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Abraham’s Family

25 Abraham married again. His new wife was named Keturah. She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The people of Asshur,[a] Leum, and Letush were descendants of Dedan. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these sons came from the marriage of Abraham and Keturah. 5-6 Before Abraham died, he gave some gifts to his sons who were from his slave women. He sent them to the East,[b] away from Isaac. Then Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.

Abraham lived to be 175 years old. Then he grew weak and died. He had lived a long and satisfying life. He died and went to be with his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. This cave is in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar. It was east of Mamre. 10 This is the same cave that Abraham bought from the Hittites. He was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham died, God blessed Isaac. Isaac was living at Beer Lahai Roi.

12 This is the list of Ishmael’s family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar’s son. (Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian maid.) 13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons: The first son was Nebaioth; then Kedar was born, then Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the names of Ishmael’s sons. Each son had his own camp that became a small town. The twelve sons were leaders over their own people. 17 Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. Then he died and went to be with his people. 18 His descendants settled throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur. This area begins near Egypt and goes toward Assyria. Ishmael’s people were often at war with[c] the other descendants of Abraham.

Isaac’s Family

19 This is the story of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac. 20 When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah. Rebekah was from Paddan Aram. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21 Isaac’s wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and he allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.

22 While Rebekah was pregnant, the babies inside her struggled with one another. She prayed to the Lord and said, “What is happening to me?” 23 The Lord said to her,

“The leaders of two nations are in your body.
    Two nations will come from you,
    and they will be divided.
One of them will be stronger,
    and the older will serve the younger.”

24 When the right time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins. 25 The first baby was red. His skin was like a hairy robe. So he was named Esau.[d] 26 When the second baby was born, he was holding tightly to Esau’s heel. So that baby was named Jacob.[e] Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born.

27 The boys grew up. Esau became a skilled hunter, who loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau. He liked to eat the animals Esau killed. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 One day Esau came back from hunting. He was tired and weak from hunger. Jacob was boiling a pot of beans. 30 So Esau said to Jacob, “I am weak with hunger. Let me have some of that red soup.” (That is why people call him “Red.”[f])

31 But Jacob said, “You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son.”

32 Esau said, “I am almost dead with hunger, so what good are these rights to me now?”

33 But Jacob said, “First, promise me that you will give them to me.” So Esau made an oath to him and sold his rights as the firstborn son to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil[g] soup. Esau ate the food, had something to drink, and then left. So Esau showed that he did not care about his rights as the firstborn son.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:3 Asshur Or “Assyria.”
  2. Genesis 25:5 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf.
  3. Genesis 25:18 were often at war with Or “lived away from.”
  4. Genesis 25:25 Esau This name is like the word meaning “hairy.”
  5. Genesis 25:26 Jacob This name is like the Hebrew word meaning “heel.” It also means “the one who follows” or “tricky.”
  6. Genesis 25:30 Red Literally, “Edom,” a name that means “red.”
  7. Genesis 25:34 lentil A type of bean.

The Death of Abraham(A)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran,(B) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,(C) Ishbak and Shuah.(D) Jokshan was the father of Sheba(E) and Dedan;(F) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah,(G) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.(H) But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines(I) and sent them away from his son Isaac(J) to the land of the east.(K)

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.(L) Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,(M) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.(N) His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him(O) in the cave of Machpelah(P) near Mamre,(Q) in the field of Ephron(R) son of Zohar the Hittite,(S) 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.[a](T) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,(U) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.(V)

Ishmael’s Sons(W)

12 This is the account(X) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar(Y) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.(Z)

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth(AA) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,(AB) Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,(AC) Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,(AD) Jetur,(AE) Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers(AF) according to their settlements and camps.(AG) 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.(AH) 18 His descendants(AI) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,(AJ) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward[b] all the tribes related to them.(AK)

Jacob and Esau

19 This is the account(AL) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old(AM) when he married Rebekah(AN) daughter of Bethuel(AO) the Aramean from Paddan Aram[c](AP) and sister of Laban(AQ) the Aramean.(AR)

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.(AS) The Lord answered his prayer,(AT) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22 The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.(AU)

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations(AV) are in your womb,
    and two peoples from within you will be separated;
one people will be stronger than the other,
    and the older will serve the younger.(AW)

24 When the time came for her to give birth,(AX) there were twin boys in her womb.(AY) 25 The first to come out was red,(AZ) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;(BA) so they named him Esau.[d](BB) 26 After this, his brother came out,(BC) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;(BD) so he was named Jacob.[e](BE) Isaac was sixty years old(BF) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,(BG) a man of the open country,(BH) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,(BI) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.(BJ)

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,(BK) Esau came in from the open country,(BL) famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!(BM) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.[f])(BN)

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.(BO)

32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

33 But Jacob said, “Swear(BP) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright(BQ) to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.(BR) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:10 Or the descendants of Heth
  2. Genesis 25:18 Or lived to the east of
  3. Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  4. Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy.
  5. Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  6. Genesis 25:30 Edom means red.