Study Desk

(These are the years of the life of Ish'mael, a hundred and thirty-seven years; he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his kindred.)

They dwelt from Hav'ilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt in the direction of Assyria; he settled over against all his people.

And Isaac prayed to the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

The first came forth red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they called his name Esau.

Afterward his brother came forth, and his hand had taken hold of Esau's heel; so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.

Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red pottage, for I am famished!" (Therefore his name was called Edom.)

Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

When the men of the place asked him about his wife, he said, "She is my sister"; for he feared to say, "My wife," thinking, "lest the men of the place should kill me for the sake of Rebekah"; because she was fair to look upon.

When he had been there a long time, Abim'elech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac fondling Rebekah his wife.

So Abim'elech warned all the people, saying, "Whoever touches this man or his wife shall be put to death."

(Now the Philistines had stopped and filled with earth all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father.)

And Isaac dug again the wells of water which had been dug in the days of Abraham his father; for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he gave them the names which his father had given them.

So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac's servants dug a well.

Then Abim'elech went to him from Gerar with Ahuz'zath his adviser and Phicol the commander of his army.

When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son, and said to him, "My son"; and he answered, "Here I am."

Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it,

But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

His mother said to him, "Upon me be your curse, my son; only obey my word, and go, fetch them to me."