22 Before Rebekah gave birth, she knew she was going to have twins, because she could feel them inside her, fighting each other. She thought, “Why is this happening to me?” Finally, she asked the Lord why her twins were fighting,
23 and he told her:“Your two sons will becometwo separate nations.The younger of the twowill be stronger,and the older sonwill be his servant.”
24 When Rebekah gave birth,
25 the first baby was covered with red hair, so he was named Esau.
26 The second baby grabbed on to his brother's heel, so they named him Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when they were born.
27 As Jacob and Esau grew older, Esau liked the outdoors and became a good hunter, while Jacob lived the quiet life of a shepherd.
28 Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.