Genesis 25 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Abraham married again. His new wife was named Keturah.

² Keturah gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

³ Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The people of Asshur, [140] Leum, and Letush were descendants of Dedan.

^4-6 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these sons came from the marriage of Abraham and Keturah.

⁷ Abraham lived to be 175 years old.

⁸ Then Abraham grew weak and died. He had lived a long and satisfying life. He died and was gathered to his people.

⁹ His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah. This cave is in the field of Ephron, the son of Zohar. It was east of Mamre.

¹⁰ This is the same cave that Abraham bought from the Hittite people. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.

¹¹ After Abraham died, God blessed Isaac. And Isaac continued to live at Beer Lahai Roi.

¹² This is the list of Ishmael’s family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar’s son. (Hagar was Sarah’s Egyptian maid.)

¹³ These are the names of Ishmael’s sons: The first son was Nebaioth, then Kedar was born, then Adbeel, Mibsam,

¹⁴ Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

¹⁵ Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

¹⁶ Those were the names of Ishmael’s sons. Each son had his own camp that became a small town. The twelve sons were like twelve princes with their own people.

¹⁷ Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. Then he died and was gathered to his ancestors. [143]

¹⁸ Ishmael’s descendants [144] camped throughout the desert area. This area went from Havilah to Shur, near Egypt. And it went from Shur all the way to Assyria. Ishmael’s descendants often attacked his brothers’ people. [145]

¹⁹ This is the story of Isaac. Abraham had a son named Isaac.

²⁰ When Isaac was 40 years old he married Rebekah. Rebekah was from Paddan Aram. She was Bethuel’s daughter and the sister of Laban the Aramean.

²¹ Isaac’s wife could not have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife. The Lord heard Isaac’s prayer. And the Lord allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.

²² While Rebekah was pregnant, she had much trouble with the babies inside her. Rebekah prayed to the Lord and said, “Why is this happening to me?”

²³ The Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your body. The rulers of two families will be born from you. And they will be divided. One son will be stronger than the other. The older son will serve the younger.”

²⁴ And when the right time came, Rebekah gave birth to twins.

²⁵ The first baby was red. His skin was like a hairy robe. So he was named Esau. [146]

²⁶ When the second baby was born, he was holding tightly to Esau’s heel. So that baby was named Jacob. [147] Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born.

²⁷ The boys grew up. Esau became a skilled hunter. He loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man. He stayed in his tent.

²⁸ Isaac loved Esau. He liked to eat the animals Esau killed. But Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹ One time Esau came back from hunting. He was tired and weak from hunger. Jacob was boiling a pot of beans.

³⁰ So Esau said to Jacob, “I am weak with hunger. Let me have some of those red beans.” (That is why people call him Edom. [148])

³¹ But Jacob said, “You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son [149] today.”

³² Esau said, “I am almost dead with hunger. If I die, all of my father’s wealth will not help me. So I will give you my share.”

³³ But Jacob said, “First, promise me that you will give it to me.” So Esau made a promise to Jacob. Esau sold his part of their father’s wealth to Jacob.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau bread and food. Esau ate and drank and then left. So Esau showed that he did not care about his rights as the firstborn son. [150]