Genesis 25

The death of Abraham

1Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan; the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

5Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east.

7Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.#25:10 Or the descendants of Heth There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

Ishmael’s sons

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

13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth:

Nebaioth the firstborn of Ishmael,

Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

14Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

15Hadad, Tema, Jetur,

Naphish and Kedemah.

16These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers according to their settlements and camps.

17Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people. 18His descendants settled in the area from Havilah to Shur, near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go towards Ashur. And they lived in hostility towards#25:18 Or lived to the east of all the tribes related to them.

Jacob and Esau

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

Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram#25:20 That is, North-west Mesopotamia and sister of Laban the Aramean.

21Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ So she went to enquire of the Lord.

23The Lord said to her,

‘Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

and the elder will serve the younger.’

24When the time came for her to give birth, there were twin boys in her womb. 25The first to come out was red, and his whole body was like a hairy garment; so they named him Esau.#25:25 Esau may mean hairy. 26After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob.#25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives. Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

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

29Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. 30He said to Jacob, ‘Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I’m famished!’ (That is why he was also called Edom.#25:30 Edom means red.)

31Jacob replied, ‘First sell me your birthright.’

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

33But Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.

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

So Esau despised his birthright.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®

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Genesis 25

The death of Abraham

Abraham marries Keturah

1Abraham married Keturah, 2and they had six sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Later, Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan, and when Dedan grew up, he had three sons: Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4Midian also had five sons: Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.

5-6While Abraham was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of Hagar and Keturah. He also sent their sons to live in the east far from his son Isaac, and when Abraham died, he left everything to Isaac.

The death of Abraham

7-8Abraham died at the ripe old age of one hundred and seventy-five. 9-10His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him east of Hebron#25.9,10 Hebron: See the note at 23.16-18. in Machpelah Cave that was part of the field Abraham had bought from Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. Abraham was buried there beside his wife Sarah.#Gn 23.3-16. 11God blessed Isaac after this, and Isaac moved to a place called “The Well of the Living One who Sees Me”.#25.11 The Well…Sees Me: Or “Beer-Lahai-Roi” (see 16.14).

Ishmael's descendants

12Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, the slave woman of Sarah. 13Ishmael had twelve sons, in this order: Nebaioth, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16Each of Ishmael's sons was a tribal chief, and a village was named after each of them.

17-18Ishmael had settled in the land east of his brothers, and his sons#25.17,18 sons: Or “descendants”. settled everywhere from Havilah to Shur, east of Egypt on the way to Asshur.#25.17,18 Havilah to Shur…Asshur: The exact location of these places is not known. Ishmael was one hundred and thirty-seven when he died.

Isaac and his family

The birth of Esau and Jacob

19Isaac was the son of Abraham, 20and he was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean from northern Syria.#25.20 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.

Almost twenty years later, 21Rebekah still had no children. So Isaac asked the LORD to let her have a child, and the LORD answered his prayer.

22Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, “Why is this happening to me?” Finally, she asked the LORD why her twins were fighting, 23and he told her:#Ro 9.12.

“Your two sons will become

two separate nations.#25.23 two separate nations: Or “two nations always in conflict”.

The younger of the two

will be stronger,

and the elder son

will be his servant.”

24When Rebekah gave birth, 25the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.#25.25 Esau: In Hebrew “Esau” sounds like “hairy”. 26The second baby grabbed his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob.#25.26 Jacob: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “heel”. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Esau sells his rights as the firstborn son

27As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob settled down and became a shepherd. 28Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, and so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favourite son.

29One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry 30and said, “I'm starving to death! Give me some of that red stew at once!” That's how Esau got the name “Edom”.#25.30 Edom: In Hebrew “Edom” sounds like “red”.

31Jacob replied, “Sell me your rights as the firstborn son.”#25.31 rights…son: The firstborn son inherited the largest amount of property, as well as the leadership of the family.

32“I'm about to die,” Esau answered. “What good will those rights do me?”

33But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that's what Esau did.#He 12.16. 34Jacob then gave Esau some bread and some of the bean stew, and when Esau had finished eating and drinking, he just got up and left, showing how little he thought of his rights as the firstborn.

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