Circumcision the Sign of the Covenant

171 Now when Abram was ninety-nine e years old , the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty ; Walk before Me, and be blameless . 2 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you, And I will multiply you exceedingly ." 3 Abram fell on his face , and God talked with him, saying ,

4 "As for Me, behold , My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations . 5 "No longer shall your name be called Abram , But your name shall be Abraham ; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations . 6 "I will make you exceedingly fruitful , and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

7 "I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant , to be God to you and to your descendants after you. 8 " I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings , all the land of Canaan , for an everlasting possession ; and I will be their God ." 9 God said further to Abraham , "Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant , you and your descendants after you throughout their generations . 10 " This is My covenant , which you shall keep , between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised . 11 "And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin , and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 "And every male among you who is eight days old shall be circumcised throughout your generations , a servant who is born in the house or who is bought with money from any foreigner e , who is not of your descendants . 13 "A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised ; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant . 14 "But an uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin , that person shall be cut off from his people ; he has broken My covenant ."

15 Then God said to Abraham , "As for Sarai your wife , you shall not call her name Sarai , but Sarah shall be her name . 16 "I will bless her, and indeed I will give you a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations ; kings of peoples will come from her." 17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed , and said in his heart , "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old ? And will Sarah , who is ninety years old , bear a child?" 18 And Abraham said to God , "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!" 19 But God said , "No , but Sarah your wife will bear you a son , and you shall call his name Isaac ; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. 20 "As for Ishmael , I have heard you; behold , I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly . He shall become the father of twelve e princes , and I will make him a great nation . 21 "But My covenant I will establish with Isaac , whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year ." 22 When He finished talking with him, God went up from Abraham .

23 Then Abraham took Ishmael his son , and all the servants who were born in his house and all who were bought with his money , every male among the men of Abraham's household , and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the very same day , as God had said to him. 24 Now Abraham was ninety-nine e years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin . 25 And Ishmael his son was thirteen e years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin . 26 In the very same day Abraham was circumcised , and Ishmael his son . 27 All the men of his household , who were born in the house or bought with money from a foreigner e , were circumcised with him.