A Bride for Isaac

24 Now (A)Abraham was old, advanced in age; and the Lord had (B)blessed Abraham in every way. Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household who was in (C)charge of all that he owned, “(D)Please place your hand under my thigh, and I will make you swear by the Lord, (E)the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you (F)shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of (G)the Canaanites, among whom I live; but you will go to (H)my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.” The servant said to him, “Suppose the woman is not willing to follow me to this land; should I take your son back to the land from where you came?” Then Abraham said to him, “(I)Beware that you do not take my son back there! (J)The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me and who swore to me, saying, ‘(K)To your [a]descendants I will give this land’—He will send (L)His angel ahead of you, and you will take a wife for my son from there. But if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you will (M)be free of this oath of mine; (N)only do not take my son back there.” So the servant (O)placed his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master, and went out with a variety of (P)good things of his master’s in his hand; so he set out and went to [b]Mesopotamia, to (Q)the city of Nahor. 11 He made the camels kneel down outside the city by (R)the well of water [c]when it was evening, (S)the time when women go out to draw water. 12 And he said, “(T)Lord, God of my master Abraham, please [d](U)grant me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Behold, (V)I am standing by the [e]spring, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water; 14 now may it be that the young woman to whom I say, ‘Please let down your jar so that I may drink,’ and [f]who answers, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels also’—may she be the one whom You have appointed for Your servant Isaac; and by this I will know that You have shown kindness to my master.”

Rebekah Is Chosen

15 And it came about, (W)before he had finished speaking, that behold, (X)Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of (Y)Milcah, the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with her jar on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was (Z)very beautiful, a virgin; no man had [g]had relations with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came up. 17 Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, “(AA)Please let me drink a little water from your jar.” 18 And (AB)she said, “Drink, my lord”; then she quickly lowered her jar to her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 Now when she had finished giving him a drink, (AC)she said, “I will also draw water for your camels until they have finished drinking.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and she drew for all his camels. 21 (AD)Meanwhile, the man was taking a close look at her [h]in silence, to find out whether the Lord had made his journey successful or not.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took a (AE)gold ring weighing a [i]half-shekel, and two bracelets for her [j]wrists weighing ten shekels in gold, 23 and he said, “Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room for us to stay overnight at your father’s house?” 24 She said to him, “(AF)I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcah’s son, whom she bore to Nahor.” 25 Again she said to him, “We have plenty of both straw and feed, and room to stay overnight.” 26 Then the man (AG)bowed low and worshiped the Lord. 27 And he said, “(AH)Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned (AI)His kindness and His trustworthiness toward my master; as for me, (AJ)the Lord has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers.”

28 Then (AK)the young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was (AL)Laban; and Laban ran outside to the man at the spring. 30 When he saw the ring and the bracelets on his sister’s [k]wrists, and when he heard the words of his sister Rebekah, saying, “[l]This is what the man said to me,” he went to the man; and behold, he was standing by the camels at the spring. 31 And he said, “(AM)Come in, (AN)blessed of the Lord! Why do you stand outside, since (AO)I have prepared the house, and a place for the camels?” 32 So the man entered the house. Then [m](AP)Laban unloaded the camels, and he gave straw and feed to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 But when food was set before him to eat, he said, “I will not eat until I have stated my business.” And he said, “Speak on.” 34 So he said, “I am (AQ)Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has greatly (AR)blessed my master, so that he has become [n]rich; and He has given him (AS)flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and servants and slave women, and camels and donkeys. 36 Now (AT)my master’s wife Sarah bore a son to my master [o]in her old age, and (AU)he has given him all that he has. 37 (AV)My master made me swear, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live; 38 but you shall go to my father’s house and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son.’ 39 Then (AW)I said to my master, ‘Suppose the woman does not follow me.’ 40 And he said to me, ‘(AX)The Lord, before whom I have (AY)walked, will send (AZ)His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives and from my father’s house; 41 (BA)then you will be free from my oath, when you come to my relatives; and if they do not give her to you, you will be free from my oath.’

