The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 17 -

When Abram was ninetie yeere olde and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said vnto him, I am God all sufficient. walke before me, and be thou vpright,

And I will make my couenant betweene me and thee, and I will multiplie thee exceedingly.

Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying,

Beholde, I make my couenant with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations,

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shalbe Abraham: for a father of many nations haue I made thee.

Also I will make thee exceeding fruitfull, and will make nations of thee: yea, Kings shall proceede of thee.

Moreouer I wil establish my couenant betweene me and thee, and thy seede after thee in their generations, for an euerlasting couenant, to be God vnto thee and to thy seede after thee.

And I will giue thee and thy seede after thee the land, wherein thou art a stranger, euen all the land of Canaan, for an euerlasting possession, and I will be their God.

The Covenant of Circumcision

Againe God said vnto Abraham, Thou also shalt keepe my couenant, thou, and thy seede after thee in their generations.

This is my couenant which ye shall keepe betweene me and you, and thy seede after thee, Let euery man childe among you be circumcised:

That is, ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh, and it shalbe a signe of the couenant betweene me and you.

And euery man childe of eight dayes olde among you, shalbe circumcised in your generations, aswell he that is borne in thine house, as he that is bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seede.

He that is borne in thine house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needes be circumcised: so my couenant shall be in your flesh for an euerlasting couenant.

But the vncircumcised man childe, in whose flesh the foreskin is not circumcised, euen that person shall be cut off from his people, because he hath broken my couenant.

Afterward God said vnto Abraham, Sarai thy wife shalt thou not call Sarai, but Sarah shalbe her name.

And I will blesse her, and will also giue thee a sonne of her, yea, I will blesse her, and she shall be the mother of nations: Kings also of people shall come of her.

Then Abraham fell vpon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a childe be borne vnto him, that is an hundreth yeere olde? and shall Sarah that is ninetie yeere olde beare?

And Abraham saide vnto God, Oh, that Ishmael might liue in thy sight.

Then God saide, Sarah thy wife shall beare thee a sonne in deede, and thou shalt call his name Izhak: and I will establish my couenant with him for an euerlasting couenant, and with his seede after him.

And as concerning Ishmael, I haue heard thee: loe, I haue blessed him, and will make him fruitfull, and will multiplie him exceedingly: twelue princes shall he beget, and I will make a great nation of him.

But my couenant will I establish with Izhak, which Sarah shall beare vnto thee, the next yeere at this season.

And he left off talking with him, and God went vp from Abraham.

Then Abraham tooke Ishmael his sonne and all that were borne in his house, and all that was bought with his money, that is, euery man childe among the men of Abrahams house, and he circumcised the foreskinne of their flesh in that selfe same day, as God had comaunded him.

Abraham also himselfe was ninetie yeere olde and nine, when the foreskinne of his flesh was circumcised.

And Ishmael his sonne was thirteene yeere olde, when the foreskinne of his flesh was circumcised.

The selfe same day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his sonne:

And all the men of his house, both borne in his house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless.

I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

Abram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying,

“As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

Your name will no more be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham; for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.

I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you.

I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God to you and to your offspring after you.

I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.”

The Covenant of Circumcision

God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations.

This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised.

You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of the covenant between me and you.

He who is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.

He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”

God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name shall be Sarah.

I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.”

Then Abraham fell on his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to him who is one hundred years old? Will Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?”

Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before you!”

God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Isaac.(a) I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him.

As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time next year.”

When he finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham.

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 foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him.

Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

In the same day both Abraham and Ishmael, his son, were circumcised.

All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised with him.

Footnotes

(a)17:19 Isaac means “he laughs”.