Genesis 17:1–14

Circumcision, the Sign of the Covenant

17When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the Almighty God. Obey me and always do what is right. ²I will make my covenant with you and give you many descendants.” ³Abram bowed down with his face touching the ground, and God said, ⁴“I make this covenant with you: I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations. ^5*Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham,ⁿ because I am making you the ancestor of many nations. ⁶I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.

^7*“I will keep my promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant. I will be your God and the God of your descendants. ^8*I will give to you and to your descendants this land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole land of Canaan will belong to your descendants for ever, and I will be their God.”

⁹God said to Abraham, “You also must agree to keep the covenant with me, both you and your descendants in future generations. ^10*You and your descendants must all agree to circumcise every male among you. ^11–12From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a covenant between you and me. ¹³Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that my covenant with you is everlasting. ¹⁴Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of my people, because he has not kept the covenant with me.”