17Genesis 17

God's Promise to Abraham

1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right,Select Genesis 17:1

2I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.”Select Genesis 17:2

3Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:Select Genesis 17:3

5I promise that you will be the father of many nations. So now I'm changing your name from Abram to Abraham.Select Genesis 17:5

6I will give you a lot of descendants, and they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.Select Genesis 17:6

7I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God.Select Genesis 17:7

8I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family forever, and I will be their God.Select Genesis 17:8

9Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me.Select Genesis 17:9

11As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family.Select Genesis 17:11

13From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last forever.Select Genesis 17:13

14Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his part of the promise and cannot be one of my people.Select Genesis 17:14

15Abraham, from now on your wife's name will be Sarah instead of Sarai.Select Genesis 17:15

16I will bless her, and you will have a son by her. She will become the mother of nations, and some of her descendants will even be kings.Select Genesis 17:16

17Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, “I am almost 100 years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is 90. How can she have a child?” So he started laughing.Select Genesis 17:17

18Then he asked God, “Why not let Ishmael inherit what you have promised me?”Select Genesis 17:18

19But God answered: No! You and Sarah will have a son. His name will be Isaac, and I will make an everlasting promise to him and his descendants.Select Genesis 17:19

20However, I have heard what you asked me to do for Ishmael, and so I will also bless him with many descendants. He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make his family a great nation.Select Genesis 17:20

21But your son Isaac will be born about this time next year, and the promise I am making to you and your family will be for him and his descendants forever.Select Genesis 17:21

22God finished speaking to Abraham and then left.Select Genesis 17:22

27On that same day Abraham obeyed God by circumcising Ishmael. Abraham was also circumcised, and so were all the other men and boys in his household, including his servants and slaves. He was 99 years old at the time, and his son Ishmael was 13.Select Genesis 17:27