Genesis 25:5-34 ▼

5 Abraham (father of many) left everything he owned to Isaac (he laughs).

6 But while he was still alive, Abraham (father of many) gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac (he laughs) to the land of the east.

7 Abraham (father of many) lived a total of 175 years.

8 And at a ripe old age he breathed his last and died (father of many), old and contented, and was gathered to his people.

9 His sons Isaac (he laughs) and Ishmael (God hears) buried him in the cave of Machpelah (double) near Mamre (strength / fatness), in the field of Ephron (fawn-like) son of Zohar (radiance) the Hittite.

10 This was the field that Abraham (father of many) had bought from the Hittites (terror). Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah (princess).

11 After Abraham’s (father of many) death, God {Elohim} blessed his son Isaac (he laughs), who lived near Beer-lahai-roi (well of the Living One who sees me).

12 This is the account of Abraham’s (father of many) son Ishmael (God hears), whom Hagar (flight) the Egyptian (double straits), Sarah’s (princess) maidservant, bore to Abraham.

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael (God hears) in the order of their birth: Nebaioth (heights) the firstborn of Ishmael, then Kedar (dark), Adbeel (chastened of God), Mibsam (sweet odor),

14 Mishma (a hearing), Dumah (silence), Massa (burden),

15 Hadad (mighty), Tema (desert), Jetur (enclosed), Naphish (refreshment), and Kedemah (original).

16 These were the sons of Ishmael (God hears), and these were their names by their villages and encampments—twelve princes of their tribes.

17 Ishmael (God hears) lived a total of 137 years. Then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

18 Ishmael’s descendants settled from Havilah (circle) to Shur (wall), which is near the border of Egypt (land of bondage) as you go toward Asshur (Assyria). And they lived in hostility toward all their brothers.

19 This is the account of Abraham’s (father of many) son Isaac (he laughs). Abraham became the father of Isaac,

20 and Isaac (he laughs) was forty years old when he married Rebekah (ensnarer), the daughter of Bethuel (dweller in God) the Aramean (exalted) from Paddan-aram (northwest Mesopotamia) and the sister of Laban (white) the Aramean.

21 Later, Isaac (he laughs) prayed to the LORD {YHWH} on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. And the LORD heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah (ensnarer) conceived.

22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So Rebekah went to inquire of the LORD {YHWH},

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.