42 “So (BB)I came today to the spring, and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if now You will make my journey on which I have been going (BC)successful; 43 behold, (BD)I am standing by the [p]spring, and may it be that the [q]young unmarried woman who comes out to draw water, and to whom I say, “(BE)Please let me drink a little water from your jar”; 44 and she says to me, “You drink, and I will draw for your camels also”—let her be the woman whom the Lord has appointed for my master’s son.’

45 “Before I had finished (BF)speaking in my heart, behold, (BG)Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder, and went down to the spring and drew water, and (BH)I said to her, ‘Please let me drink.’ 46 She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder, and said, ‘(BI)Drink, and I will water your camels also’; so I drank, and she watered the camels also. 47 (BJ)Then I asked her, and said, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ And she said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom Milcah bore to him’; and I put the (BK)ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her [r]wrists. 48 And I (BL)bowed low and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, (BM)who had guided me in the right way to take the daughter of my master’s brother for his son. 49 So now if you are going to [s](BN)deal kindly and truthfully with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me now, so that I may turn to the right or the left.”

50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “(BO)The matter has come from the Lord; (BP)so we cannot speak to you bad or good. 51 Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has spoken.”

52 When Abraham’s servant heard their words, he (BQ)bowed himself to the ground [t]before the Lord. 53 And the servant brought out (BR)articles of silver and articles of gold, and garments, and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night. When they got up in the morning, he said, “(BS)Send me away to my master.” 55 But her brother and her mother said, “(BT)Let the young woman stay with us a few days, say ten; afterward she may go.” 56 However, he said to them, “Do not delay me, since (BU)the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my master.” 57 And they said, “We will call the young woman and [u]ask her.” 58 Then they called Rebekah and said to her, “Will you go with this man?” And she said, “I will go.” 59 So they sent away their sister Rebekah and (BV)her nurse with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah and said to her,

“May you, our sister,
(BW)Become thousands of ten thousands,
And may (BX)your [v]descendants possess
The gate of those who hate them.”

61 Then Rebekah got up with her female attendants, and they mounted the camels and followed the man. So the servant took Rebekah and departed.

Isaac Marries Rebekah

62 Now Isaac had come back from [w]a journey to (BY)Beer-lahai-roi; for he was living in (BZ)the [x]Negev. 63 Isaac went out (CA)to [y]meditate in the field toward evening; and (CB)he raised his eyes and looked, and behold, camels were coming. 64 Rebekah raised her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she dismounted from the camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man walking in the field to meet us?” And the servant said, “He is my master.” Then she took her [z]veil and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 Then Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah’s tent, and (CC)he took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and (CD)he loved her; so Isaac was comforted after (CE)his mother’s death.

Abraham’s Death

25 Now Abraham took another wife, [aa]whose name was Keturah. (CF)She bore to him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were the sons of Keturah. (CG)Now Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac; but to the sons of [ab]his concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living, and (CH)sent them away from his son Isaac eastward, to the land of the east.

These are [ac]all the years of Abraham’s life that he lived, (CI)175 years. Abraham breathed his last and died (CJ)at a good old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was (CK)gathered to his people. Then his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in (CL)the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre, 10 (CM)the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth; there Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 It came about after the death of Abraham, that (CN)God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac [ad]lived by (CO)Beer-lahai-roi.

Descendants of Ishmael

12 Now these are the records of the generations of (CP)Ishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave woman, bore to Abraham; 13 and these are the names of (CQ)the sons of Ishmael, by their names, [ae]in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their villages, and by their camps; (CR)twelve princes according to their [af]tribes. 17 These are the years of the life of Ishmael, (CS)137 years; and he breathed his last and died, and was (CT)gathered to his people. 18 They [ag]settled from (CU)Havilah to (CV)Shur which is [ah]east of Egypt [ai]going toward Assyria; (CW)he [aj]settled in defiance of all his relatives.

