Genesis 25:19–34

The Birth of Esau and Jacob

¹⁹These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: ^eAbraham fathered Isaac, ²⁰and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, ^fthe daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of ^gPaddan-aram, ^hthe sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. ²¹And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And ⁱthe Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived. ²²The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?”² So she went ^jto inquire of the Lord. ²³And the Lord said to her,

^k“Two nations are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you³ shall be divided;

^lthe one shall be stronger than the other,

^mthe older shall serve the younger.”

²⁴When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb. ²⁵The first came out red, ⁿall his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau. ²⁶Afterward his brother came out with ^ohis hand holding Esau’s heel, so ^phis name was called Jacob.⁴ Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

²⁷When the boys grew up, Esau was ^qa skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, ^rdwelling in tents. ²⁸Isaac loved Esau because ^she ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Esau Sells His Birthright

²⁹Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. ³⁰And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.⁵) ³¹Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” ³²Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” ³³Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and ^tsold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.