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.
Genesis 25
25
The death of Abraham
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 one hundred and seventy-five. 9-10His 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.#Gn 23.3-16. 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 one hundred and thirty-seven when he died.
Isaac and his family
The birth of Esau and Jacob
19Isaac was the son of Abraham, 20and he was forty 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 twenty 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, 23and he told her:#Ro 9.12.
“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 elder 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 his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob.#25.26 Jacob: In Hebrew “Jacob” sounds like “heel”. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
Esau sells his rights as the firstborn son
27As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob settled down and became a shepherd. 28Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, and so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favourite son.
29One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry 30and said, “I'm starving to death! Give me some of that red stew at once!” 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 firstborn son.”#25.31 rights…son: The firstborn 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?”
33But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that's what Esau did.#He 12.16. 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 firstborn.
© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012