25:21 Isaac prayed to ¹  the Lord on behalf of his wife because she was childless. The Lord answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant. 25:22 But the children struggled ²  inside her, and she said, “If it is going to be like this, I’m not so sure I want to be pregnant!” ³  So she asked the Lord, ⁴  25:23 and the Lord said to her,

“Two nations ⁵  are in your womb,

and two peoples will be separated from within you.

One people will be stronger than the other,

and the older will serve the younger.”

25:24 When the time came for Rebekah to give birth, ⁶  there were ⁷  twins in her womb. 25:25 The first came out reddish ⁸  all over, ⁹  like a hairy ¹⁰  garment, so they named him Esau. ¹¹  25:26 When his brother came out with ¹²  his hand clutching Esau’s heel, they named him Jacob. ¹³  Isaac was sixty years old ¹⁴  when they were born.

25:27 When the boys grew up, Esau became a skilled ¹⁵  hunter, a man of the open fields, but Jacob was an even-tempered man, living in tents. ¹⁶  25:28 Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, ¹⁷  but Rebekah loved ¹⁸  Jacob.

25:29 Now Jacob cooked some stew, ¹⁹  and when Esau came in from the open fields, he was famished. 25:30 So Esau said to Jacob, “Feed ²⁰  me some of the red stuff – yes, this red stuff – because I’m starving!” (That is why he was also called ²¹  Edom.) ²² 

25:31 But Jacob replied, “First ²³  sell me your birthright.” 25:32 “Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ²⁴  25:33 But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ²⁵  So Esau ²⁶  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ²⁷  to Jacob.

25:34 Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ²⁸  So Esau despised his birthright. ²⁹