1When Ibram was ninety-nine years old, Allah appeared to Ibram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me, and be blameless. 2I will make my covenant between me and you, and will multiply you greatly.“
3Ibram fell on his face. God talked with him, saying, 4“As for me, behold, my covenant is with you. You will be the father of a multitude of nations. 5Neither will your name any more be called Ibram, but your name will be Ibrahim; for I have made you the father of many nations.[1] 6I will make you very fruitful, and I will make nations of you. Kings will come out of you. 7I will establish my covenant between me and you and your seed after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your seed[2] after you. 8I will give to you, and to your seed[3] after you, the land where you are traveling, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. I will be their God.“
9God said to Ibrahim, “As for you, you will keep my covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. 10This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your seed after you. Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin. It will be a token of a covenant between me and you. 12He who is eight days old will be circumcised among you, every male throughout your generations, he who is born in the house, or bought with money of any foreigner who is not of your seed. 13He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your money, must be circumcised. My covenant will be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14The 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.“
15God said to Ibrahim, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but her name will be Sarah. 16I 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.“
17Then Ibrahim 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?“ 18Ibrahim said to God, “Oh that Ismail might live before you!“
19God said, “No, but Sarah, your wife, will bear you a son. You shall call his name Ishaq.[4] I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his seed after him. 20As for Ismail, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21But my covenant I establish with Ishaq, whom Sarah will bear to you at this set time in the next year.“
22When he finished talking with him, God went up from Ibrahim. 23Ibrahim took Ismail his son, all who were born in his house, and all who were bought with his money; every male among the men of Ibrahim’s house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the same day, as God had said to him. 24Ibrahim was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 25Ismail, his son, was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. 26In the same day both Ibrahim and Ismail, his son, were circumcised. 27All the men of his house, those born in the house, and those bought with money of a foreigner, were circumcised with him.
[1] 17:5 Quoted in the Injil, Romans 4:17.
[2] 17:7 Explained in the Injil, Galatians 3:16.
[3] 17:8 Explained in the Injil, Galatians 3:16.
[4] 17:19 Ishaq means “he laughs.“