Genesis 25

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 175. 9-10#Gn 23.3-18. His 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. 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 137 when he died.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

19Isaac was the son of Abraham, 20and he was 40 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 20 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, 23#Ro 9.11,12. and he told her:

“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 older 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 on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob.#25.26 Jacob: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “heel.” Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

Esau Sells His Rights as the First-Born Son

27As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.#25.27 of a shepherd: Hebrew “in tents.” 28Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.

29One day, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came home hungry 30and said, “I'm starving to death! Here and now give me some of that red stew!” 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 first-born son.”#25.31 rights … son: The first-born 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?”

33 # He 12.16. But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that's what Esau did. 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 first-born.

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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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