Genesis 25:23-34 ▼

23 and He {YHWH} declared to her: “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger .”

24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.

25 The first one came out red, covered with hair like a fur coat; so they named him Esau (hairy).

26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s (hairy) heel; so he was named Jacob (he grasps the heel). And Isaac (he laughs) was sixty years old when the twins were born.

27 When the boys grew up, Esau (hairy) became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob (he grasps the heel) was a quiet man who stayed at home.

28 Because Isaac (he laughs) had a taste for wild game, he loved Esau (hairy); but Rebekah (ensnarer) loved Jacob (he grasps the heel).

29 One day, while Jacob (he grasps the heel) was cooking some stew, Esau (hairy) came in from the field and was famished.

30 He said to Jacob (he grasps the heel), “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am famished.” (That is why he was also called Edom (red).

31 “First sell me your birthright,” Jacob (he grasps the heel) replied.

32 “Look,” said Esau (hairy), “I am about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?”

33 “Swear to me first,” Jacob (he grasps the heel) said. So Esau swore to Jacob and sold him the birthright.

34 Then Jacob (he grasps the heel) gave some bread and lentil stew to Esau (hairy), who ate and drank and then got up and went away. Thus Esau despised his birthright.