Genesis 25

Chapter 25

Abraham dies

1Abraham then married another woman. Her name was Keturah. 2She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3Jokshan later became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. 4Midian had sons who were called Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All those were descendants of Abraham's wife, Keturah. 5When Abraham died, he left everything that belonged to him to Isaac. 6But while he was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of his slave wives. He sent these sons away to the land of the east. He wanted to keep them far away from Isaac.

7Abraham lived for 175 years. 8He died after a good and long life, when he was very old. He joined his ancestors who had died before him. 9His sons, Isaac and Ishmael, buried his body in the cave of Machpelah. That was near Mamre. The cave is in the field that belonged to Zohar's son, Ephron. He was a Hittite. 10Abraham had bought the field from the Hittites.

So they buried Abraham there. It was in the cave where his wife, Sarah, had also been buried.

11After Abraham's death, God blessed his son, Isaac. Isaac was living near Beer Lahai Roi.

Ishmael's family

12This is the report about Abraham's son, Ishmael, and his family.

Sarah's female servant gave birth to Ishmael. Her name was Hagar. She was from Egypt. 13These are the names of Ishmael's sons. The list starts from the firstborn son and ends with the last son. Nebaioth was the first son of Ishmael. Then there were Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16These were all Ishmael's sons. Their names became the names of 12 groups of people. They separated and lived in their own lands. Ishmael's sons ruled over the 12 groups of people. 17Ishmael lived for 137 years then he died. He joined his ancestors who had died before him. 18Ishmael's descendants lived in the lands from Havilah to Shur. These are near Egypt, towards Asshur. They were always at war with each other. #25:18 The Lord had told Hagar about this in Genesis 16:12.

Jacob and Esau

19This is the report about Abraham's son, Isaac, and his family.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel. Bethuel was an Aramean from Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21Rebekah could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for Rebekah. The Lord did as Isaac asked. And Isaac's wife, Rebekah, became pregnant. 22The babies inside her were fighting with each other. Rebekah said, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ So Rebekah went to ask the Lord. 23The Lord said to Rebekah, ‘The two children who are in your body will become two separate nations of people. One group will be stronger than the other. The older son will become a servant to the younger son.’ #25:23 At that time, the youngest son would always be a servant to the oldest son. But this time, God chose the youngest son to be master over the oldest son.

24The time came for Rebekah to give birth. There were two babies inside her. 25The first baby to come out had a red body. Hair covered the whole of his body. They called him Esau. 26After this, his brother came out. His hand was holding the back of Esau's foot. They called him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27Time passed and the boys grew. Esau became a good hunter, out in the fields. Jacob was a quiet man. He stayed near to the tents. 28Isaac liked to eat the meat from the animals that Esau killed. So he loved Esau. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

29One day, Jacob was cooking a meal. Esau came back from the country. He was very hungry. 30He said to Jacob ‘Quick, let me have some of that red food! I am very hungry.’ (That is why he was also called Edom.) #25:30 Edom means red. 31Jacob said, ‘You must first sell me your birthright.’ #25:31 In the Old Testament, the oldest son had the birthright. This means that he would be the leader of his family when his father died. And he would get two parts of the things that had belonged to his father.

32Esau said, ‘Look, I am so hungry that I will die. Then my birthright will not help me at all!’

33Jacob said, ‘First, make a serious promise to me.’ So Esau promised to sell his birthright to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and the soup made from grains. Esau ate the food and he drank. Then he got up and he left.

In that way, Esau showed that he did not think that his birthright was important. #25:34 Now Jacob had the birthright. Jacob was the younger son. Jacob would receive God's promise that he had made with Abraham. This promise was also for Isaac. When Isaac died, it would pass to Jacob. This is what God had told Rebekah. See verse 23.

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Genesis 25

CHAPTER 25

1Forsooth Abraham wedded another wife, Keturah by name,

2which childed to him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.

3Also Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. Forsooth the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.

4And soothly of Midian was born Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abidah, and Eldaah; all these were the sons of Keturah.

5And Abraham gave all things which he had in possession to Isaac;

6soothly he gave gifts to the sons of [the] concubines, that is, secondary wives; and Abraham, while he lived yet, separated them from Isaac, his son, to the east coast.

7Forsooth the days of the life of Abraham were an hundred and threescore and fifteen years;

8and he failed, and died in [a] good eld age, and of great age, and full of days, and he was gathered to his people.

9And Isaac and Ishmael, his sons, buried him in the double den, which is set in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite, even against Mamre,

10which den he bought of the sons of Heth; and he was buried there, and Sarah his wife.

11And after the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son, which dwelled beside the pit by name of him that liveth and seeth.

12These be the generations of Ishmael, the son of Abraham, whom Hagar Egyptian, handmaid of Sarah, childed to Abraham;

13and these be the names of the sons of Ishmael, in their names and generations. The first begotten of Ishmael was Nebajoth, afterward Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

14and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,

15and Hadar, and Tema, and Jetur, and Naphish, and Kedemah.

16These were the sons of Ishmael, and these were the names by castles, and towns of them, [the] twelve princes of their lineages.

17And the years of [the] life of Ishmael were made an hundred and seven and thirty years, and he failed, and died, and was put to his people.

18Forsooth he inhabited from Havilah till to Shur, that beholdeth Egypt, as men entereth into [the] Assyrians; he died before all his brethren.

19Also these be the generations of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac,

20and when Isaac was of forty years, he wedded a wife, Rebecca, the daughter of Bethuel, of Syria, of Mesopotamia, the sister of Laban.

21And Isaac besought the Lord for his wife, for she was barren; and the Lord heard him, and gave conceiving to Rebecca.

22But the little children were hurtled together in her womb; and she said, If it was so to coming [or to come] to me, what need was it to conceive? And she went to ask counsel of the Lord,

23which answered, and said, Two folks be in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy womb, and one people shall overturn a people, and the more shall serve the less.

24Then the time of child-bearing came, and lo! two children were found in her womb.

25He that went out first was red, and all rough in the manner of a skin; and his name was called Esau.

26Anon the other went out, and held with his hand the heel of his brother; and therefore he called him Jacob#25:26 The name sounds like the Hebrew for ‘He who takes by the heel, or supplants’.. Isaac was sixty years eld, when the little children were born.

27And when they were waxen, Esau was a man knowing of hunting, and a man an earth-tiller; forsooth Jacob was a simple man, and dwelled in tabernacles.

28Isaac loved Esau, for he ate of the hunting of Esau; and Rebecca loved Jacob.

29Soothly Jacob seethed pottage; and when Esau came weary from the field,

30he said to Jacob, Give thou to me of this red seething, for I am full weary; for which cause his name was called Edom or Red.

31And Jacob said to him, Sell to me the rights of the first begotten child.

32Esau answered, Lo! I die, what shall the first begotten things profit to me?

33Jacob said, Therefore swear thou to me. Therefore Esau swore, and sold the first engendered things.

34And so when he had taken bread and pottage, Esau ate and drank, and went forth, and charged or cared little that he had sold the rights of the first begotten child.

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