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Genesis 25:19-34
New International Version
Genesis 25:19-34
New International Version
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,
“Two nations(K) 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.(L)”
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.
27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,(V) a man of the open country,(W) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,(X) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.(Y)
29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,(Z) Esau came in from the open country,(AA) famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!(AB) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.[d])(AC)
31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.(AD)”
32 “Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”
33 But Jacob said, “Swear(AE) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright(AF) to Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.(AG) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.
So Esau despised his birthright.
Footnotes
- Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy.
- Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
- Genesis 25:30 Edom means red.
Genesis 25:19-34
New Living Translation
Genesis 25:19-34
New Living Translation
The Births of Esau and Jacob
19 This is the account of the family of Isaac, the son of Abraham. 20 When Isaac was forty years old, he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac’s prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 But the two children struggled with each other in her womb. So she went to ask the Lord about it. “Why is this happening to me?” she asked.
23 And the Lord told her, “The sons in your womb will become two nations. From the very beginning, the two nations will be rivals. One nation will be stronger than the other; and your older son will serve your younger son.”
24 And when the time came to give birth, Rebekah discovered that she did indeed have twins! 25 The first one was very red at birth and covered with thick hair like a fur coat. So they named him Esau.[a] 26 Then the other twin was born with his hand grasping Esau’s heel. So they named him Jacob.[b] Isaac was sixty years old when the twins were born.
Esau Sells His Birthright
27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)
31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”
32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.
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Genesis 25:19-34
New American Standard Bible
Genesis 25:19-34
New American Standard Bible
Isaac’s Sons
19 Now these are the records of (A)the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took (B)Rebekah, the (C)daughter of Bethuel the [a]Aramean of Paddan-aram, the (D)sister of Laban the [b]Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and (E)the Lord [c]answered him, and his wife Rebekah (F)conceived. 22 But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why am I in this condition?” So she went to (G)inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,
“(H)Two nations are in your womb;
(I)And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people will be stronger than the other;
And (J)the older will serve the younger.”
24 When her days leading to the delivery were at an end, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 Now the first came out red, (K)all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with (L)his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so (M)he was named [d]Jacob; and Isaac was (N)sixty years old when she gave birth to them.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field; but Jacob was a [e]civilized man, (O)living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau because [f]he had (P)a taste for game; (Q)but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked a (R)stew one day, Esau came in from the field and he was exhausted; 30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a mouthful of [g]that red stuff there, for I am exhausted.” Therefore he was called [h]Edom by name. 31 But Jacob said, “[i]First sell me your (S)birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “[j]First swear to me”; so he swore an oath to him, and (T)sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and got up and went on his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 25:20 I.e., Syrian
- Genesis 25:20 I.e., Syrian
- Genesis 25:21 Lit was entreated of him
- Genesis 25:26 I.e., one who takes by the heel or supplants
- Genesis 25:27 Lit complete
- Genesis 25:28 Lit game was in his mouth
- Genesis 25:30 Lit the red, this red
- Genesis 25:30 I.e., red
- Genesis 25:31 Lit Today
- Genesis 25:33 Lit Today
Genesis 25:19-34
The Message
Genesis 25:19-34
The Message
Jacob and Esau
19-20 This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21-23 Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren. God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, “If this is the way it’s going to be, why go on living?” She went to God to find out what was going on. God told her,
Two nations are in your womb,
two peoples butting heads while still in your body.
One people will overpower the other,
and the older will serve the younger.
24-26 When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. The first came out reddish, as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau’s heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.
27-28 The boys grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man preferring life indoors among the tents. Isaac loved Esau because he loved his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
29-30 One day Jacob was cooking a stew. Esau came in from the field, starved. Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stew—I’m starved!” That’s how he came to be called Edom (Red).
31 Jacob said, “Make me a trade: my stew for your rights as the firstborn.”
32 Esau said, “I’m starving! What good is a birthright if I’m dead?”
33-34 Jacob said, “First, swear to me.” And he did it. On oath Esau traded away his rights as the firstborn. Jacob gave him bread and the stew of lentils. He ate and drank, got up and left. That’s how Esau shrugged off his rights as the firstborn.
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New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson