11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son. And Isaac settled at (A)Beer-lahai-roi.

12 These are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, (B)whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham. 13 (C)These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their birth: (D)Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael; and (E)Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, (F)Tema, (G)Jetur, (H)Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments, (I)twelve princes according to their tribes. 17 (These are the years of the life of Ishmael: 137 years. He (J)breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.) 18 (K)They settled from Havilah to (L)Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria. He settled[a] over against all his kinsmen.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: (M)Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, (N)the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of (O)Paddan-aram, (P)the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And (Q)the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”[b] So she went (R)to inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

(S)“Two nations are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you[c] shall be divided;
(T)the one shall be stronger than the other,
    (U)the older shall serve the younger.”

24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 The first came out red, (V)all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with (W)his hand holding Esau's heel, so (X)his name was called Jacob.[d] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau was (Y)a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, (Z)dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because (AA)he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.[e]) 31 Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” 32 Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” 33 Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and (AB)sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:18 Hebrew fell
  2. Genesis 25:22 Or why do I live?
  3. Genesis 25:23 Or from birth
  4. Genesis 25:26 Jacob means He takes by the heel, or He cheats
  5. Genesis 25:30 Edom sounds like the Hebrew for red

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