| NIV |
The Message |
Amplified |
| The Covenant of Circumcision |
Chapter 17 |
Chapter 17 |
| 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. |
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, "I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! |
1 WHEN ABRAM was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, I am the Almighty God; walk and live habitually before Me and be perfect (blameless, wholehearted, complete). |
| 2 I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers." |
2 I'll make a covenant between us and I'll give you a huge family." |
2 And I will make My covenant (solemn pledge) between Me and you and will multiply you exceedingly. |
| 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, |
3 Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face. Then God said to him, |
3 Then Abram fell on his face, and God said to him, |
| 4 "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. |
4 "This is my covenant with you: You'll be the father of many nations. |
4 As for Me, behold, My covenant (solemn pledge) is with you, and you shall be the father of many nations. |
| 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. |
5 Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that 'I'm making you the father of many nations.' |
5 Nor shall your name any longer be Abram [high, exalted father]; but your name shall be Abraham [father of a multitude], for I have made you the father of many nations. |
| 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. |
6 I'll make you a father of fathers—I'll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. |
6 And I will make you exceedingly fruitful and I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. |
| 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. |
7 I'm establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. |
7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting, solemn pledge, to be a God to you and to your posterity after you. |
| 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God." |
8 And I'm giving you and your descendants this land where you're now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I'll be their God." |
8 And I will give to you and to your posterity after you the land in which you are a stranger [going from place to place], all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. |
| 9 Then God said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you for the generations to come. |
9 God continued to Abraham, "And you: You will honor my covenant, you and your descendants, generation after generation. |
9 And God said to Abraham, As for you, you shall therefore keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. |
| 10 This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. |
10 This is the covenant that you are to honor, the covenant that pulls in all your descendants: Circumcise every male. |
10 This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your posterity after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. |
| 11 You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. |
11 Circumcise by cutting off the foreskin of the penis; it will be the sign of the covenant between us. |
11 And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be a token or sign of the covenant (the promise or pledge) between Me and you. |
| 12 For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner--those who are not your offspring. |
12 Every male baby will be circumcised when he is eight days old, generation after generation—this includes house-born slaves and slaves bought from outsiders who are not blood kin. |
12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male throughout your generations, whether born in [your] house or bought with [your] money from any foreigner not of your offspring. |
| 13 Whether born in your household or bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is to be an everlasting covenant. |
13 Make sure you circumcise both your own children and anyone brought in from the outside. That way my covenant will be cut into your body, a permanent mark of my permanent covenant. |
13 He that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. |
| 14 Any uncircumcised male, who has not been circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant." |
14 An uncircumcised male, one who has not had the foreskin of his penis cut off, will be cut off from his people—he has broken my covenant." |
14 And the male who is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant. |
| 15 God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. |
15 God continued speaking to Abraham, "And Sarai your wife: Don't call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah. |
15 And God said to Abraham, As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai; but Sarah [Princess] her name shall be. |
| 16 I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her." |
16 I'll bless her—yes! I'll give you a son by her! Oh, how I'll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her." |
16 And I will bless her and give you a son also by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her. |
| 17 Abraham fell facedown; he laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?" |
17 Abraham fell flat on his face. And then he laughed, thinking, "Can a hundred-year-old man father a son? And can Sarah, at ninety years, have a baby?" |
17 Then Abraham 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 shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a son? |
| 18 And Abraham said to God, "If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!" |
18 Recovering, Abraham said to God, "Oh, keep Ishmael alive and well before you!" |
18 And [he] said to God, Oh, that Ishmael might live before You! |
| 19 Then God said, "Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. |
19 But God said, "That's not what I mean. Your wife, Sarah, will have a baby, a son. Name him Isaac (Laughter). I'll establish my covenant with him and his descendants, a covenant that lasts forever. |
19 But God said, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son indeed, and you shall call his name Isaac [laughter]; and I will establish My covenant or solemn pledge with him for an everlasting covenant and with his posterity after him. |
| 20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. |
20 "And Ishmael? Yes, I heard your prayer for him. I'll also bless him; I'll make sure he has plenty of children—a huge family. He'll father twelve princes; I'll make him a great nation. |
20 And as for Ishmael, I have heard and heeded you: behold, I will bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; He will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. |
| 21 But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year." |
21 But I'll establish my covenant with Isaac whom Sarah will give you about this time next year." |
21 But My covenant, My promise and pledge, I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year. |
| 22 When he had finished speaking with Abraham, God went up from him. |
22 God finished speaking with Abraham and left. |
22 And God stopped talking with him and went up from Abraham. |
| 23 On that very day Abraham took his son Ishmael and all those born in his household or bought with his money, every male in his household, and circumcised them, as God told him. |
23 Then Abraham took his son Ishmael and all his servants, whether houseborn or purchased—every male in his household—and circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins that very day, just as God had told him. |
23 And Abraham took Ishmael his son and all who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money, every male among [those] of Abraham’s house, and circumcised [them] the very same day, as God had said to him. |
| 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, |
24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. |
24 And Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised. |
| 25 and his son Ishmael was thirteen; |
25 His son Ishmael was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. |
25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised. |
| 26 Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. |
26 Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised the same day |
26 On the very same day Abraham was circumcised, and Ishmael his son as well. |
| 27 And every male in Abraham's household, including those born in his household or bought from a foreigner, was circumcised with him. |
27 together with all the servants of his household, those born there and those purchased from outsiders—all were circumcised with him. |
27 And all the men of his house, both those born in the house and those bought with money from a foreigner, were circumcised along with him. |