Genesis 25
25
Abraham and Keturah’s children
1Abraham married another wife, named Keturah. 2The children she bore him were Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s sons were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. 4Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Enoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were Keturah’s sons. 5Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac. 6To the sons of Abraham’s secondary wives, Abraham gave gifts and, while he was still living, sent them away from his son Isaac to land in the east.
Abraham’s death
7Abraham lived to the age of 175. 8Abraham took his last breath and died after a good long life, a content old man, and he was placed with his ancestors. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave in Machpelah, which is in the field of Zohar’s son Ephron the Hittite, near Mamre. 10Thus Abraham and his wife Sarah were both buried in the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites. 11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac lived in Beer-lahai-roi.
Ishmael’s descendants
12These are the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s servant, bore for Abraham. 13These are the names of Ishmael’s sons, by their names and according to their birth order: Nebaioth, Ishmael’s oldest son; Kedar; Adbeel; Mibsam; 14Mishma; Dumah; Massa; 15Hadad; Tema; Jetur; Naphish; and Kedemah. 16These are Ishmael’s sons. These are their names by their villages and their settlements: twelve tribal leaders according to their tribes. 17Ishmael lived to the age of 137. He took his last breath and died, and was placed with his ancestors. 18He established camps#25.18 LXX; MT they established camps from Havilah to Shur, which is near Egypt on the road to Assyria. He died#25.18 Or He fell among all of his brothers.
Jacob and Esau are born
19These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham became the father of Isaac. 20Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean and the sister of Laban the Aramean, from Paddan-aram. 21Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, since she was unable to have children. The LORD was moved by his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22But the boys pushed against each other inside of her, and she said, “If this is what it’s like, why did it happen to me?”#25.22 Heb uncertain
So she went to ask the LORD. 23And the LORD said to her,
“Two nations are in your womb;
two different peoples will emerge from your body.
One people will be stronger than the other;
the older will serve the younger.”
24When she reached the end of her pregnancy, she discovered that she had twins. 25The first came out red all over, clothed with hair, and she named him Esau. 26Immediately afterward, his brother came out gripping Esau’s heel, and she named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
Jacob acquires the oldest son’s rights
27When the young men grew up, Esau became an outdoorsman who knew how to hunt, and Jacob became a quiet man who stayed at home. 28Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating game, but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29Once when Jacob was boiling stew, Esau came in from the field hungry 30and said to Jacob, “I’m starving! Let me devour some of this red stuff.” That’s why his name is Edom.#25.30 Or red
31Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright#25.31 Or oldest son’s rights today.”
32Esau said, “Since I’m going to die anyway, what good is my birthright to me?”
33Jacob said, “Give me your word today.” And he did. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34So Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate, drank, got up, and left, showing just how little he thought of his birthright.
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 25
25
Abraham’s Family
1Abraham married again. His new wife was Keturah. 2She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the people of Assyria, Letush and Leum. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah. 5Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6But before Abraham died, he did give gifts to the sons of his other wives. Abraham sent them to the East to be away from Isaac.
7Abraham lived to be 175 years old. 8He breathed his last breath and died at an old age. He had lived a long and satisfying life. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. This cave is in the field of Ephron east of Mamre. Ephron was the son of Zohar the Hittite. 10This is the same field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac was now living at Beer Lahai Roi.
12This is the family history of Ishmael, Abraham’s son. (Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant, was Ishmael’s mother.) 13These are the names of Ishmael’s sons in the order they were born. The first son was Nebaioth. Then came Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish and Kedemah. 16These were Ishmael’s sons. And these are the names of the tribal leaders. They are listed according to their settlements and camps. 17Ishmael lived 137 years. Then he breathed his last breath and died. 18Ishmael’s descendants lived from Havilah to Shur. This is east of Egypt stretching toward Assyria. Ishmael’s descendants often attacked the descendants of his brothers.
Isaac’s Family
19This is the family history of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac. 20When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah. Rebekah was from Northwest Mesopotamia. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean. 21Isaac’s wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant.
22While she was pregnant, the babies struggled inside her. She asked, “Why is this happening to me?” Then she went to get an answer from the Lord.
23The Lord said to her,
“Two nations are in your body.
Two groups of people will be taken from you.
One group will be stronger than the other.
The older will serve the younger.”
24And when the time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins. 25The first baby was born red. His skin was like a hairy robe. So he was named Esau.# This name may mean “hairy.” 26When the second baby was born, he was holding on to Esau’s heel. So that baby was named Jacob.# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “heel.” “Grabbing someone’s heel” is a Hebrew saying for tricking someone. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled hunter. He loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man. He stayed among the tents. 28Isaac loved Esau. Esau hunted the wild animals that Isaac enjoyed eating. But Rebekah loved Jacob.
29One day Jacob was boiling a pot of vegetable soup. Esau came in from hunting in the fields. He was weak from hunger. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red soup. I am weak with hunger.” (That is why people call him Edom.# This name sounds like the Hebrew word for “red.”)
31But Jacob said, “You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son.”# Usually the firstborn son had a high rank in the family. The firstborn son usually became the new head of the family.
32Esau said, “I am almost dead from hunger. If I die, all of my father’s wealth will not help me.”
33But Jacob said, “First, promise me that you will give it to me.” So Esau made a promise to Jacob. In this way he sold his part of their father’s wealth to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and vegetable soup. Esau ate and drank and then left. So Esau showed how little he cared about his rights as the firstborn son.
Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.