Genesis 25

Abraham's Descendants through Keturah

(1 Chronicles 1.32,33)

1Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Ketu´rah. 2And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Mid´i-an, and Ishbak, and Shu´ah. 3And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were As´shurim, and Let´ushim, and Le´ummim. 4And the sons of Mid´i-an; Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abi´dah, and Elda´ah. All these were the children of Ketu´rah. 5And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

The Death and Burial of Abraham

7And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years. 8Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. 9And his sons Isaac and Ish´ma-el buried him in the cave of Machpe´lah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; 10#Gen 23.3-16. the field which Abraham purchased of the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 11And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well La´hai–roi.

The Descendants of Ishmael

(1 Chronicles 1.28-31)

12Now these are the generations of Ish´ma-el, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: 13and these are the names of the sons of Ish´ma-el, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ish´ma-el, Neba´joth; and Kedar, and Ad´beel, and Mibsam, 14and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, 15Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Ked´emah: 16these are the sons of Ish´ma-el, and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations. 17And these are the years of the life of Ish´ma-el, a hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people. 18And they dwelt from Hav´ilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

19And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac: 20and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethu´el the Syrian of Pa´dan–a´ram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. 23#Rom 9.12. And the Lord said unto her,

Two nations are in thy womb,

and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels;

and the one people shall be stronger than the other people;

and the elder shall serve the younger.

24And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.

Esau Sells His Birthright

27And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. 28And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: 30and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.#25.30 That is, Red. 31And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33#Heb 12.16. And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

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Genesis 25

The Death of Abraham

1Abraham married another wife, whose name 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 Asshurites, Letushites, and Leummites. 4Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Abraham through Keturah.

5Abraham gave everything he owned to his son Isaac. 6But before he died, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them off to a land in the east, away from Isaac.

7Abraham lived for 175 years, 8and he died at a ripe old age, having lived a long and satisfying life. He breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite. 10This was the field Abraham had purchased from the Hittites and where he had buried his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer-lahai-roi in the Negev.

Ishmael’s Descendants

12This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant. 13Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These twelve sons of Ishmael became the founders of twelve tribes named after them, listed according to the places they settled and camped. 17Ishmael lived for 137 years. Then he breathed his last and joined his ancestors in death. 18Ishmael’s descendants occupied the region from Havilah to Shur, which is east of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. There they lived in open hostility toward all their relatives.#25:18 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

The Births of Esau and Jacob

19This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

21Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.

23And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”

24And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau.#25:25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew term that means “hair.” 26Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.#25:26 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel” and “deceiver.” Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.

Esau Sells His Birthright

27As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)

31“All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”

32“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

33But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

34Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

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