Genesis 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.

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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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