Isaac’s Sons

19 Now these are the records of (CX)the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham fathered Isaac; 20 and Isaac was forty years old when he took (CY)Rebekah, the (CZ)daughter of Bethuel the [ak]Aramean of Paddan-aram, the (DA)sister of Laban the [al]Aramean, to be his wife. 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children; and (DB)the Lord [am]answered him, and his wife Rebekah (DC)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 (DD)inquire of the Lord. 23 And the Lord said to her,

(DE)Two nations are in your womb;
(DF)And two peoples will be separated from your body;
And one people will be stronger than the other;
And (DG)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, (DH)all over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau. 26 Afterward his brother came out with (DI)his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so (DJ)he was named [an]Jacob; and Isaac was (DK)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 [ao]civilized man, (DL)living in tents. 28 Now Isaac loved Esau because [ap]he had (DM)a taste for game; (DN)but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 When Jacob had cooked a (DO)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 [aq]that red stuff there, for I am exhausted.” Therefore he was called [ar]Edom by name. 31 But Jacob said, “[as]First sell me your (DP)birthright.” 32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?” 33 And Jacob said, “[at]First swear to me”; so he swore an oath to him, and (DQ)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.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:7 Lit seed
  2. Genesis 24:10 Heb Aram-naharaim, Aram of the two rivers
  3. Genesis 24:11 Lit at time of evening
  4. Genesis 24:12 Lit cause to occur for me
  5. Genesis 24:13 Lit fountain of water
  6. Genesis 24:14 Lit she will say
  7. Genesis 24:16 Lit known her
  8. Genesis 24:21 Lit keeping silent
  9. Genesis 24:22 A shekel was about 0.5 oz. or 14 gm
  10. Genesis 24:22 Lit hands
  11. Genesis 24:30 Lit hands
  12. Genesis 24:30 Lit Thus the man
  13. Genesis 24:32 Lit he
  14. Genesis 24:35 Lit great
  15. Genesis 24:36 Lit after she was old
  16. Genesis 24:43 Lit fountain of water
  17. Genesis 24:43 Or virgin
  18. Genesis 24:47 Lit hands
  19. Genesis 24:49 Lit show kindness and truth to
  20. Genesis 24:52 Lit to
  21. Genesis 24:57 Lit ask her mouth
  22. Genesis 24:60 Lit seed
  23. Genesis 24:62 Lit coming to
  24. Genesis 24:62 I.e., South country
  25. Genesis 24:63 Or stroll; meaning uncertain
  26. Genesis 24:65 Or shawl
  27. Genesis 25:1 Lit and her name
  28. Genesis 25:6 Lit concubines which belonged to Abraham
  29. Genesis 25:7 Lit the days of
  30. Genesis 25:11 Lit dwelt
  31. Genesis 25:13 Lit in regard to their generations
  32. Genesis 25:16 Or peoples
  33. Genesis 25:18 Lit dwelt
  34. Genesis 25:18 Lit before
  35. Genesis 25:18 Lit as you go
  36. Genesis 25:18 Lit fell over against
  37. Genesis 25:20 I.e., Syrian
  38. Genesis 25:20 I.e., Syrian
  39. Genesis 25:21 Lit was entreated of him
  40. Genesis 25:26 I.e., one who takes by the heel or supplants
  41. Genesis 25:27 Lit complete
  42. Genesis 25:28 Lit game was in his mouth
  43. Genesis 25:30 Lit the red, this red
  44. Genesis 25:30 I.e., red
  45. Genesis 25:31 Lit Today
  46. Genesis 25:33 Lit Today

Isaac and Rebekah

24 Abraham was now very old,(A) and the Lord had blessed(B) him in every way.(C) He said to the senior servant(D) in his household, the one in charge of all that he had,(E) “Put your hand under my thigh.(F) I want you to swear(G) by the Lord, the God of heaven(H) and the God of earth,(I) that you will not get a wife for my son(J) from the daughters of the Canaanites,(K) among whom I am living,(L) but will go to my country and my own relatives(M) and get a wife for my son Isaac.(N)

The servant asked him, “What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land?(O) Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?(P)

“Make sure that you do not take my son back there,”(Q) Abraham said. “The Lord, the God of heaven,(R) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land(S) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[a](T) I will give this land’(U)—he will send his angel before you(V) so that you can get a wife for my son from there. If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath(W) of mine. Only do not take my son back there.”(X) So the servant put his hand under the thigh(Y) of his master(Z) Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant left, taking with him ten of his master’s camels(AA) loaded with all kinds of good things(AB) from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim[b](AC) and made his way to the town of Nahor.(AD) 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well(AE) outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.(AF)

12 Then he prayed, “Lord, God of my master Abraham,(AG) make me successful(AH) today, and show kindness(AI) to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water.(AJ) 14 May it be that when I say to a young woman, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink,(AK) and I’ll water your camels too’(AL)—let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac.(AM) By this I will know(AN) that you have shown kindness to my master.”

