Genesis 25:19–34

Isaac’s Sons

¹⁹Now these are the records of ^athe generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham ¹became the father of Isaac;

²⁰and Isaac was forty years old when he took ^aRebekah, the ^bdaughter of Bethuel the ¹Aramean of Paddan-aram, the ^csister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.

²¹Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and ^athe Lord ¹answered him and Rebekah his wife ^bconceived.

²²But the children struggled together within her; and she said, “If it is so, why then am I this way?” So she went to ^ainquire of the Lord.

²³The Lord said to her,

“^aTwo nations are in your womb;

^bAnd two peoples will be separated from your body;

And one people shall be stronger than the other;

And ^cthe older shall serve the younger.”

²⁴When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

²⁵Now the first came forth red, ^aall over like a hairy garment; and they named him Esau.

²⁶Afterward his brother came forth with ^ahis hand holding on to Esau’s heel, so ^bhis name was called ¹Jacob; and Isaac was ^csixty years old when she gave birth to them.

²⁷When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the field, but Jacob was a ¹peaceful man, ^2aliving in tents.

²⁸Now Isaac loved Esau, because ¹he had ^aa taste for game, ^bbut Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹When Jacob had cooked ^astew, Esau came in from the field and he was ¹famished;

³⁰and Esau said to Jacob, “Please let me have a swallow of ¹that red stuff there, for I am ²famished.” Therefore his name was called ³Edom.

³¹But Jacob said, “¹First sell me your ^abirthright.”

³²Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die; so of what use then is the birthright to me?”

³³And Jacob said, “¹First swear to me”; so he swore to him, and ^asold his birthright to Jacob.

³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and rose and went on his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.