Study Desk

Now Abraham had taken another wife, whose name was Keturah,^(a)

and she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

Jokshan fathered Sheba and Dedan. Dedan's sons were the Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim.

And Midian's sons were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were sons of Keturah.

Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.^(b)

And Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his concubines, but while he was still alive he sent them eastward, away from his son Isaac, to the land of the East.^(c)

This is the length of Abraham's life:^[a] 175 years.

He took his last breath and died at a ripe old age,^(d) old and contented,^[b] and he was gathered to his people.^(e)

His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah^(f) near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite.

This was the field that Abraham bought from the Hittites.^(g) Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.

After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who lived near Beer-lahai-roi.^(h)

These are the family records⁽ⁱ⁾ of Abraham's son Ishmael,^(j) whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's slave, bore to Abraham.

These are the names of Ishmael's sons; their names according to the family records are: Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

These are Ishmael's sons, and these are their names by their villages and encampments: 12 leaders^[c](k) of their clans.^[d]

This is the length^[e] of Ishmael's life: 137 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.

And they^[f] settled from Havilah to Shur, which is opposite Egypt as you go toward Asshur. He^[g] lived in opposition to^[h] all his brothers.^(l)

These are the family records of Isaac son of Abraham. Abraham fathered Isaac.^(m)

Isaac was 40 years old when he took as his wife Rebekah⁽ⁿ⁾ daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram^(o) and sister of Laban the Aramean.^(p)

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless.^(q) The Lord heard his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.^(r)

But the children inside her struggled with each other, and she said, "Why is this happening to me?"^[i] So she went to inquire of the Lord .^(s)

And the Lord said to her: Two nations are in your womb; two people will come from you and be separated. One people will be stronger than the other,^(t) and the older will serve the younger.^(u)

When her time came to give birth, there were indeed twins in her womb.

The first one came out red-looking,^[j] covered with hair^[k] like a fur coat, and they named him Esau.^(v)

After this, his brother came out grasping Esau's heel with his hand.^(w) So he was named Jacob.^[l](x) Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.

When the boys grew up, Esau became an expert hunter, an outdoorsman,^[m] but Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.^[n]

Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for wild game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.^(y)

Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field exhausted.

He said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stuff, because I'm exhausted." That is why he was also named Edom.^[o]

Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright."

"Look," said Esau, "I'm about to die, so what good is a birthright to me?"

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

Then Jacob gave bread and lentil stew to Esau; he ate, drank, got up, and went away. So Esau despised his birthright.^(z)