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
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.
Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.