²¹ Now Isaac pleaded with the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; ^(A)and the Lord granted his plea, ^(B)and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If all is well, why am I like this?” ^(C)So she went to inquire of the Lord.

²³ And the Lord said to her:

²⁷ So the boys grew. And Esau was ^(A)a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was ^(B)a ^[a]mild man, ^(C)dwelling in tents. ²⁸ And Isaac loved Esau because he ^(D)ate of his game, ^(E)but Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁷ And he came near and ^(A)kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:

²⁰ So Jacob ^(A)served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.

⁴⁹ also ^(A)Mizpah,^[a] because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

³² With whomever you find your gods, ^(A)do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

¹⁴ Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, ^[a]are able to endure, until I come to my lord ^(A)in Seir.”

¹⁶ lest there be any ^(A)fornicator or ^[a]profane person like Esau, ^(B)who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.

⁶ But you, when you pray, ^(A)go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you ^[a]openly.