1. Abram was ninety-nine years old when the Lord appeared to him again and said, “I am God All-Powerful. If you obey me and always do right,
2. I will keep my solemn promise to you and give you more descendants than can be counted.”
3. Abram bowed with his face to the ground, and God said:
4-5. I promise that you will be the father of many nations. That's why I now change your name from Abram to Abraham.
6. I will give you a lot of descendants, and in the future they will become great nations. Some of them will even be kings.
7. I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God.
8. I will give you and them the land in which you are now a foreigner. I will give the whole land of Canaan to your family for ever, and I will be their God.
9. Abraham, you and all future members of your family must promise to obey me.
10-11. As the sign that you are keeping this promise, you must circumcise every man and boy in your family.
12-13. From now on, your family must circumcise every baby boy when he is eight days old. You must even circumcise any man or boy you have as a slave, both those born in your homes and those you buy from foreigners. This will be a sign that my promise to you will last for ever.
14. Any man who isn't circumcised hasn't kept his promise to me and cannot be one of my people.