Genesis 25:19-27

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob

^19 [a]These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, ²⁰ and Isaac was forty years old when he took to wife Rebekah, the daughter of Bethu′el the Arame′an of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Arame′an. ²¹ And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² The children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is thus, why do I live?”^[b] So she went to inquire of the Lord. ²³ And the Lord said to her,

²⁴ When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵ The first came forth red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they called his name Esau. ²⁶ Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand had taken hold of Esau’s heel; so his name was called Jacob.^[c] Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

²⁷ When the boys grew up, Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.