the Fourth Week of Advent
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Genesis 25
Abraham's Family
1 Abraham married again. His new wife was named Keturah. 2 She gave birth to Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 Jokshan was the father of Sheba and Dedan. The people of Asshur,[a] Leum, and Letush were descendants of Dedan. 4 The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these sons came from the marriage of Abraham and Keturah.5-6 Before Abraham died, he gave some gifts to his sons who were from his slave women. He sent them to the East,[b] away from Isaac. Then Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac.
7 Abraham lived to be 175 years old. 8 Then he grew weak and died. He had lived a long and satisfying life. He died and went to be with 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 Hittites. He was buried there with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham died, God blessed Isaac. Isaac was living 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 These were the names of Ishmael's sons. Each son had his own camp that became a small town. The twelve sons were leaders over their own people. 17 Ishmael lived to be 137 years old. Then he died and went to be with his people. 18 His descendants settled throughout the desert area from Havilah to Shur. This area begins near Egypt and goes toward Assyria. Ishmael's people were often at war with[c] the other descendants of Abraham.
Isaac's Family
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 her. The Lord heard Isaac's prayer, and he allowed Rebekah to become pregnant.
22 While Rebekah was pregnant, the babies inside her struggled with one another. She prayed to the Lord and said, "What is happening to me?" 23 The Lord said to her,
"The leaders of two nations are in your body.
Two nations will come from you,
and they will be divided.
One of them will be stronger,
and the older will serve the younger."
24 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.[d] 26 When the second baby was born, he was holding tightly to Esau's heel. So that baby was named Jacob.[e] Isaac was 60 years old when Jacob and Esau were born.
27 The boys grew up. Esau became a skilled hunter, who loved to be out in the fields. But Jacob was a quiet man, who stayed at home. 28 Isaac loved Esau. He liked to eat the animals Esau killed. But Rebekah loved Jacob.
29 One day 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 that red soup." (That is why people call him "Red."[f])
31 But Jacob said, "You must sell me your rights as the firstborn son."
32 Esau said, "I am almost dead with hunger, so what good are these rights to me now?"
33 But Jacob said, "First, promise me that you will give them to me." So Esau made an oath to him and sold his rights as the firstborn son to Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil[g] soup. Esau ate the food, had something to drink, and then left. So Esau showed that he did not care about his rights as the firstborn son.
