Genesis 25

25 ¹ Abraham married another wife, whose name was Keturah. ² She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. ³ Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. ⁴ The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah. ⁵ Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. ⁶ But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, and while he was still living he sent them away from his son Isaac, to the eastern lands.

⁷ Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years in all. ⁸ Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man full of years, and joined his people. ⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, near Mamre. ¹⁰ the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with Sarah his wife. ¹¹ After the death of Abraham, our Father blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled near Beer-lahai-roi.

Ishmael's Generations

¹² This is the family line of Ishmael, Abraham's son, born to Abraham through Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant. ¹³ These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, in order of their birth: Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa, ¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. ¹⁶ These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names by their villages and their encampments — twelve princes according to their tribes. ¹⁷ Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. Then he breathed his last and died, and joined his people. ¹⁸ They settled from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt as you go toward Assyria. And Ishmael lived in hostility toward all his relatives.

The Line of Isaac

¹⁹ This is the family line of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham fathered Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean. ^a a v20 Paddan-aram was the upland plain of Aram in Mesopotamia, the homeland of Rebekah's family. ²¹ Isaac prayed to our Father on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And our Father granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² But the children struggled together within her, and she said, "If this is how it is, why is this happening to me?" So she went to ask our Father.

²³ And our Father said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be divided; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb! ²⁵ The first came out red, his whole body like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau. ²⁶ After that his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. ^b b v26 The name Jacob means "he grasps the heel" — and so "he supplants" or "deceives," as his story will show.

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

Jacob and Esau

²⁸ Isaac loved Esau, because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. ²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open country, and he was famished. ³⁰ Esau said to Jacob, "Let me gulp down some of that red stew, for I am famished!" (That is why he was called Edom.) ^c c v30 Edom means “red” — named for the red stew for which Esau traded his birthright.

³¹ Jacob said, "Sell me your birthright now." ^d d v31 A birthright gave the firstborn a double inheritance share and headship of the family.

³² Esau said, "Look, I am about to die; what good is a birthright to me?"

³³ Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright.