5 No longer shallyour name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham;for I have made you a father of many nations.
6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nationsof you, andkings shall come from you.
7 And I willestablish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant,to be God to you andyour descendants after you.
8 AlsoI give to you and your descendants after you the landin which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; andI will be their God.”
9 And God said to Abraham: “As for you,you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.
10 ThisisMy covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you:Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall bea sign of the covenant between Me and you.
12 He who is eight days old among youshall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant.
13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that personshall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarahshallbeher name.
16 And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her,and she shall beamotherof nations;kings of peoples shall be from her.”
17 Then Abraham fell on his faceand laughed, and said in his heart, “Shallachildbe born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bearachild?”
18 And Abrahamsaid to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”
19 Then God said: “No,Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish Mycovenant with him for an everlasting covenant,andwith his descendants after him.
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, andwill multiply him exceedingly. He shall begettwelve princes,and I will make him a great nation.
21 But Mycovenant I will establish with Isaac,whom Sarah shall bear to you at thisset time next year.”
22 Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.
23 So Abraham took Ishmael his son, all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very same day, as God had said to him.
24 Abrahamwasninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
25 And Ishmael his sonwasthirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
26 That very same day Abraham was circumcised, and his son Ishmael;
27 andall the men of his house, born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.