15 Before he had finished praying,(AO) Rebekah(AP) came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel(AQ) son of Milkah,(AR) who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor.(AS) 16 The woman was very beautiful,(AT) a virgin;(AU) no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”(AV)

18 “Drink,(AW) my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels(AX) too,(AY) until they have had enough to drink.” 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.(AZ) 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful.(BA)

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring(BB) weighing a beka[c] and two gold bracelets(BC) weighing ten shekels.[d] 23 Then he asked, “Whose daughter are you?(BD) Please tell me, is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?(BE)

24 She answered him, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milkah bore to Nahor.(BF) 25 And she added, “We have plenty of straw and fodder,(BG) as well as room for you to spend the night.”

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the Lord,(BH) 27 saying, “Praise be to the Lord,(BI) the God of my master Abraham,(BJ) who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness(BK) to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey(BL) to the house of my master’s relatives.”(BM)

28 The young woman ran and told her mother’s household about these things.(BN) 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban,(BO) and he hurried out to the man at the spring. 30 As soon as he had seen the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s arms,(BP) and had heard Rebekah tell what the man said to her, he went out to the man and found him standing by the camels near the spring. 31 “Come, you who are blessed by the Lord,”(BQ) he said. “Why are you standing out here? I have prepared the house and a place for the camels.”

32 So the man went to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and fodder(BR) were brought for the camels, and water for him and his men to wash their feet.(BS) 33 Then food was set before him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have told you what I have to say.”

“Then tell us,” Laban said.

34 So he said, “I am Abraham’s servant.(BT) 35 The Lord has blessed(BU) my master abundantly,(BV) and he has become wealthy.(BW) He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.(BX) 36 My master’s wife Sarah has borne him a son in her old age,(BY) and he has given him everything he owns.(BZ) 37 And my master made me swear an oath,(CA) and said, ‘You must not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I live,(CB) 38 but go to my father’s family and to my own clan, and get a wife for my son.’(CC)

39 “Then I asked my master, ‘What if the woman will not come back with me?’(CD)

40 “He replied, ‘The Lord, before whom I have walked faithfully,(CE) will send his angel with you(CF) and make your journey a success,(CG) so that you can get a wife for my son from my own clan and from my father’s family.(CH) 41 You will be released from my oath if, when you go to my clan, they refuse to give her to you—then you will be released from my oath.’(CI)

42 “When I came to the spring today, I said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you will, please grant success(CJ) to the journey on which I have come. 43 See, I am standing beside this spring.(CK) If a young woman(CL) comes out to draw water and I say to her, “Please let me drink a little water from your jar,”(CM) 44 and if she says to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too,” let her be the one the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’(CN)

45 “Before I finished praying in my heart,(CO) Rebekah came out, with her jar on her shoulder.(CP) She went down to the spring and drew water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’(CQ)

46 “She quickly lowered her jar from her shoulder and said, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too.’(CR) So I drank, and she watered the camels also.(CS)

47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’(CT)

“She said, ‘The daughter of Bethuel(CU) son of Nahor, whom Milkah bore to him.’(CV)

“Then I put the ring in her nose(CW) and the bracelets on her arms,(CX) 48 and I bowed down and worshiped the Lord.(CY) I praised the Lord, the God of my master Abraham,(CZ) who had led me on the right road to get the granddaughter of my master’s brother for his son.(DA) 49 Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness(DB) to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”

50 Laban and Bethuel(DC) answered, “This is from the Lord;(DD) we can say nothing to you one way or the other.(DE) 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go, and let her become the wife of your master’s son, as the Lord has directed.(DF)

52 When Abraham’s servant heard what they said, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.(DG) 53 Then the servant brought out gold and silver jewelry and articles of clothing(DH) and gave them to Rebekah; he also gave costly gifts(DI) to her brother and to her mother. 54 Then he and the men who were with him ate and drank and spent the night there.

