Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ This is the account^(A) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old^(B) when he married Rebekah^(C) daughter of Bethuel^(D) the Aramean from Paddan Aram^[a](E) and sister of Laban^(F) the Aramean.^(G)

²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^(H) The Lord answered his prayer,^(I) and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.^(J)

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth,^(M) there were twin boys in her womb.^{(N) 25} The first to come out was red,^(O) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^(P) so they named him Esau.^{[b](Q) 26} After this, his brother came out,^(R) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^(S) so he was named Jacob.^[c](T) Isaac was sixty years old^(U) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

¹⁹ Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son,^(A) and you will call him Isaac.^[a](B) I will establish my covenant with him^(C) as an everlasting covenant^(D) for his descendants after him.

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.^(A)

²⁷ The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,^(A) a man of the open country,^(B) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,^(C) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.^(D)

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,^(E) Esau came in from the open country,^(F) famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!^(G) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.^[a])^(H)

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.^(I)”

³² “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “Swear^(J) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright^(K) to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.^(L) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace^(A) for those who have been trained by it.

¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.^{(B) 13} “Make level paths for your feet,”^[a](C) so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.^(D)

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴ Make every effort to live in peace with everyone^(E) and to be holy;^(F) without holiness no one will see the Lord.^{(G) 15} See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God^(H) and that no bitter root^(I) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶ See that no one is sexually immoral,^(J) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.^{(K) 17} Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,^(L) he could not change what he had done.