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25
1 Abraham married another wife; her name was Keturah. 2 She had the following sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Asshurites, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were all descendants of Keturah.
5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still alive, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them to live in the east, well away from Isaac.
7 Abraham lived to be 175 8 when he breathed his last and died at a good old age. He had lived a full life, and now he joined his forefathers in death. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field that had belonged to Ephron, son of Zohar, the Hittite. 10 This was the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who was living near Beer-lahai-roi.
12 This is the genealogy of Abraham's son Ishmael. His mother Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian slave. 13 These were the names of the sons of Ishmael according to their family genealogy: Nebaioth (firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These were the sons of Ishmael, and these became the names of the places where they lived and camped—the twelve family rulers of their tribes. 17 Ishmael lived to be 137. Then he breathed his last and died, and joined his forefathers in death. 18 Ishmael's descendants inhabited the region from Havilah to Shur, near the border of Egypt in the direction of Asshur. They were forever fighting with one other.* The Hebrew of this verse is unclear. However, see 16:12.
19 The following is the genealogy of Abraham's son Isaac. Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20 When Isaac was 40 he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram and the sister of Laban the Aramean.
21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for help on behalf of his wife because she couldn't have children. The Lord answered his prayer and she became pregnant. 22 The twin babies inside her struggled with each other. So she asked the Lord, “Why is this happening to me?”
23 “You have two nations inside you,” the Lord replied. “You're going to give birth to two peoples who will compete against each other. One will be stronger than the other; the older one will be the servant of the younger one.”
24 When the time came she gave birth to twins. 25 The first baby to be born was red, and covered with hair like a coat. So they named him Esau.† Esau sounds like the word for “hair.” 26 Then his twin brother was born, holding on to Esau's heel. So he was named Jacob.‡ Jacob sounds like the words “heel” or “deceiver.” Isaac was 60 when they were born.
27 The boys grew up and Esau became a skilled hunter, at home in the countryside. Jacob was quiet and liked to stay at home in the tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he brought him tasty wild game to eat, while Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day Jacob was cooking some stew when Esau got back from the countryside, tired out and starving hungry. 30 “Give me some of that red stew,” Esau told Jacob. “I'm absolutely starving!” (That's how Esau got his other name, “Edom,” meaning “red.”)
31 “First sell me your rights as the firstborn son,” Jacob replied.
32 “Look! I'm dying here! What use are the rights of the firstborn to me?” Esau declared.
33 “First you have to swear to me,” Jacob demanded. So Esau swore an oath selling his rights of the firstborn to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then he got up and left. By doing this Esau showed how little he cared for his rights as the firstborn son.

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*25:18 The Hebrew of this verse is unclear. However, see 16:12.

†25:25 Esau sounds like the word for “hair.”

‡25:26 Jacob sounds like the words “heel” or “deceiver.”

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher