Genesis 25:19-34

Evangelical Heritage Version

The Family of Isaac

¹⁹ This is the account about the development of the family of Isaac, Abraham’s son.

Abraham became the father of Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel, an Aramean from Paddan Aram, and the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. ²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. The Lord answered his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²² The children fought with each other inside her. She said, “What is this? Why is this happening to me?” She went to inquire of the Lord.

²³ The Lord said to her:

²⁴ When it was time for her to give birth, it was true: There were twins in her womb. ²⁵ The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau.^{[a] 26} After that, his brother came out, with his hand grabbing Esau’s heel. So he was named Jacob.^[b] Isaac was sixty years old when she gave birth to them.

²⁷ The boys grew up. Esau was a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed home among the tents. ²⁸ Now Isaac loved Esau more, because he ate Esau’s wild game. Rebekah loved Jacob. ²⁹ Once Jacob was cooking stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was starving. ³⁰ Esau said to Jacob, “Come on, let me eat some of that red stew, that red stew there, because I am starving.” (That is why Esau was also called Edom.^[c])

³¹ Jacob said, “First, sell me your right as the firstborn.”

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

³³ Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”

So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ Jacob gave Esau bread and a stew made of lentils. Esau ate and drank, got up, and went on his way. So Esau treated his birthright as if it was worthless.