27 As the boys grew up, Esaw got good at hunting, a man of the outdoors, but Yacob was a quiet man who stayed around the tents. 28 Yitshak liked the taste of game meat so he loved Esaw, but Rebekah loved Yacob.

29 One day, Yacob was cooking some stew when Esaw arrived home from being out, and he was very hungry 30 and asked Yacob, “Can I have some of that red stuff because I’m starving.” (Esaw’s nickname became ‘Edom’, meaning ‘red’, because of that.)

31 “Well, today,” Yacob answered, “sell me your future inheritance.”

32 “Listen, I’m dying of starvation,” said Esaw, “so what use would a future inheritance be to me?”

33 “Well now, make a vow to me,” insisted Yacob.[ref]

So Esaw promised him, effectively selling his future inheritance to Yacob, 34 and Yacob gave him some of the lentil stew and some bread. So Esaw ate and drank and left again, thus despising his own inheritance as firstborn son.

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We have heard from Yahweh and a messenger has been sent to the nations, telling them:

Get everything ready then go into battle against Edom.

2 And Yahweh says to Edom:

Listen,

I will make you into an insignificant nation.

≈You’ll become utterly despised.

3 Your inner pride has deceived you,

you who live on the rocky cliffs,

≈with your homes up there so high.

You say to yourselves that

no one can bring you down to the ground.

4 If you go up high like an eagle,

≈even if your nest was up between the stars,

Yahweh declares that his command can bring you down from there.

5 If it was thieves who came to destroy you in the night,

(and yes, you’re going to be destroyed)

they would only steal what they wanted.

Or if it was grape-pickers who came to you,

at least they’d leave behind the smaller grapes.

6 How Esau’s descendants will be looted.

≈Their hidden treasures will be found and taken.

7 Those who have treaties with you will force you to the border.

≈Those who talk about peace will deceive you.

≈Those who eat meals with you will set a trap for you.

You have no idea what’s about to hit you.

8 Yahweh will make a declaration on that day.

The wise people of Edom will be destroyed.

≈Understanding will disappear from Esau’s hill.

9 And you the city of Teyman, your warriors will be shattered,

≈so that everyone from Esau’s hill country will be slaughtered.

10 Because of your violence against your brother Yacob’s descendants,

shame will overcome you,

and you’ll be destroyed forever.

11 You just stood and watched on that day when strangers carried away their wealth.

≈When foreigners entered their gates and took possession of Yerushalem, you wished it was you doing that.

12 You shouldn’t have gloated over your cousins on the day of their misfortune.

≈And you shouldn’t have celebrated about the destruction of the people of Yehudah.

You shouldn’t have bragged in their time of distress.

13 You shouldn’t have gone into their city at the time of their calamity.

You shouldn’t have gloated—yes, you—over their misery in their time of disaster.

And you women shouldn’t have grabbed their wealth on the day of their catastrophe.

14 You shouldn’t have stood at the crossroads to kill those trying to escape,[ref]

And you shouldn’t have handed-over any survivors that you’d captured in their time of trouble.

2 “I have loved you all,” says Yahweh, but you say, “How have you shown your love for us?”

“Wasn’t Esaw Yacob’s brother?” declares Yahweh. “Yet I’ve loved Yacob[ref] 3 and rejected Esaw. I’ve turned the hills where Esaw lived into a wasteland and given his inheritance to the wild jackals.”

4 If Esaw’s descendants in Edom say, “We’ve been crushed, but we’ll return and rebuild what was destroyed,” then army-commander Yahweh will say, “They might build, but I will tear down. Others will call them ‘The country of wickedness’ and ‘The people who Yahweh is forever angry with.’

5 Your own eyes will see it, and you’ll say, ‘Yahweh is great even outside Israel’s borders.’ ”