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Esau Sells His Birthright

27 As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperament, preferring to stay at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating the wild game Esau brought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 One day when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. 30 Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red.”)

31 “All right,” Jacob replied, “but trade me your rights as the firstborn son.”

32 “Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”

33 But Jacob said, “First you must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.

34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then got up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn.

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27 And the boys grew up. And Esau was a skilled[a] hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a peaceful man, living in tents. 28 And Isaac loved Esau because he could eat of his game,[b] but Rebekah loved Jacob. 29 Once[c] Jacob cooked a thick stew, and Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. 30 And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuff[d] to gulp down, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom). 31 Then Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright first.”[e] 32 And Esau said, “Look, I am going to die; now what is this birthright to me?” 33 Then Jacob said, “Swear to me first.”[f] And he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread, and thick lentil stew, and he ate and drank. Then he got up and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:27 Or “knowing” (knowledgeable)
  2. Genesis 25:28 Literally “game in his mouth”
  3. Genesis 25:29 Or “and”
  4. Genesis 25:30 Literally “some of the red, this red”
  5. Genesis 25:31 Literally “as the day”
  6. Genesis 25:33 Literally “as the day”