25
Abraham’s Second Marriage and His Death
(1 Chronicles 1:32–33)
1Abraham married again, and his wife’s name was Keturah. 2Keturah gave birth to these sons of Abraham: Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. Dedan’s descendants were the Assyrians, the Letushites, and the Leummites. 4The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. These were the descendants of Keturah.
5Abraham left everything he had to Isaac. 6But while he was still living, Abraham had given gifts to the sons of his concubines.#25:6 A concubine is considered a wife except she has fewer rights under the law. He sent them away from his son Isaac to a land in the east.
7Abraham lived 175 years. 8Then he took his last breath, and died at a very old age. After a long and full life, he joined his ancestors in death. 9His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah in the field of Ephron, son of Zohar the Hittite. The cave is east of Mamre. 10This was the field that Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac, who settled near Beer Lahai Roi.
The 12 Tribes of Ishmael
(1 Chronicles 1:29–31)
12This is the account of the descendants of Abraham’s son Ishmael. He was the son of Sarah’s Egyptian slave Hagar and Abraham. 13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael listed in the order of their birth: Nebaioth (Ishmael’s firstborn), Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. 16These are the sons of Ishmael and their names listed by their settlements and camps—12 leaders of their tribes.
17Ishmael lived 137 years. Then he took his last breath and died. He joined his ancestors in death. 18His descendants lived as nomads from the region of Havilah to Shur, which is near Egypt, in the direction of Assyria. They all fought with each other.
Esau and Jacob
19This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac and his descendants. Abraham was the father of Isaac. 20Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean. 21Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 22When the children inside her were struggling with each other, she said, “If it’s like this now, what will become of me?” So she went to ask the Lord.
23The Lord said to her,
“Two countries are in your womb.
Two nations will go their separate ways from birth.
One nation will be stronger than the other,
and the older will serve the younger.”
24When the time came for her to give birth, she had twins. 25The first one born was red. His whole body was covered with hair, so they named him Esau [Hairy]. 26Afterwards, his brother was born with his hand holding on to Esau’s heel, and so he was named Jacob [Heel]. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
27They grew up. Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman. Jacob remained a quiet man, staying around the tents. 28Because Isaac liked to eat the meat of wild animals, he loved Esau. However, Rebekah loved Jacob.
29Once, Jacob was preparing a meal when Esau, exhausted, came in from outdoors. 30So Esau said to Jacob, “Let me have the whole pot of red stuff to eat—that red stuff—I’m exhausted.” This is why he was called Edom.#25:30 There is a play on words here between Hebrew ʾadom (red stuff) and Edom.
31Jacob responded, “First, sell me your rights as firstborn.”
32“I’m about to die.” Esau said. “What good is my inheritance to me?”
33“First, swear an oath,” Jacob said. So Esau swore an oath to him and sold him his rights as firstborn. 34Then Jacob gave Esau a meal of bread and lentils. He ate and drank, and then he got up and left.
This is how Esau showed his contempt for his rights as firstborn.