²¹ Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^(A) The Lord answered his prayer,^(B) 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.^(C)

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ When the time came for her to give birth,^(F) there were twin boys in her womb.^{(G) 25} The first to come out was red,^(H) and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^(I) so they named him Esau.^{[a](J) 26} After this, his brother came out,^(K) with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^(L) so he was named Jacob.^[b](M) Isaac was sixty years old^(N) when Rebekah gave birth to them.

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

²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,^(S) Esau came in from the open country,^(T) famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!^(U) I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.^[c])^(V)