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Abraham and the Covenant of Circumcision

¹ When Abram was ninety-nine years old, ^(C1)the ^(F1)LORD appeared to him and said,

"I am ^(F2)(C2)God Almighty;
Walk habitually before Me with integrity, knowing that you are always in My presence, and be ^(C3)blameless and complete in obedience to Me.

² "I will establish My ^(C1)covenant (everlasting promise) between Me and you,
And I will ^(C2)multiply you exceedingly through your descendants."

⁴ "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you,
And as a result you shall be the father of ^(C1)many nations.

⁵ "No longer shall your name be Abram (exalted father),
But ^(C1)your name shall be Abraham (father of a multitude);
For ^(C2)I will make you the father of many nations.

⁹ Further, God said to Abraham, "As for you your part of the agreement, ^(C1)you shall keep and faithfully obey the terms of My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.¹⁰ "^(C1)This is the sign of My covenant, which you shall keep and faithfully obey, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.¹¹ "And ^(C1)you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be the sign (symbol, memorial) of the covenant between Me and you.¹² "Every male among you who is ^(C1)eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations, including a servant whether born in the house or one who is purchased with your money from any foreigner, who is not of your descendants.¹³ "A servant who is born in your house or one ^(C1)who is purchased with your money must be circumcised; and the sign of My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.¹⁴ "And the male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be ^(C1)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 (my princess), but her name will be Sarah (^(F1)Princess).¹⁶ "I will bless her, and indeed I will also give you ^(C1)a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; ^(C2)kings of peoples will come from her."¹⁷ Then Abraham ^(C1)fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And ^(C2)shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"¹⁸ And Abraham said to God, "Oh, that Ishmael my firstborn might live before You!"¹⁹ But God said, "No, Sarah your wife shall bear you ^(C1)a son indeed, and you shall name him Isaac (laughter); and ^(C2)I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his descendants after him.²⁰ "As for Ishmael, I have heard and listened to you; behold, I will bless him, and ^(C1)will make him fruitful and will greatly multiply him through his descendants. ^(C2)He will be the father of twelve princes (chieftains, sheiks), and I will make him a ^(C3)great nation. ^(VR1)21 "But My covenant My promise, My solemn pledge, I will establish with ^(C1)Isaac, whom ^(C2)Sarah will bear to you at this time next year."²² And God finished speaking with him and ^(C1)went up from Abraham.

²³ Then Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all the servants who were ^(C1)born in his house and all who were purchased with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's household, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin the very same day, ^(C2)as God had said to him.²⁴ So Abraham was ninety-nine years old when ^(C1)he was circumcised.²⁵ And ^(C1)Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised.²⁶ On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, as well as Ishmael his son.²⁷ All the men servants of his household, both those ^(C1)born in the house and those purchased with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him as the sign of God's covenant with Abraham.