Genesis 25:21–30

²¹Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²²When the children inside her were struggling with each other, she said, “If it’s like this now, what will become of me?”So she went to ask the Lord. 

²³The Lord said to her, 

“Two countries are in your womb. 

Two nations will go their separate ways from birth. 

One nation will be stronger than the other, 

and the older will serve the younger.” 

²⁴When the time came for her to give birth, she had twins. ²⁵The first one born was red. His whole body was covered with hair, so they named him Esau ^[Hairy^[. ²⁶Afterwards, his brother was born with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, and so he was named Jacob ^[Heel^[. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born. 

²⁷They grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob remained a quiet man, staying around the tents. ²⁸Because Isaac liked to eat the meat of wild animals, he loved Esau. However, Rebekah loved Jacob. 

²⁹Once, Jacob was preparing a meal when Esau, exhausted, came in from outdoors. ³⁰So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me have the whole pot of red stuff to eat—that red stuff—I’m exhausted.” This is why he was called Edom.^c