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Jacob and Esau

19 Now these are the generations[a] of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac, 20 And Isaac was forty years old[b] when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-Aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, as his wife. 21 And Isaac prayed to Yahweh on behalf of his wife, for she was barren. And Yahweh responded to his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22 And the children in her womb jostled each other, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, why be pregnant?”[c] And she went to inquire of Yahweh. 23 And Yahweh said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from birth[d] shall be divided. And one people shall be stronger than the other.[e] And the elder shall serve the younger.” 24 And when her days to give birth were completed,[f] then—behold—twins were in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all his body[g] was like a hairy coat, so they called his name Esau. 26 And afterward his brother came out, and his hand grasped the heel of Esau, so his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was sixty years old[h] at their birth.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:19 Or “family records”
  2. Genesis 25:20 Literally “a son of forty years”
  3. Genesis 25:22 Literally “if so, why this I?”
  4. Genesis 25:23 Literally “from your bowels”
  5. Genesis 25:23 Literally “people than people shall be stronger”
  6. Genesis 25:24 Or “full”
  7. Genesis 25:25 Literally “of him”
  8. Genesis 25:26 Literally “a son of sixty years”

The Births of Esau and Jacob

19 This is the account of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham fathered Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old when he married[a] Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean[b] from Paddan-aram[c] and sister of Laban the Aramean.[d] 21 Later, Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, since she was unable to conceive children, and the Lord responded to him—his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

22 But when the infants[e] kept on wrestling each other inside her womb,[f] she asked herself, “Why is this happening?”[g] So she asked the Lord for an explanation.[h]

23 “Two nations[i] are in your womb,” the Lord responded, “and two separate people will emerge. One people will be the stronger, and the older one will serve the younger.”

24 Sure enough, when her due date arrived, she delivered twin sons.[j] 25 The first son came out reddish—his entire body was covered with hair—so they named him Esau.[k] 26 After that, his brother came out with his hand clutching Esau’s heel, so they named him Jacob.[l] Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 25:20 Lit. took
  2. Genesis 25:20 In later centuries this region would be called Syria
  3. Genesis 25:20 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia
  4. Genesis 25:20 In later centuries this region would be called Syria
  5. Genesis 25:22 Lit. sons
  6. Genesis 25:22 Or within her
  7. Genesis 25:22 Lit. If so . . . why this I?
  8. Genesis 25:22 The Heb. lacks for an explanation
  9. Genesis 25:23 Or two infants
  10. Genesis 25:24 Lit. twins from her womb
  11. Genesis 25:25 The Heb. name Esau means hairy
  12. Genesis 25:26 The Heb. name Jacob means heel grabber