Genesis 25
25
Abraham’s Family
1Abraham married again. His new wife was named Keturah. 2She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The people of Asshur,#25:3 Asshur Or “Assyria.” Leum, and Letush were descendants of Dedan. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these sons came from the marriage of Abraham and Keturah. 5-6Before Abraham died, he gave some gifts to his sons who were from his slave women. He sent them to the East,#25:5 East This usually means the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers as far east as the Persian Gulf. away from Isaac. Then Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.
7Abraham lived to be 175 years old. 8Then he grew weak and died. He had lived a long and satisfying life. He died and went to be with his people. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. This cave is in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar. It was east of Mamre. 10This is the same cave that Abraham bought from the Hittites. He was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham died, God blessed Isaac. Isaac was living at Beer Lahai Roi.
12This is the list of Ishmael’s family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar’s son. (Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian maid.) 13These are the names of Ishmael’s sons: The first son was Nebaioth; then Kedar was born, then Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These were the names of Ishmael’s sons. Each son had his own camp that became a small town. The twelve sons were leaders over their own people. 17Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. Then he died and went to be with his people. 18His descendants settled throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur. This area begins near Egypt and goes toward Assyria. Ishmael’s people were often at war with#25:18 were often at war with Or “lived away from.” the other descendants of Abraham.
Isaac’s Family
19This is the story of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac. 20When Isaac was 40 years old, he married Rebekah. Rebekah was from Paddan Aram. 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 he allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.
22While Rebekah was pregnant, the babies inside her struggled with one another. She prayed to the Lord and said, “What is happening to me?” 23The Lord said to her,
“The leaders of two nations are in your body.
Two nations will come from you,
and they will be divided.
One of them will be stronger,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24When the right time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins. 25The first baby was red. His skin was like a hairy robe. So he was named Esau.#25:25 Esau This name is like the word meaning “hairy.” 26When the second baby was born, he was holding tightly to Esau’s heel. So that baby was named Jacob.#25:26 Jacob This name is like the Hebrew word meaning “heel.” It also means “the one who follows” or “tricky.” Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born.
27The boys grew up. Esau became a skilled hunter, who loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed at home. 28Isaac loved Esau. He liked to eat the animals Esau killed. But Rebekah loved Jacob.
29One day Esau came back from hunting. He was tired and weak from hunger. Jacob was boiling a pot of beans. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “I am weak with hunger. Let me have some of that red soup.” (That is why people call him “Red.”#25:30 Red Literally, “Edom,” a name that means “red.”)
31But Jacob said, “You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son.”
32Esau said, “I am almost dead with hunger, so what good are these rights to me now?”
33But Jacob said, “First, promise me that you will give them to me.” So Esau made an oath to him and sold his rights as the firstborn son to Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil#25:34 lentil A type of bean. soup. Esau ate the food, had something to drink, and then left. So Esau showed that he did not care about his rights as the firstborn son.
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Genesis 25
25
1And Abraham married another wife, named Cetura:
2Who bore to him Zamran, and Jecsan, and Madan, and Madian, and Jesboc, and Sue.
3Jecsan also begot Saba and Dadan. The children of Dadan were Assurim, and Latusim, and Loomin.
4But of Madian was born Epha, and Opher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaa. All these were the children of Cetura.
5And Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac.
6And to the children of the concubines he gave gifts, and separated them from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, to the east country.
7And the days of Abraham's life were a hundred and seventy-five years.
8And decaying he died in a good old age, having lived a long time, and being full of days: and was gathered to his people.
9And Isaac and Ismael, his sons, buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of Ephron, the son of Seor the Hethite, over against Mambre;
10Which he had bought of the children of Heth. There was he buried, and Sara his wife.
11And after his death, God blessed Isaac his son, who dwelt by the well named, Of the Living and Seeing.
12These are the generations of Ismael the son of Abraham, whom Agar the Egyptian, Sara's servant, bore unto him:
13And these are the names of his children according to their calling and generations. The firstborn of Ismael was Nabajoth, then Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam.
14And Masma, and Duma, and Massa,
15Hadar, and Thema, and Jethur, and Naphis, and Cedma.
16These are the sons of Ismael: and these are their names by their castles and towns, twelve princes of their tribes.
17And the years of Ismael's life were a hundred and thirty-seven: and decaying he died, and was gathered unto his people.
18And he dwelt from Hevila as far as Sur, which looketh towards Egypt, to them that go towards the Assyrians. He died in the presence of all his brethren.
19These also are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac.
20Who, when he was forty years old, took to wife Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel the Syrian, of Mesopotamia, sister to Laban.
21And Isaac besought the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and he heard him, and made Rebecca to conceive.
22But the children struggled in her womb; and she said: If it were to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? And she went to consult the Lord.
23And he answering said: Two nations are in thy womb and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb. And one people shall overcome the other; and the elder shall serve the younger.
24And when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were found in her womb.
25He that came forth first was red, and hairy like a skin: and his name was called Esau. Immediately the other coming forth, held his brother's foot in his hand, and therefore he was called Jacob.
26Isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto him.
27And when they were grown up, Esau became a skillful hunter, and a husbandman: but Jacob a plain man dwelt in tents.
28Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his hunting: and Rebecca loved Jacob.
29And Jacob boiled Pottage: to whom Esau, coming faint out of the field,
30Said: Give me of this red pottage, for I am exceeding faint. For which reason his name was called Edom.
31And Jacob said to him: Sell me thy first birthright.
32He answered: Lo, I die. What will the first birthright avail me?
33Jacob said: Swear therefore to me. Esau swore to him, and sold his first birthright.
34And so, taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and drank, and went his way; making little account of having sold his first birthright.
An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.