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.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:20 I.e., Syrian
  2. Genesis 25:20 I.e., Syrian
  3. Genesis 25:21 Lit was entreated of him
  4. Genesis 25:26 I.e., one who takes by the heel or supplants

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.

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Footnotes

  1. 25:25 Esau sounds like a Hebrew term that means “hair.”
  2. 25:26 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel” and “deceiver.”