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Genesis 17

English Standard Version



1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty;[1] walk before me, and be blameless, (Ge 6:9; De 18:13; Job 1:1; Ps 119:1; Mt 5:48) 2 that I may make my covenant between me and you, and may multiply you greatly.” (Ge 12:2; Ge 13:16; Ge 22:17) 3 Then Abram fell on his face. And God said to him, (Ge 17:17) 4 “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations. (Ro 4:11; Ro 4:16) 5 No longer shall your name be called Abram,[2] but your name shall be Abraham,[3] for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations. (Ne 9:7; Ro 4:17) 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make you into nations, and kings shall come from you. (Ge 17:16; Ge 35:11) 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. (Ge 26:24; Ge 28:13; Ga 3:17; Heb 11:16) 8 And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God.” (Ge 12:7; Ge 13:15; Ex 6:7; Le 26:12; Ps 105:11) 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 sign of the covenant between me and you. (Ac 7:8; Ro 4:11) 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, (Ex 12:48; Le 12:3; Lu 1:59; Lu 2:21; Php 3:5) 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.” 



15 And God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah[4] shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover, I will give[5] you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations; kings of peoples shall come from her.” (Ge 18:10; Ge 35:11) 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Ge 17:3; Ge 21:6; Joh 8:56; Ro 4:19) 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!” 19 God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac.[6] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. (Ge 18:10; Ge 21:2; Ge 21:3; Ga 4:23; Ga 4:28) 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I have blessed him and will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He shall father twelve princes, and I will make him into a great nation. (Ge 16:10; Ge 21:13; Ge 21:18; Ge 25:12) 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this time next year.” (Ge 21:2; Ge 26:2) 22 When he had finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham. (Ge 35:13) 23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son and all those born in his house or bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house, and he circumcised the flesh of their foreskins that very day, as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 That very day Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised. 27 And all the men of his house, those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him. 

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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Genesis 17

New International Version



1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, ‘I am God Almighty[1]; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.’ 3 Abram fell face down, and God said to him, 4 ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram[2]; your name will be Abraham,[3] for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.’ 9 Then God said to Abraham, ‘As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner – those who are not your offspring. 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.’ 15 God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.’ 17 Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’ 18 And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!’ 19 Then God said, ‘Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.[4] I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.’ 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that very day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him. 

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Genesis 17

King James Version

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. 3 And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, 4 As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. 9 And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. 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. 14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. 15 And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be . 16 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. 17 Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? 18 And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! 19 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. 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. 21 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. 22 And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham. 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' house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. 24 And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26 In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. 27 And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him. 

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Genesis 17

New International Reader’s Version



1 When Abram was 99 years old, the LORD appeared to him. He said, ‘I am the Mighty God. Walk faithfully with me. Live in a way that pleases me. 2 I will now act on my covenant between me and you. I will greatly increase the number of your children after you.’ 3 Abram fell with his face to the ground. God said to him, 4 ‘This is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. 5 You will not be called Abram anymore. Your name will be Abraham, because I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will greatly increase the number of your children after you. Nations and kings will come from you. 7 I will make my covenant with you last for ever. It will be between me and you and your family after you for all time to come. I will be your God. And I will be the God of all your family after you. 8 You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it for ever and so will all your family after you. And I will be their God.’ 9 Then God said to Abraham, ‘You must keep my covenant. You and your family after you must keep it for all time to come. 10 Here is my covenant that you and your family after you must keep. You and every male among you must be circumcised. 11 That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 It must be done for all time to come. Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. That includes those who are born into your own family or outside it. It also includes those bought with money from a stranger. 13 So any male born into your family or bought with your money must be circumcised. My covenant will last for ever. Your body will have the mark of my covenant on it. 14 Any male who has not been circumcised will be separated from his people. He has broken my covenant.’ 15 God also said to Abraham, ‘Do not continue to call your wife by the name Sarai. Her name will be Sarah. 16 I will give her my blessing. You can be sure that I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of nations will come from her.’ 17 Abraham fell with his face to the ground. He laughed and said to himself, ‘Can a 100-year-old man have a son? Can Sarah have a child at the age of 90?’ 18 Abraham said to God, ‘I really wish Ishmael could receive your blessing!’ 19 Then God said, ‘Yes, I will bless Ishmael. But your wife Sarah will have a son by you. And you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him. That covenant will last for ever. It will be for Isaac and his family after him. 20 I have heard what you said about Ishmael. I will surely bless him. I will make his family very large. He will be the father of 12 rulers. And I will make him into a great nation. 21 But I will establish my covenant with Isaac. By this time next year, Sarah will have a son by you.’ 22 When God had finished speaking with Abraham, God left him. 23 On that same day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael. He also circumcised every male who was born into his family or bought with his money. He did exactly as God had told him. 24 Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. 25 His son Ishmael was 13. 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. 27 And every male in Abraham’s household was circumcised along with him. That included those born into his family or bought from a stranger. 

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Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

“Biblica”, “International Bible Society” and the Biblica Logo are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Used with permission.