The Birth of Esau and Jacob
19 These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son:
1Abraham fathered Isaac,
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and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah,
2the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of
3Paddan-aram,
4the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife.
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And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And
5the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
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The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me? ” So she went
6to inquire of the Lord.
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And the Lord said to her,
7“Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided;
8the one shall be stronger than the other,
9the older shall serve the younger. ”
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When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb.
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The first came out red,
10all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau.
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Afterward his brother came out with
11his hand holding Esau’s heel, so
12his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
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When the boys grew up, Esau was
13a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man,
14dwelling in tents.
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Isaac loved Esau because
15he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.