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Abraham’s Other Wife and Sons

25 Abraham had taken[a] another wife, whose name was Keturah,(A) and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s sons were the Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. And Midian’s sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah. Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.(B) But Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, and while he was still alive he sent them eastwards, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the East.(C)

Abraham’s Death

This is the length of Abraham’s life:[b] 175 years. He took his last breath and died at a good old age,(D) old and contented,[c] and he was gathered to his people.(E) His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah(F) near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hethite. 10 This was the field that Abraham bought from the Hethites.(G) Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.(H)

Ishmael’s Family Records

12 These are the family records(I) of Abraham’s son Ishmael,(J) whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham. 13 These are the names of Ishmael’s sons; their names according to the family records are Nebaioth, Ishmael’s firstborn, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are Ishmael’s sons, and these are their names by their settlements and encampments: twelve leaders[d](K) of their clans.[e] 17 This is the length[f] of Ishmael’s life: 137 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people. 18 And they[g] settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you go towards Asshur.[h] He[i] stayed near[j] all his relatives.(L)

The Birth of Jacob and Esau

19 These are the family records of Isaac son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac.(M) 20 Isaac was forty years old when he took as his wife Rebekah(N) daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram(O) and sister of Laban the Aramean.(P) 21 Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless.(Q) The Lord was receptive to his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.(R) 22 But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me? ’[k] So she went to enquire of the Lord.(S) 23 And the Lord said to her:

Two nations are in your womb;
two peoples will come from you and be separated.
One people will be stronger than the other,(T)
and the elder will serve the younger.(U)

24 When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb. 25 The first one came out red-looking,[l] covered with hair[m] like a fur coat, and they named him Esau.(V) 26 After this, his brother came out grasping Esau’s heel with his hand.(W) So he was named Jacob.[n](X) Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Esau Sells His Birthright

27 When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman,[o] but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.[p] 28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.(Y)

29 Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field exhausted. 30 He said to Jacob, ‘Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I’m exhausted.’ That is why he was also named Edom.[q]

31 Jacob replied, ‘First sell me your birthright.’

32 ‘Look,’ said Esau, ‘I’m about to die, so what good is a birthright to me? ’

33 Jacob said, ‘Swear to me first.’ So he swore to Jacob and sold his birthright to him. 34 Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 25:1 Or Abraham took
  2. 25:7 Lit And these are the days of the years of the life of Abraham that he lived
  3. 25:8 Sam, LXX, Syr read full of days
  4. 25:16 Or chieftains
  5. 25:16 Or peoples
  6. 25:17 Lit And these are the years
  7. 25:18 LXX, Vg read he
  8. 25:18 Or Assyria
  9. 25:18 = Ishmael and his descendants
  10. 25:18 Or He settled down alongside of
  11. 25:22 Lit said, ‘If thus, why this I? ’
  12. 25:25 In Hb, red-looking sounds like ‘Edom’; Gn 32:3.
  13. 25:25 In Hb, hair sounds like ‘Seir’; Gn 32:3.
  14. 25:26 = He Grasps the Heel
  15. 25:27 Lit a man of the field
  16. 25:27 Lit man living in tents
  17. 25:30 = Red

25 And Abraham married another wife, named Cetura:

Who bore him Zamran, and Jecsan, and Madan, and Madian, and Jesboc, and Sue.

Jecsan also begot Saba and Dadan. The children of Dadan were Assurim, and Latusim, and Loomin.

But of Madian was born Epha, and Opher, and Henoch, and Abida, and Eldaa: all these were the children of Cetura.

And Abraham gave all his possessions to Isaac.

And to the children of the concubines he gave gifts, and separated them from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, to the east country.

And the days of Abraham's life were a hundred and seventy-five years.

And decaying he died in a good old age, and having lived a long time, and being full of days: and was gathered to his people.

And Isaac and Ismael his sons buried him in the double cave, which was situated in the field of Ephron the son of Seor the Hethite, over against Mambre;

10 Which he had bought of the children of Heth: there was he buried, and Sara his wife.

11 And after his death, God blessed Isaac his son, who dwelt by the well named Of the living and seeing.

12 These are the generations of Ismael the son of Abraham, whom Agar the Egyptian, Sara's servant, bore unto him:

13 And these are the names of his children according to their calling and generations. The firstborn of Ismael was Nabajoth, then Cedar, and Adbeel, and Mabsam.

14 And Masma, and Duma, and Massa,

15 Hadar, and Thema, and Jethur, and Naphis, and Cedma.

16 These are the sons of Ismael: and these are their names by their castles and towns, twelve princes of their tribes.

17 And the years of Ismael's life were a hundred and thirty-seven, and decaying he died, and was gathered unto his people.

18 And he dwelt from Hevila as far as Sur, which looketh towards Egypt, to them that go towards the Assyrians. He died in the presence of all his brethren.

19 These also are the generations of Isaac the son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac:

20 Who when he was forty years old, took to wife Rebecca the daughter of Bathuel the Syrian of Mesopotamia, sister to Laban.

21 And Isaac besought the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and he heard him, and made Rebecca to conceive.

22 But the children struggled in her womb: and she said: If it were to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? And she went to consult the Lord.

23 And he answering said: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

24 And when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were found in her womb.

25 He that came forth first was red, and hairy like a skin: and his name was called Esau. Immediately the other coming forth, held his brother's foot in his hand, and therefore he was called Jacob.

26 Isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto him.

27 And when they were grown up, Esau became a skillful hunter, and a husbandman, but Jacob a plain man dwelt in tents.

28 Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his hunting: and Rebecca loved Jacob.

29 And Jacob boiled pottage: to whom Esau, coming faint out of the field,

30 Said: Give me of this red pottage, for I am exceeding faint. For which reason his name was called Edom.

31 And Jacob said to him: Sell me thy first birthright.

32 He answered: Lo I die, what will the first birthright avail me?

33 Jacob said: Swear therefore to me. Esau swore to him, and sold his first birthright.

34 And so taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and drank, and went his way; making little account of having sold his first birthright.