Abraham: The Covenant

and I give My covenant between Me and thee, and multiply thee very exceedingly.'

And Abram falleth upon his face, and God speaketh with him, saying,

`I--lo, My covenant is with thee, and thou hast become father of a multitude of nations;

and thy name is no more called Abram, but thy name hath been Abraham, for father of a multitude of nations have I made thee;

and I have made thee exceeding fruitful, and made thee become nations, and kings go out from thee.

`And I have established My covenant between Me and thee, and thy seed after thee, to their generations, for a covenant age-during, to become God to thee, and to thy seed after thee;

and I have given to thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land of thy sojournings, the whole land of Canaan, for a possession age-during, and I have become their God.'

And God saith unto Abraham, `And thou dost keep My covenant, thou and thy seed after thee, to their generations;

this is My covenant which ye keep between Me and you, and thy seed after thee: Every male of you is to be circumcised;

and ye have circumcised the flesh of your foreskin, and it hath become a token of a covenant between Me and you.

`And a son of eight days is circumcised by you; every male to your generations, born in the house, or bought with money from any son of a stranger, who is not of thy seed;

he is certainly circumcised who is born in thine house, or bought with thy money; and My covenant hath become in your flesh a covenant age-during;

and an uncircumcised one, a male, the flesh of whose foreskin is not circumcised, even that person hath been cut off from his people; My covenant he hath broken.'

And God saith unto Abraham, `Sarai thy wife--thou dost not call her name Sarai, for Sarah is her name;

and I have blessed her, and have also given to thee a son from her; and I have blessed her, and she hath become nations--kings of peoples are from her.'

And Abraham falleth upon his face, and laugheth, and saith in his heart, `To the son of an hundred years is one born? or doth Sarah--daughter of ninety years--bear?'

And Abraham saith unto God, `O that Ishmael may live before Thee;'

and God saith, `Sarah thy wife is certainly bearing a son to thee, and thou hast called his name Isaac, and I have established My covenant with him, for a covenant age-during, to his seed after him.

As to Ishmael, I have heard thee; lo, I have blessed him, and made him fruitful, and multiplied him, very exceedingly; twelve princes doth he beget, and I have made him become a great nation;

and My covenant I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah doth bear to thee at this appointed time in the next year;'

and He finisheth speaking with him, and God goeth up from Abraham.

And Abraham taketh Ishmael his son, and all those born in his house, and all those bought with his money--every male among the men of Abraham's house--and circumciseth the flesh of their foreskin, in this self-same day, as God hath spoken with him.

And Abraham is a son of ninety and nine years in the flesh of his foreskin being circumcised;

and Ishmael his son is a son of thirteen years in the flesh of his foreskin being circumcised;

in this self-same day hath Abraham been circumcised, and Ishmael his son;