¹⁶ when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love.^(A)

² and though Judah^(A) was the strongest of his brothers and a ruler^(B) came from him, the rights of the firstborn^(C) belonged to Joseph)—

¹⁶ See that no one is sexually immoral,^(A) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.^{(B) 17} Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears,^(C) he could not change what he had done.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

²⁹ For those God foreknew^(A) he also predestined^(B) to be conformed to the image of his Son,^(C) that he might be the firstborn^(D) among many brothers and sisters.

³ Their father had given them many gifts^(A) of silver and gold and articles of value, as well as fortified cities^(B) in Judah, but he had given the kingdom to Jehoram because he was his firstborn son.

¹⁹ She bore him sons: Jeush, Shemariah and Zaham. ²⁰ Then he married Maakah^(A) daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah,^(B) Attai, Ziza and Shelomith. ²¹ Rehoboam loved Maakah daughter of Absalom more than any of his other wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives^(C) and sixty concubines, twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.

²² Rehoboam appointed Abijah^(D) son of Maakah as crown prince among his brothers, in order to make him king.