OEB GEN Chapter 25

Geneaology, Abraham’s death

Students

25 Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah. 2 She gave him sons: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan fathered Sheba, and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim; 4 and the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

5 Abraham had left all that he had to Isaac. 6 But to the sons of his concubines, Abraham had given gifts while he was still alive, and had sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward, to the east country.

7 Abraham had lived for one hundred and seventy-five years, 8 when he breathed his last, dying in a good old age, old and satisfied with living, and was gathered to his forefathers.

9 Then Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is east of Mamre, 10 the field which Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with Sarah his wife.

11 After the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son, who settled at Beer-lahai-roi.

12 This is a list of descedents of Ishmael, Abraham’s son whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maid-servant gave to Abraham. 13 These then are the names of the sons of Ishmael, named according to their order of birth: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16 These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments, twelve princes according to their peoples.

17 Ishmael lived for one hundred and thirty-seven years; and he breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. 18 They settled from Havilah to Shur that is east of Egypt, as far as Assyria; he settled down alongside all his people.

19 These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son. Abraham fathered Isaac. 20 Isaac was forty years old, when he married Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean.

Esau and Jacob

Childrens

21 Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she had no children; and the Lord heard his prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins. 22 The children struggled against each other in her womb, and she said, ‘Why is this happening to me? What does it mean?’ She went to ask the Lord, 23 who said to her,

‘Two nations are in your womb,

two peoples divided from birth,

One will be stronger than the other,

the elder will serve the younger.’

24 When the time came for her to give birth, she became the mother of twin boys. 25 The first was from birth red, all over like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau[fn]. 26 Afterwards his brother came holding Esau’s heel with his hand; so he was named Jacob[fn]. Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

27 As they grew up, Esau became a skilful hunter, a man who lived out in the fields; but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed about the tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau, for he had a taste for venison; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

29 Once when Jacob was preparing a stew, Esau came in from the fields, and he was very hungry; 30 so he said to Jacob, ‘Let me swallow some of that red stew, for I am very hungry.’ (This is why he was called Edom.) 31 But Jacob said, ‘Sell me first of all your right as the eldest.’ 32 Esau replied, ‘See, I am nearly dead now! So of what use is this birthright to me?’ 33 Jacob said, ‘First solemnly promise to give it to me.’ So Esau solemnly promised and sold his birthright to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and stewed lentils, and when he had finished eating and drinking, he got up and went away. In this way Esau gave away his birthright.