THE WORD OF ELOHIM

GENESIS

Chapter 25

     Abraham took another wife, whose name was Qeturah.  She bore him Zimran, Yoqshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbaq, and Shuach.  Yoqshan begot Sheba and Dedan.  The descendants of Dedan were the Ashuwriy, the Letushim, and the Leummim.  The descendants of Midyan were Ephah, Epher, Chanoch, Abida, and Eldaah.  All these were descendants of Qeturah.  Abraham willed all that he owned to Yischaq; but to Abraham’s sons, by concubines, Abraham gave gifts while he was still living and he sent them away from his son Yischaq eastward, to the land of the East.

     This was the total span of Abraham’s life:  One hundred and seventy-five years.  And Abraham breathed his last, dying at a good ripe age, old and contented; and he was gathered to his kin.  His sons Yischaq and Yishmael buried him in the cave of Makpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Tsochar the Chitti, facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought from the Chittis; there Abraham was buried, and Sarah his wife.  After the death of Abraham, God blessed his son Yischaq.  And Yischaq settled near Beer Lachay Roi.

     This is the line of Yishmael, Abraham’s son, whom Hagar the Mitzrayim, Sarah’s slave, bore to Abraham.  These are the names of the sons of Yishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth:  Nebayoth, the first-born of Yishmael, Qedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Tema, Yetur, Naphish, and Qedmah.  These are the sons of Yishmael and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments:  Twelve chieftains of as many tribes.—They dwelt from Chavilah, by Shur, which is close to Mitzramah, all the way to Asshur; they camped alongside all their kinsmen.

     This is the story of Yischaq, son of Abraham.  Abraham begot Yischaq.  Yischaq was forty years old when he took to wife Rivqah, daughter of Bthuw’el the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean.  Yischaq pleaded with Yehovah on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and Yehovah responded to his plea, and his wife Rivqah conceived.  But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?”  She went to inquire of Yehovah, and Yehovah answered her,

Two nations are in your womb,

Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;

One people shall be mightier than the other,

And the older shall serve the younger.”  

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.  The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esav.  Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esav; so they named him Ya’akov. Yischaq was sixty years old when they were born.  

     When the boys grew up, Esav became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Ya’akov was a mild man who stayed in camp.  Yischaq favored Esav because he had a taste for game but Rivqah favored Ya’akov.  Once when Ya’akov was cooking a stew, Esav came in from the open, famished.  And Esav said to Ya’akov, “Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished”—which is why he was named Edom.  Ya’akov said, “First sell me your birthright.”  And Esav said, “I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me?  But Ya’akov said, “Swear to me first.”  So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Ya’akov.  Ya’akov then gave Esav bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away.  Thus, Esav spurned the birthright.

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