Genesis 25: Abraham dies, and Jacob and Esau are born

In plain English: Abraham took another wife, named Keturah.

In plain English: She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

In plain English: Jokshan became the father of Sheba and Dedan. The sons of Dedan were the Asshurim, the Letushim, and the Leummim.

In plain English: The sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All of these were descendants of Keturah.

In plain English: Abraham gave everything he owned to Isaac,

In plain English: but to the sons of his concubines (secondary wives) Abraham gave gifts. While he was still alive, he sent them away from his son Isaac, eastward, to the land of the east.

In plain English: Abraham lived 175 years in all.

In plain English: Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man, full of years, and he was gathered to his people.

Good to know: "Gathered to his people" is a way Genesis speaks of dying. It is said of Abraham, of Ishmael (verse 17), of Isaac (35:29) and of Jacob (49:33). The text does not explain it further: some read it as joining family who died before, others simply as a way of saying someone died.

In plain English: His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite,

In plain English: the field Abraham had bought from the people of Heth. Abraham was buried there with his wife Sarah.

In plain English: After Abraham died, God blessed his son Isaac. Isaac lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

In plain English: This is the family history of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's servant, bore to Abraham.

In plain English: These are the names of Ishmael's sons, in the order they were born: Nebaioth, Ishmael's firstborn, then Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

In plain English: Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

In plain English: Hadad, Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

In plain English: These are Ishmael's sons, and these are their names, by their villages and their camps: twelve princes, by their tribes.

In plain English: Ishmael lived 137 years. He breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people.

In plain English: Ishmael's sons lived from Havilah to Shur, which faces Egypt, on the way to Assyria. He settled opposite (or: at odds with) all his relatives.

In plain English: This is the family history of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham became the father of Isaac.

In plain English: Isaac was 40 years old when he took Rebekah as his wife. She was the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian from Paddan Aram, and the sister of Laban the Syrian.

In plain English: Isaac prayed to Yahweh for his wife, because she could not have children. Yahweh answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

In plain English: The babies struggled together inside her. She said, "If it is like this, why am I alive (or: why is this happening to me)?" So she went to ask Yahweh.

In plain English: Yahweh said to her, "Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older (or: the greater) will serve the younger."

The Hebrew words: "The elder" is rab, which also means great or many. "The younger" is tsa'ir, which also means small or few.

Church tradition: Romans 9:12 quotes this verse, and churches use it when they teach about God's choosing. Churches differ on whether it is about the two brothers or about the two nations that came from them. The verse itself speaks of two nations and two peoples.

In plain English: When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb.

In plain English: The first one came out red, his whole body like a hairy coat. So they named him Esau.

Good to know: The text does not explain the name Esau. "Hairy" is se'ar, which sounds like Seir, the hill country where Esau later lives (Genesis 36:8). "Red" points ahead to his other name, Edom (verse 30).

In plain English: After that his brother came out, with his hand holding on to Esau's heel. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when she gave birth to them.

Good to know: Jacob, Ya'aqov, sounds like aqev, "heel": he was born holding Esau's heel. Later Esau plays on the same sound: "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me" (Genesis 27:36).

In plain English: The boys grew up. Esau was a skilled hunter, a man of the open field. Jacob was a quiet (or: blameless) man who lived in tents.

The Hebrew word: "Quiet" is tam: complete, and usually blameless. It can also mean gentle.

How it is translated: This Bible says "blameless" in 7 of its 14 verses, as for Job in Job 1:1. Only here is it "quiet".

What changes: Read as "blameless", the verse speaks well of Jacob's character. Read as "quiet", it only describes his way of life: a man who stays among the tents, unlike Esau, the man of the field.

In plain English: Isaac loved Esau, because he ate the game Esau hunted, and Rebekah loved Jacob.

In plain English: Once, when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field worn out (or: famished).

In plain English: Esau said to Jacob, "Please let me eat some of that red stuff, that red stew, because I am worn out (or: famished)." That is why he was also called Edom.

Good to know: Edom sounds like adom, "red", the word Esau says twice here: in Hebrew he asks for "that red, red stuff". Edom became the name of Esau's people: "Esau is Edom" (Genesis 36:8).

In plain English: Jacob said, "First sell me your birthright."

The Hebrew word: "Birthright" is bekorah: the rights of the firstborn son.

Good to know: Genesis does not list what the birthright included. Deuteronomy 21:17 later gives the firstborn son a double share of what his father owns.

In plain English: Esau said, "Look, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?"

In plain English: Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So Esau swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob.

In plain English: Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, got up, and went on his way. So Esau despised his birthright (treated it as worth nothing).