Genesis 17

¹³I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

²⁰Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

⁶Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and decrees of the Lord.

¹⁴Is anything too difficult for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son.”

⁹This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.

⁹I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living.

⁴“As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

⁵No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

²I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

¹⁸On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

⁸He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations—

⁹the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.

¹⁶I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if one could count the dust of the earth, then your offspring could be counted.

¹⁷I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.

¹⁷Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”

²⁰When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.

⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown in terror.

¹⁴“Neither,” He replied. “I have now come as Commander of the Lord’s army.” Then Joshua fell facedown in reverence and asked Him, “What does my Lord have to say to His servant?”

⁴⁵“Get away from this congregation so that I may consume them in an instant.” And Moses and Aaron fell facedown.

¹⁷When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. But He placed His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last,

¹¹And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.

¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

¹²And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

²I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.

¹⁷I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies.

¹⁰Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”

²¹She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”

²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

⁷You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.

¹⁷As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.

¹⁵Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, do not call her Sarai, for her name is to be Sarah.

²⁸Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

¹⁷He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will give the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone inscribed with a new name, known only to the one who receives it.

⁴“As for Me, this is My covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.

⁶and Jesse the father of David the king. Next: David was the father of Solomon by Uriah’s wife,

⁷Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asa.

¹¹And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.

¹⁶And I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will descend from her.”

²⁰As for Ishmael, I have heard you, and I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and multiply him greatly. He will become the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation.

²⁰And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.

⁷Nor because they are Abraham’s descendants are they all his children. On the contrary, “Through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.”

⁸So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring.

²⁴and that night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for the sake of My servant Abraham.”

³⁹This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

¹⁸On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land—from the river of Egypt to the great River Euphrates—

¹⁰For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.

¹³And there at the top the Lord was standing and saying, “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you now lie.

¹²I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people.

¹¹“I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”

⁷Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

⁷I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

¹⁵for all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever.

¹⁸And today the Lord has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,

¹⁰All the Lord’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.

¹⁸to those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.

⁴For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, who choose what pleases Me and hold fast to My covenant—

⁵I will give them, in My house and within My walls, a memorial and a name better than that of sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.

⁸Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

¹¹In Him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands.

¹²And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

³Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.

⁴You who are trying to be justified by the law have been severed from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.

⁹Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.

¹⁰In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.

²At that time the Lord said to Joshua, “Make flint knives and circumcise the sons of Israel once again.”

³For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

⁸Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

¹⁶Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and stiffen your necks no more.

²⁵But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

³So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the sons of Israel at Gibeath-haaraloth.

²⁵Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines.

²⁶When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived,

³And on the eighth day the flesh of the boy’s foreskin is to be circumcised.

²¹When the eight days before His circumcision had passed, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He was conceived.

⁵circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;

⁴⁸If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, all the males in the household must be circumcised; then he may come near to celebrate it, and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it.

⁴⁹The same law shall apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.”

⁵⁹On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him after his father Zechariah.

²²But because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)

²³If a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses will not be broken, why are you angry with Me for making the whole man well on the Sabbath?

⁴⁴But any slave who has been purchased may eat of it, after you have circumcised him.

⁸and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.

³⁶Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh and captain of the guard.

¹⁶Whoever kidnaps another man must be put to death, whether he sells him or the man is found in his possession.

²⁷Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him; for he is our brother, our own flesh.” And they agreed.

¹⁴And when Abram heard that his relative had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men born in his household, and they set out in pursuit as far as Dan.

²⁴Now at a lodging place along the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.

²⁵But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

³⁰But the person who sins defiantly, whether a native or foreigner, blasphemes the Lord. That person shall be cut off from among his people.

³¹He shall certainly be cut off, because he has despised the word of the Lord and broken His commandment; his guilt remains on him.”

¹⁹For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel.

³³Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

⁸The highways are deserted; travel has ceased. The treaty has been broken, the witnesses are despised, and human life is disregarded.

²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.

²⁸Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”

⁵No longer will you be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.

²⁵and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the Lord loved him.

¹¹And God told him, “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation—even a company of nations—shall come from you, and kings shall descend from you.

⁶just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. And you are her children if you do what is right and refuse to give way to fear.

²³Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.”

²⁶But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother.

²⁷For it is written: “Rejoice, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have never travailed; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband.”

¹⁰Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.

¹¹And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

⁶I will make you exceedingly fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will descend from you.

¹²So she laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

⁶Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”

¹⁹Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.

²⁰Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see My day. He saw it and was glad.”

¹⁶And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God,

³Then Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,

³⁹This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

⁶Many ask, “Who can show us the good?” Shine the light of Your face upon us, O Lord.

¹²In my integrity You uphold me and set me in Your presence forever.

¹⁴Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

³⁹I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

¹²When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

²So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

³And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.

¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

¹⁴He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,

¹⁰Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.

¹¹And Abraham and Sarah were already old and well along in years; Sarah had passed the age of childbearing.

²⁸Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise.

²⁹At that time, however, the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit. It is the same now.

⁶Then Sarah said, “God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears of this will laugh with me.”

¹⁶And Elisha declared, “At this time next year, you will hold a son in your arms.” “No, my lord,” she said. “Do not lie to your maidservant, O man of God.”

¹⁷But the woman did conceive, and at that time the next year she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.

¹⁸Get up, lift up the boy, and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

¹³But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”

¹²This is the account of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore to Abraham.

¹³These are the names of the sons of Ishmael in the order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

¹⁰Then the angel added, “I will greatly multiply your offspring so that they will be too numerous to count.”

¹¹The angel of the Lord proceeded: “Behold, you have conceived and will bear a son. And you shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard your cry of affliction.

²So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised.

³And Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore to him.

²The Lord appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt. Settle in the land where I tell you.

³Stay in this land as a foreigner, and I will be with you and bless you. For I will give all these lands to you and your offspring, and I will confirm the oath that I swore to your father Abraham.

¹⁰Then the Lord said, “I will surely return to you at this time next year, and your wife Sarah will have a son!” Now Sarah was behind him, listening at the entrance to the tent.

⁹For this is what the promise stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”

²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

⁵Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them proceeds the human descent of Christ, who is God over all, forever worthy of praise! Amen.

⁶It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.

⁹After Jacob had returned from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him again and blessed him.

¹⁰And God said to him, “Though your name is Jacob, you will no longer be called Jacob. Instead, your name will be Israel.” So God named him Israel.

³³When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, He departed, and Abraham returned home.

³⁰I and the Father are one.”

⁴The Lord spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.

²⁰When the flame went up from the altar to the sky, the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame. When Manoah and his wife saw this, they fell facedown to the ground.

⁶He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, will reveal Myself to him in a vision; I will speak to him in a dream.

⁷But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.

⁶⁰I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.

¹Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.

¹⁰This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you, which you are to keep: Every male among you must be circumcised.

¹¹You are to circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and this will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

¹⁹For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”

²⁶Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on the same day.

²⁷And all the men of Abraham’s household—both servants born in his household and those purchased from foreigners—were circumcised with him.

²⁵Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision.

²⁶If a man who is not circumcised keeps the requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?

¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

⁴So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

¹⁷Abraham fell facedown. Then he laughed and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah give birth at the age of ninety?”

¹⁹Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.

²⁰Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,

¹When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty. Walk before Me and be blameless.

⁶⁰I hurried without hesitating to keep Your commandments.

⁴So Abram departed, as the Lord had directed him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.

³So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated.

⁴On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.

¹⁹For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, in order that the Lord may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”