Genesis 25

The Death of Abraham

25:1–4pp—1Ch 1:32–33

25Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. ²She bore him Zimran,^c Jokshan, Medan, Midian,^d Ishbak and Shuah.^{e 3}Jokshan was the father of Sheba^f and Dedan;^g the descendants of Dedan were the Ashurites, the Letushites and the Leummites. ⁴The sons of Midian were Ephah,^h Epher, Hanok, Abida and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

⁵Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac.^{i 6}But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines^j and sent them away from his son Isaac^k to the land of the east.^l

⁷Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.^{m 8}Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age,ⁿ an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.^{o 9}His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him^p in the cave of Machpelah^q near Mamre,^r in the field of Ephron^s son of Zohar the Hittite,^{t 10}the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites.^au There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. ¹¹After Abraham’s death, God blessed his son Isaac,^v who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.^w

Ishmael’s Sons

25:12–16pp—1Ch 1:29–31

¹²This is the account^x of the family line of Abraham’s son Ishmael, whom Sarah’s slave, Hagar^y the Egyptian, bore to Abraham.^z

¹³These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth^a the firstborn of Ishmael, Kedar,^b Adbeel, Mibsam, ¹⁴Mishma, Dumah,^c Massa, ¹⁵Hadad, Tema,^d Jetur,^e Naphish and Kedemah. ¹⁶These were the sons of Ishmael, and these are the names of the twelve tribal rulers^f according to their settlements and camps.^{g 17}Ishmael lived a hundred and thirty-seven years. He breathed his last and died, and he was gathered to his people.^{h 18}His descendantsⁱ settled in the area from Havilah to Shur,^j near the eastern border of Egypt, as you go toward Ashur. And they lived in hostility toward^b all the tribes related to them.^k

Jacob and Esau

¹⁹This is the account^l of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham became the father of Isaac, ²⁰and Isaac was forty years old^m when he married Rebekahⁿ daughter of Bethuel^o the Aramean from Paddan Aram^cp and sister of Laban^q the Aramean.^r

²¹Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless.^s The Lord answered his prayer,^t and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²²The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.^u

²³The Lord said to her,

“Two nations^v are in your womb,

and two peoples from within you will be separated;

one people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.^w”

²⁴When the time came for her to give birth,^x there were twin boys in her womb.^{y 25}The first to come out was red,^z and his whole body was like a hairy garment;^a so they named him Esau.^{db 26}After this, his brother came out,^c with his hand grasping Esau’s heel;^d so he was named Jacob.^ee Isaac was sixty years old^f when Rebekah gave birth to them.

²⁷The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter,^g a man of the open country,^h while Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸Isaac, who had a taste for wild game,ⁱ loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.^j

²⁹Once when Jacob was cooking some stew,^k Esau came in from the open country,^l famished. ³⁰He said to Jacob, “Quick, let me have some of that red stew!^m I’m famished!” (That is why he was also called Edom.^f)ⁿ

³¹Jacob replied, “First sell me your birthright.^o”

³²“Look, I am about to die,” Esau said. “What good is the birthright to me?”

³³But Jacob said, “Swear^p to me first.” So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright^q to Jacob.

³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew.^r He ate and drank, and then got up and left.

So Esau despised his birthright.