Genesis 17:15-22

15 God said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, do not call her by this name; her name is Sarah. 16 I will bless her, and more than this, I will give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she will be the mother of nations. Leaders of people will be descended from her.’ 17 Then Abraham fell about laughing, and said to himself, ‘Can a man who is 100 years old have a son, and can Sarah bear a child at 99?’

18 Then Abraham said to God, ‘I do wish you would accept Ishmael as my son!’ 19 God said, ‘Look, your wife Sarah really will give you a son, and you will name him Isaac. I will keep my covenant with him and his descendants as a permanent covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard what you said. I will bless him and give him many children and large numbers of descendants; he will be the father of twelve princes, and I will make a great nation of his descendants. 21 But I will keep my covenant with Isaac, who will be born to Sarah at this same time next year.’

22 When God had finished talking with Abraham, he left him.

translation by Paul H Ashby © 2008 all rights reserved