Genesis 25
25
1Then again Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] took a wife, and her name [was] K’turah (Incense).
2And she bore him Zimran (musician), and Yokshan (One Who Sets A Snare, or Fowler), and Medan, and Midyan [Strife] (Strife; Place Of Judgment), and Yishbak, and Shuach.
3And Yokshan (One Who Sets A Snare, or Fowler) begat (to be father of; be ancestor of) Sh’va (oath; seven; splinters), and D’dan. And the sons of D’dan were Ashurim (level plain; over the flames), and L’tushim (Sharp or Sharpened), and L’umim (Peoples).
4And the sons of Midyan [Strife] (Strife; Place Of Judgment); ‘Eifah (means both: Volant [having the power of flight] and Dark One), and ‘Efer (Young Deer), and Hanokh (Dedicated), and Avida (The Father Knows; my father knows), and Elda’ah ([EL] God has known; God Has Called; Knowledge Of God; God is Knowledge). All these [were] the children of K’turah (Incense).
5And Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] gave all that he had unto Yitz’chak [Laughter].
6But unto the sons of the concubines, which Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] had, Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] gave gifts, and sent them away from Yitz’chak [Laughter] his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
7And these [are] the days of the years of Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
8Then Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full [of years]; and was gathered to his people.
9And his sons Yitz’chak [Laughter] and Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]) buried him in the cave of Makhpelah (portion; double cave), in the field of ‘Efron (fawn-like) the son of Tzochar (shining oil; brightness) the Hitti (terrorists), which [is] before Mamre (firmness; fatling (fat cattle) offering);
10The field which Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] purchased of the sons of Het (terror): there was Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] buried, and Sarah [Princess] his wife.
11And it came to pass after the death of Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will], that God-Elōhīm [The Living Word - The Many Powered] Blessed (Favored by God; happy; prosperous) his son Yitz’chak [Laughter]; and Yitz’chak [Laughter] dwelt by the well Be’er-Lachai-Ro’I (the well of the living One who sees).
12Now these [are] the generations of Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]), Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] son, whom Hagar (Flight) the Mitzrayimot (People of the Black Land) [the Egyptian] Sarah’s [Princess] female servant, bore unto Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will]:
13And these [are] the names of the sons of Yishma’el, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Yishma’el, N’vayot; and Kedar [dark] (dark), and Adbe’el (chastened of God [EL]), and Mivsam (sweet odour),
14And Mishma (a hearing), and Dumah [Silence] (silence), and Massa (burden),
15Hadad [mighty] (honour), and Teima (desert), Y’tur (enclosed), Nafish (refreshment), and Kedmah (original):
16These [are] the sons of Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]), and these [are] their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.
17And these [are] the years of the life of Yishma’el (He Will Hear God; God hears [EL]), an hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died; and was gathered unto his people.
18And they dwelt from Havilah (circle, Stretch of Sand) unto Shur [wall] (wall), that [is] before Mitzrayim [Egypt] (Double Distress or Double Stronghold, Black Land), as youi go toward Ashur [the level plain] [the land of the sons of Shem (name, renown (great reputation; being well-known))]: [and] he died in the presence of all his brethren.
19And these [are] the generations of Yitz’chak [Laughter], Avraham’s [exalted father/Fly They Will] son: Avraham [exalted father/Fly They Will] begat (to be father of; be ancestor of) Yitz’chak [Laughter]:
20And Yitz’chak [Laughter] was forty years old when he took Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) to wife, the daughter of B’tu’el the Arami [Arami [exalted]] (level plain) of Paddan-aram (a place of height; field; plain), the sister to Lavan (to be white; white guy) the Arami [Arami [exalted]] (level plain).
21And Yitz’chak [Laughter] entreated the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) for his wife, because she [was] barren: and the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) was entreated of him, and Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) his wife conceived.
22And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If [it be] so, why [am] I in this way? And she went to enquire of the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate).
23And the Lord-Yehōvah (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) said unto her, Two nations [are] in youri womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from youri bowels (inward parts; affections); and [the one] people shall be stronger than [the other] people; and the elder shall serve the younger.
24And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb.
25And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name ‘Esav (hairy).
26And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on ‘Esav’s (hairy) heel; and his name was called Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of): and Yitz’chak [Laughter] [was] threescore years old when she bore them.
27And the boys grew: and ‘Esav (hairy) was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) was a plain man, dwelling in tents.
28And Yitz’chak [Laughter] loved ‘Esav (hairy), because he did eat of [his] venison: but Rivkah (Tied Up; Secured) loved Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of).
29And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) coocked (boiled) pottage [stew]: and ‘Esav (hairy) came from the field, and he [was] faint:
30And ‘Esav (hairy) said to Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of), Feed me, I pray youi, with that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom (red, ruddy (reddish hair or complexion)).
31And Ya’akov said, Sell me this day youri birthright.
32And ‘Esav (hairy) said, Behold, I [am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33And Ya’akov (he who holds onto the heel of) said, Swear to me this day; and he swore unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Ya’akov.
34Then Ya’akov gave ‘Esav (hairy) bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: in this way ‘Esav despised [his] birthright.
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Genesis 25
25
1-2Abraham married a second time; his new wife was named Keturah. She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3Jokshan had Sheba and Dedan.
Dedan’s descendants were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.
4Midian had Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah—all from the line of Keturah.
5-6But Abraham gave everything he possessed to Isaac. While he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons he had by his concubines, but then sent them away to the country of the east, putting a good distance between them and his son Isaac.
7-11Abraham lived 175 years. Then he took his final breath. He died happy at a ripe old age, full of years, and was buried with his family. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, next to Mamre. It was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried next to his wife Sarah. After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived at Beer Lahai Roi.
The Family Tree of Ishmael
12This is the family tree of Ishmael son of Abraham, the son that Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid, bore to Abraham.
13-16These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in the order of their births: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah—all the sons of Ishmael. Their settlements and encampments were named after them. Twelve princes with their twelve tribes.
17-18Ishmael lived 137 years. When he breathed his last and died he was buried with his family. His children settled down all the way from Havilah near Egypt eastward to Shur in the direction of Assyria. The Ishmaelites didn’t get along with any of their kin.
Jacob and Esau
19-20This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21-23Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren. God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, “If this is the way it’s going to be, why go on living?” She went to God to find out what was going on. God told her,
Two nations are in your womb,
two peoples butting heads while still in your body.
One people will overpower the other,
and the older will serve the younger.
24-26When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. The first came out reddish, as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau’s heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
27-28The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29-30One day Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came in from the field, starved. Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stew—I’m starved!” That’s how he came to be called Edom (Red).
31Jacob said, “Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the firstborn.”
32Esau said, “I’m starving! What good is a birthright if I’m dead?”
33-34Jacob said, “First, swear to me.” And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That’s how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.