15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife - her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 1 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.” 17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?” 18 So Abraham said to God, “May Ishmael live under your special blessing!” 19 But God replied, “No - Sarah, your wife, will give birth to a son for you. You will name him Isaac, 2 and I will confirm my covenant with him and his descendants as an everlasting covenant. 20 As for Ishmael, I will bless him also, just as you have asked. I will make him extremely fruitful and multiply his descendants. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my covenant will be confirmed with Isaac, who will be born to you and Sarah about this time next year.”
22 When God had finished speaking, he left Abraham. 23 On that very day Abraham took his son, Ishmael, and every male in his household, including those born there and those he had bought. Then he circumcised them, cutting off their foreskins, just as God had told him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he was circumcised, 25 and Ishmael, his son, was thirteen. 26 Both Abraham and his son, Ishmael, were circumcised on that same day, 27 along with all the other men and boys of the household, whether they were born there or bought as servants. All were circumcised with him.
1
The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day.
2
He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.
3
“My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while.
4
Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.
5
And since you’ve honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.” “All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”
6
So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures 3 of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.”
7
Then Abraham ran out to the herd and chose a tender calf and gave it to his servant, who quickly prepared it.
8
When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.
9
“Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10
Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent.
11
Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children.
12
So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master - my husband - is also so old?”
13
Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’
14
Is anything too hard for the Lord ? I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
15
Sarah was afraid, so she denied it, saying, “I didn’t laugh.”
But the Lord said, “No, you did laugh.”
16
Then the men got up from their meal and looked out toward Sodom. As they left, Abraham went with them to send them on their way.
17
“Should I hide my plan from Abraham?” the Lord asked.
18
“For Abraham will certainly become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.
19
I have singled him out so that he will direct his sons and their families to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just. Then I will do for Abraham all that I have promised.”
20
So the Lord told Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah, because their sin is so flagrant.
21
I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard. If not, I want to know.”