Genesis 25
25
Abraham’s Second Marriage and His Death
(1 Chronicles 1:32–33)
1Abraham married again, and his wife’s name was Keturah. 2Keturah gave birth to these sons of Abraham: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the Assyrians, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were the descendants of Keturah.
5Abraham left everything he had to Isaac. 6But while he was still living, Abraham had given gifts to the sons of his concubines.#25:6 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law. He sent them away from his son Isaac to a land in the east.
7Abraham lived 175 years. 8Then he took his last breath, and died at a very old age. After a long and full life, he joined his ancestors in death. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite. The cave is east of Mamre. 10This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer Lahai Roi.
The 12 Tribes of Ishmael
(1 Chronicles 1:29–31)
12This is the account of the descendants of Abraham’s son Ishmael. He was the son of Sarah’s Egyptian slave Hagar and Abraham. 13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael and their names listed by their settlements and camps—12 leaders of their tribes.
17Ishmael lived 137 years. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined his ancestors in death. 18His descendants lived as nomads from the region of Havilah to Shur, which is near Egypt, in the direction of Assyria. They all fought with each other.
Esau and Jacob
19This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac and his descendants. Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22When the children inside her were struggling with each other, she said, “If it’s like this now, what will become of me?” So she went to ask the Lord.
23The Lord said to her,
“Two countries are in your womb.
Two nations will go their separate ways from birth.
One nation will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24When the time came for her to give birth, she had twins. 25The first one born was red. His whole body was covered with hair, so they named him Esau [Hairy]. 26Afterwards, his brother was born with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, and so he was named Jacob [Heel]. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
27They grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob remained a quiet man, staying around the tents. 28Because Isaac liked to eat the meat of wild animals, he loved Esau. However, Rebekah loved Jacob.
29Once, Jacob was preparing a meal when Esau, exhausted, came in from outdoors. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me have the whole pot of red stuff to eat—that red stuff—I’m exhausted.” This is why he was called Edom.#25:30 There is a play on words here between Hebrew ʾadom (red stuff) and Edom.
31Jacob responded, “First, sell me your rights as firstborn.”
32“I’m about to die.” Esau said. “What good is my inheritance to me?”
33“First, swear an oath,” Jacob said. So Esau swore an oath to him and sold him his rights as firstborn. 34Then Jacob gave Esau a meal of bread and lentils. He ate and drank, and then he got up and left.
This is how Esau showed his contempt for his rights as firstborn.
GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Genesis 25
25
1 ABRAHAM TOOK another wife, and her name was Keturah.
2 And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.
3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.
4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
5 And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac.
6 But to the sons of his concubines [Hagar and Keturah] Abraham gave gifts, and while he was still living he sent them to the east country, away from Isaac his son [of promise].
7 The days of Abraham's life were 175 years.
8 Then Abraham's spirit was released, and he died at a good (ample, full) old age, an old man, satisfied and satiated, and was gathered to his people. [Gen. 15:15.]
9 And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is east of Mamre,
10 The field which Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.
11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Isaac, and Isaac dwelt at Beer-lahai-roi [A well to the Living One Who sees me].
12 Now this is the history of the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore to Abraham.
13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named in the order of their births: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, and Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,
14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa,
15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.
16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages and by their encampments (sheepfolds)–twelve princes according to their tribes. [Foretold in Gen. 17:20.]
17 And Ishmael lived 137 years; then his spirit left him, and he died and was gathered to his kindred.
18 And [Ishmael's sons] dwelt from Havilah to Shur, which is before Egypt in the direction of Assyria. [Ishmael] dwelt close [to the lands] of all his brethren.
19 And this is the history of the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the father of Isaac.
20 Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Padan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 And Isaac prayed much to the Lord for his wife because she was unable to bear children; and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife became pregnant.
22 [Two] children struggled together within her; and she said, If it is so [that the Lord has heard our prayer], why am I like this? And she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 The Lord said to her, [The founders of] two nations are in your womb, and the separation of two peoples has begun in your body; the one people shall be stronger than the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.
24 When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 The first came out red all over like a hairy garment, and they named him Esau [hairy].
26 Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand grasped Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob [supplanter]. Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a cunning and skilled hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a plain and quiet man, dwelling in tents.
28 And Isaac loved [and was partial to] Esau, because he ate of Esau's game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 Jacob was boiling pottage (lentil stew) one day, when Esau came from the field and was faint [with hunger].
30 And Esau said to Jacob, I beg of you, let me have some of that red lentil stew to eat, for I am faint and famished! That is why his name was called Edom [red].
31 Jacob answered, Then sell me today your birthright (the rights of a firstborn).
32 Esau said, See here, I am at the point of death; what good can this birthright do me?
33 Jacob said, Swear to me today [that you are selling it to me]; and he swore to [Jacob] and sold him his birthright.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stew of lentils, and he ate and drank and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau scorned his birthright as beneath his notice.
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