When they got up the next morning, he said, “Send me on my way(DJ) to my master.”

55 But her brother and her mother replied, “Let the young woman remain with us ten days or so;(DK) then you[e] may go.”

56 But he said to them, “Do not detain me, now that the Lord has granted success(DL) to my journey. Send me on my way(DM) so I may go to my master.”

57 Then they said, “Let’s call the young woman and ask her about it.”(DN) 58 So they called Rebekah and asked her, “Will you go with this man?”

“I will go,”(DO) she said.

59 So they sent their sister Rebekah on her way,(DP) along with her nurse(DQ) and Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 And they blessed(DR) Rebekah and said to her,

“Our sister, may you increase
    to thousands upon thousands;(DS)
may your offspring possess
    the cities of their enemies.”(DT)

61 Then Rebekah and her attendants(DU) got ready and mounted the camels and went back with the man. So the servant took Rebekah and left.

62 Now Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi,(DV) for he was living in the Negev.(DW) 63 He went out to the field one evening to meditate,[f](DX) and as he looked up,(DY) he saw camels approaching. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel(DZ) 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”

“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil(EA) and covered herself.

66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent(EB) of his mother Sarah,(EC) and he married Rebekah.(ED) So she became his wife, and he loved her;(EE) and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.(EF)

The Death of Abraham(EG)

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. She bore him Zimran,(EH) Jokshan, Medan, Midian,(EI) Ishbak and Shuah.(EJ) Jokshan was the father of Sheba(EK) and Dedan;(EL) the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. The sons of Midian were Ephah,(EM) Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.(EN) But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines(EO) and sent them away from his son Isaac(EP) to the land of the east.(EQ)

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.(ER) Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,(ES) an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.(ET) His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him(EU) in the cave of Machpelah(EV) near Mamre,(EW) in the field of Ephron(EX) son of Zohar the Hittite,(EY) 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.[g](EZ) There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,(FA) who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.(FB)

Ishmael’s Sons(FC)

12 This is the account(FD) of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar(FE) the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.(FF)

13 These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth(FG) the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,(FH) Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah,(FI) Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,(FJ) Jetur,(FK) Naphish and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers(FL) according to their settlements and camps.(FM) 17 Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.(FN) 18 His descendants(FO) settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,(FP) near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward[h] all the tribes related to them.(FQ)

Jacob and Esau

19 This is the account(FR) of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, 20 and Isaac was forty years old(FS) when he married Rebekah(FT) daughter of Bethuel(FU) the Aramean from Paddan Aram[i](FV) and sister of Laban(FW) the Aramean.(FX)

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.(FY) The Lord answered his prayer,(FZ) 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.(GA)

23 The Lord said to her,

“Two nations(GB) 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.(GC)

24 When the time came for her to give birth,(GD) there were twin boys in her womb.(GE) 25 The first to come out was red,(GF) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;(GG) so they named him Esau.[j](GH) 26 After this, his brother came out,(GI) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;(GJ) so he was named Jacob.[k](GK) Isaac was sixty years old(GL) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

27 The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,(GM) a man of the open country,(GN) while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. 28 Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,(GO) loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.(GP)

29 Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,(GQ) Esau came in from the open country,(GR) famished. 30 He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!(GS) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.[l])(GT)

31 Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.(GU)

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

33 But Jacob said, “Swear(GV) to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright(GW) to Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.(GX) He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:7 Or seed
  2. Genesis 24:10 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  3. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 1/5 ounce or about 5.7 grams
  4. Genesis 24:22 That is, about 4 ounces or about 115 grams
  5. Genesis 24:55 Or she
  6. Genesis 24:63 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  7. Genesis 25:10 Or the descendants of Heth
  8. Genesis 25:18 Or lived to the east of
  9. Genesis 25:20 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  10. Genesis 25:25 Esau may mean hairy.
  11. Genesis 25:26 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he deceives.
  12. Genesis 25:30 Edom means red.