The Covenant of Circumcision
1When Abram was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him. He said, “I am the Mighty God. Walk faithfully with me. Live in a way that pleases me. 2I will now act on my covenant between me and you. I will greatly increase the number of your children after you.”
3Abram fell with his face to the ground. God said to him, 4“This is my covenant with you. You will be the father of many nations. 5You will not be called Abram anymore. Your name will be Abraham, because I have made you a father of many nations. 6I will greatly increase the number of your children after you. Nations and kings will come from you. 7I will make my covenant with you last forever. It will be between me and you and your family after you for all time to come. I will be your God. And I will be the God of all your family after you. 8You are now living in Canaan as an outsider. But I will give you the whole land of Canaan. You will own it forever and so will all your family after you. And I will be their God.”
9Then God said to Abraham, “You must keep my covenant. You and your family after you must keep it for all time to come. 10Here is my covenant that you and your family after you must keep. You and every male among you must be circumcised. 11That will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. 12It must be done for all time to come. Every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised. That includes those who are born into your own family or outside it. It also includes those bought with money from a stranger. 13So any male born into your family or bought with your money must be circumcised. My covenant will last forever. Your body will have the mark of my covenant on it. 14Any male who has not been circumcised will be separated from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
15God also said to Abraham, “Do not continue to call your wife by the name Sarai. Her name will be Sarah. 16I will give her my blessing. You can be sure that I will give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations. Kings of nations will come from her.”
17Abraham fell with his face to the ground. He laughed and said to himself, “Can a 100-year-old man have a son? Can Sarah have a child at the age of 90?” 18Abraham said to God, “I really wish Ishmael could receive your blessing!”
19Then God said, “Yes, I will bless Ishmael. But your wife Sarah will have a son by you. And you will name him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him. That covenant will last forever. It will be for Isaac and his family after him. 20I have heard what you said about Ishmael. I will surely bless him. I will make his family very large. He will be the father of 12 rulers. And I will make him into a great nation. 21But I will establish my covenant with Isaac. By this time next year, Sarah will have a son by you.” 22When God had finished speaking with Abraham, God left him.
23On that same day Abraham circumcised his son Ishmael. He also circumcised every male who was born into his family or bought with his money. He did exactly as God had told him. 24Abraham was 99 years old when he was circumcised. 25His son Ishmael was 13. 26Abraham and his son Ishmael were both circumcised on that same day. 27And every male in Abraham’s household was circumcised along with him. That included those born into his family or bought from a stranger.
Twetiatwa Apam
1Abram dii mfe aduɔkron akron no, Awurade yii ne ho adi kyerɛɛ no kae se, “Mene Otumfo Nyankopɔn, nantew mʼanim na yɛ pɛ. 2Mesi apam a ɛda me ne wo ntam no so dua, na mama wʼasefo adɔɔso.”
3Abram de nʼanim butuu fam, na Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ no se, 4“Me fa mu de, saa apam yi na ɛda me ne wo ntam: wobɛyɛ aman bebree agya. 5Wɔremfrɛ wo Abram bio. Wɔbɛfrɛ wo Abraham, efisɛ mayɛ wo aman bebree agya. 6Mɛma wʼasefo adɔɔso. Wɔbɛyɛ amanaman bebree na ahemfo nso afi wɔn mu. 7Mɛma mʼapam no ayɛ daapem apam a ɛbɛda me ne wo ne wʼasefo ne awo ntoatoaso a ɛbɛba no ntam. Na mɛyɛ wo ne wʼasefo Nyankopɔn. 8Mede Kanaan asase a nnɛ wote so sɛ ɔhɔho no nyinaa bɛma wo ne wʼasefo a wɔbɛba akyiri no nyinaa. Ɛbɛyɛ wʼagyapade a wo ne obi mmɔ mu hye afebɔɔ. Na mɛyɛ wɔn Nyankopɔn.”
9Afei, Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ Abraham se, “Wo de, ɛsɛ sɛ wo ne wʼasefo ne wʼasefo a wɔbɛba akyiri no di mʼapam no so. 10Eyi ne mʼapam a ɛda me ne wo ntam a ɛsɛ sɛ wo ne wʼasefo ne wʼasefo a wɔbɛba akyiri no di so. Ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa ɔbarima biara twetia. 11Ɛsɛ sɛ mutwa twetia. Ɛno na ɛbɛyɛ apam a ɛda me ne mo ntam no ho nsɛnkyerɛnne. 12Ɔbarima biara a ɔyɛ wʼaseni a wɔbɛwo no no, odi nnaawɔtwe pɛ a, ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa no twetia. Nkoa a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ wo fi ne ɔnanani biara a wuyii sika tɔɔ no fii ɔmamfrani nkyɛn a ɔnyɛ wʼaseni no nso, ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa no twetia saa ara. 13Sɛ wɔwoo no wo fi oo, sɛ nso wɔkarii sika kɔtɔɔ no oo, ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa no twetia. Saa honam mu apam yi bɛyɛ daapem apam. 14Wɔbɛpam ɔbarima biara a wontwaa no twetia no afi ne nkurɔfo mu, efisɛ saa onipa no anni mʼapam no so.”
15Onyankopɔn san ka kyerɛɛ Abraham se, “Ɛfa wo yere Sarai ho nso, efi nnɛ rekɔ, woremfrɛ no Sarai bio. Wobɛfrɛ no Sara. 16Mehyira no, na mɛma no awo ɔbabarima ama wo. Mehyira no ama wabɛyɛ aman nyinaa na. Nʼasefo mu na amanaman mu ahemfo befi.”
17Abraham de nʼanim butuw fam bio. Ɔserew bisaa ne ho se, “Ebetumi aba sɛ ɔbarima a wadi mfe ɔha bɛwo ɔba ana? Sara nso a wadi mfe aduɔkron no nso, obetumi awo ɔba ana?” 18Na Abraham ka kyerɛɛ Onyankopɔn se, “Onyankopɔn ɛno de, hyira Ismael!”
19Na Onyankopɔn kae se, “Mmom, wo yere Sara bɛwo ɔbabarima ama wo, na wobɛto no din Isak, a ase ne Serew. Me ne no bɛyɛ daapem apam a ɛbɛtena hɔ ama nʼasefo a wɔbɛba akyiri no nyinaa. 20Na Ismael ho asɛm a wokae no nso, mate. Mehyira no ama nʼase adɔ bebree. Ɔbɛyɛ abirɛmpɔn dumien agya. Na mɛma no ayɛ ɔman kɛse. 21Nanso me ne Isak a Sara bɛwo no afe sesɛɛ no na ɛbɛyɛ mʼapam no.” 22Onyankopɔn kasa kyerɛɛ Abraham wiee no, ogyaw no hɔ kɔe.
Wotwa Abraham Twetia
23Saa da no ara, Abraham faa ne babarima Ismael ne mmarima a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ ne fi ne mmarima a wɔtɔɔ wɔn fii ananafo nkyɛn, twitwaa wɔn nyinaa twetia, sɛnea Onyankopɔn ka kyerɛɛ no no. 24Wotwaa Abraham twetia no, na wadi mfe aduɔkron akron. 25Ne babarima Ismael nso, wotwaa no twetia no, na wadi mfe dumiɛnsa. 26Saa da no ara, na wotwaa Abraham ne ne ba Ismael nyinaa twetia. 27Ɔbarima biara a ɔwɔ Abraham fi, wɔn a wɔwoo wɔn wɔ Abraham fi ne ɔbarima biara a wɔtɔɔ no fii ɔnanani bi nkyɛn no, wotwitwaa wɔn nyinaa twetia, kaa Abraham ho.
