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.
Esau Sells His Birthright
29 Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted.
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And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted! ” (Therefore his name was called Edom. )
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Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now. ”
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Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me? ”
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Jacob said, “Swear to me now. ” So he swore to him and
16sold his birthright to Jacob.
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Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.