Genesis 17
Intro: Abram's new name -- Circumcision instituted.
1 And when Abram was ninety and nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I, the Almighty God, give unto thee a commandment; that thou shalt walk uprightly before me, and be perfect.
2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 And it came to pass, that Abram fell on his face, and called upon the name of the Lord.
4 And God talked with him, saying, My people have gone astray from my precepts, and have not kept mine ordinances, which I gave unto their fathers;
5 And they have not observed mine anointing, and the burial, or baptism wherewith I commanded them;
6 But have turned from the commandment, and taken unto themselves the washing of children, and the blood of sprinkling;
7 And have said that the blood of the righteous Abel was shed for sins; and have not known wherein they are accountable before me.
8 But as for thee, behold, I will make my covenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
9 And this covenant I make, that thy children may be known among all nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham; for, a father of many nations have I made thee.
10 And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come of thee, and of thy seed.
11 And I will establish a covenant of circumcision with thee, and it shall be my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee, in their generations; that thou mayest know forever that children are not accountable before me until they are eight years old.
12 And thou shalt observe to keep all my covenants wherein I covenanted with thy fathers; and thou shalt keep the commandments which I have given thee with mine own mouth, and I will be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee.
13 And I will give unto thee and thy seed after thee, a land wherein thou art a stranger; all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
14 And God said unto Abraham, Therefore thou shalt keep my covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, in their generations.
15 And this shall be my covenant which ye shall keep between me and thee and thy seed after thee; every man-child among you shall be circumcised.
16 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
17 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man-child in your generations;
18 He that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
19 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.
20 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.
21 And God said unto Abraham, as for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah thou shalt call her name.
22 And I will bless her, and I will give thee a son of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be blessed, The mother of nations; kings and people shall be of her.
23 Then Abraham fell on his face and rejoiced, and said in his heart, There shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old, and Sarah that is ninety years old shall bear.
24 And Abraham said unto God, Oh that Ishmael might live uprightly before thee!
25 And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bare thee a son, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish my covenant with him also, for an everlasting covenant with his seed after him.
26 And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee; Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly;
27 Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
28 But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.
29 And he left off talking with him; and God went up from Abraham.
30 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.
31 And Abraham was ninety and nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
32 And Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.
33 In the selfsame day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son; and all the men of his house, which were born in his house, and bought with money of strangers, were also circumcised with him.