The Covenant of Circumcision

17 When Abram was ninety-nine years old,^(A) the Lord appeared to him^(B) and said, “I am God Almighty^[a];^(C) walk before me faithfully and be blameless.^(D)

³⁰ “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.^(A)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,^(B) but those who despise^(C) me will be disdained.^(D)

⁴ and that the Lord may keep his promise^(A) to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully^(B) before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

²³ and said:

³ “Remember,^(A) Lord, how I have walked^(B) before you faithfully^(C) and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.