TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 25

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Avraham took another wife, whose name was Keturah.

אוַיֹּסֶף אַבְרָהָם וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה וּשְׁמָהּ קְטוּרָה׃

2She bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah.

בוַתֵּלֶד לוֹ אֶת־זִמְרָן וְאֶת־יָקְשָׁן וְאֶת־מְדָן וְאֶת־מִדְיָן וְאֶת־יִשְׁבָּק וְאֶת־שׁוּחַ׃

3Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. The descendants of Dedan were the Assyrians, the Letushim, and the Leummim.

גוְיָקְשָׁן יָלַד אֶת־שְׁבָא וְאֶת־דְּדָן וּבְנֵי דְדָן הָיוּ אַשּׁוּרִם וּלְטוּשִׁים וּלְאֻמִּים׃

4The descendants of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Enoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were descendants of Keturah.

דוּבְנֵי מִדְיָן עֵיפָה וָעֵפֶר וַחֲנֹךְ וַאֲבִידָע וְאֶלְדָּעָה כָּל־אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי קְטוּרָה׃

5Avraham willed all that he owned to Yitzchak;

הוַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ לְיִצְחָק׃

6but to Avraham's sons by concubines Avraham gave gifts while he was still living, and he sent them away from his son Yitzchak eastward, to the land of the East.

ווְלִבְנֵי הַפִּילַגְשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לְאַבְרָהָם נָתַן אַבְרָהָם מַתָּנֹת וַיְשַׁלְּחֵם מֵעַל יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ בְּעוֹדֶנּוּ חַי קֵדְמָה אֶל־אֶרֶץ קֶדֶם׃

7This was the total span of Avraham's life: one hundred and seventy-five years.

זוְאֵלֶּה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי־חַיֵּי אַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר־חָי מְאַת שָׁנָה וְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים׃

8And Avraham breathed his last, dying at a good ripe age, old and contented; and he was gathered to his kin.

חוַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת אַבְרָהָם בְּשֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה זָקֵן וְשָׂבֵעַ וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו׃

9His sons Yitzchak and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, facing Mamre,

va-yik-b'-RU o-TO yitz-KHAK v'-yish-ma-AYL ba-NAV el m'-a-RAT ha-makh-pay-LAH el s'-DAY ef-RON ben TZO-khar ha-khi-TEE a-SHER al p'-NAY mam-RAY

טוַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ יִצְחָק וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בָּנָיו אֶל־מְעָרַת הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֶל־שְׂדֵה עֶפְרֹן בֶּן־צֹחַר הַחִתִּי אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא׃

 25:9   His sons Yitzchak and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah

Cave of the Machpelah in Chevron

The Torah states that Avraham, Sara, Yitzchak, Rivka, Yaakov and Leah are all buried in Machpelah Cave. According to tradition, Adam and Chava were buried there as well. Avraham’s purchase of this property to bury Sara was the first concrete action that established a Jewish connection with a particular site in Eretz Yisrael, and upon his death he is also buried in this place. Although the entire Land of Israel was promised to the Children of Israel, there are three key places that were actually purchased, in order that they could never be accused of having taken possession of them inappropriately. Avraham purchased the Cave of Machpelah, Yaakov bought Yosef’s burial plot in Shechem (Genesis 33:19) and King David paid for the site of the Beit Hamikdash (II Samuel 24:24). While we are fortunate that we can actually visit the Cave of Machpelah today, sadly, Jewish authority over Chevron, Shechem and Har Habayit, is disputed by much of the world. We pray for the time when the biblical record will be recognized and respected by the nations.

10the field that Avraham had bought from the Hittites; there Avraham was buried, and Sara his wife.

יהַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר־קָנָה אַבְרָהָם מֵאֵת בְּנֵי־חֵת שָׁמָּה קֻבַּר אַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ׃

11After the death of Avraham, Hashem blessed his son Yitzchak. And Yitzchak settled near Beer-lahai-roi.

יאוַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי מוֹת אַבְרָהָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלֹהִים אֶת־יִצְחָק בְּנוֹ וַיֵּשֶׁב יִצְחָק עִם־בְּאֵר לַחַי רֹאִי׃

12This is the line of Ishmael, Avraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sara's slave, bore to Avraham.

יבוְאֵלֶּה תֹּלְדֹת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה הָגָר הַמִּצְרִית שִׁפְחַת שָׂרָה לְאַבְרָהָם׃

13These are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, in the order of their birth: Nebaioth, the first-born of Ishmael, Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam,

יגוְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בִּשְׁמֹתָם לְתוֹלְדֹתָם בְּכֹר יִשְׁמָעֵאל נְבָיֹת וְקֵדָר וְאַדְבְּאֵל וּמִבְשָׂם׃

14Mishma, Dumah, Massa,

ידוּמִשְׁמָע וְדוּמָה וּמַשָּׂא׃

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

טוחֲדַד וְתֵימָא יְטוּר נָפִישׁ וָקֵדְמָה׃

16These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names by their villages and by their encampments: twelve chieftains of as many tribes.

טזאֵלֶּה הֵם בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמֹתָם בְּחַצְרֵיהֶם וּבְטִירֹתָם שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר נְשִׂיאִם לְאֻמֹּתָם׃

17These were the years of the life of Ishmael: one hundred and thirty-seven years; then he breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his kin.

יזוְאֵלֶּה שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל מְאַת שָׁנָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וַיִּגְוַע וַיָּמָת וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו׃

18They dwelt from Havilah, by Shur, which is close to Egypt, all the way to Assyria; they camped alongside all their kinsmen.

יחוַיִּשְׁכְּנוּ מֵחֲוִילָה עַד־שׁוּר אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי מִצְרַיִם בֹּאֲכָה אַשּׁוּרָה עַל־פְּנֵי כָל־אֶחָיו נָפָל׃

19This is the story of Yitzchak, son of Avraham. Avraham begot Yitzchak.

יטוְאֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן־אַבְרָהָם אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד אֶת־יִצְחָק׃

20Yitzchak was forty years old when he took to wife Rivka, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean.

כוַיְהִי יִצְחָק בֶּן־אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֶת־רִבְקָה בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל הָאֲרַמִּי מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם אֲחוֹת לָבָן הָאֲרַמִּי לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה׃

21Yitzchak pleaded with Hashem on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and Hashem responded to his plea, and his wife Rivka conceived.

כאוַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַיהֹוָה לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ כִּי עֲקָרָה הִוא וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ יְהֹוָה וַתַּהַר רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ׃

22But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of Hashem,

כבוַיִּתְרֹצֲצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר אִם־כֵּן לָמָּה זֶּה אָנֹכִי וַתֵּלֶךְ לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָה׃

23and Hashem 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.”

כגוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה לָהּ שְׁנֵי גיים [גוֹיִם] בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר׃

24When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.

כדוַיִּמְלְאוּ יָמֶיהָ לָלֶדֶת וְהִנֵּה תוֹמִם בְּבִטְנָהּ׃

25The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau.

כהוַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר וַיִּקְרְאוּ שְׁמוֹ עֵשָׂו׃

26Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Yaakov. Yitzchak was sixty years old when they were born.

כווְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן יָצָא אָחִיו וְיָדוֹ אֹחֶזֶת בַּעֲקֵב עֵשָׂו וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעֲקֹב וְיִצְחָק בֶּן־שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה בְּלֶדֶת אֹתָם׃

27When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Yaakov was a mild man who stayed in camp.

כזוַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים׃

28Yitzchak favored Esau because he had a taste for game; but Rivka favored Yaakov.

כחוַיֶּאֱהַב יִצְחָק אֶת־עֵשָׂו כִּי־צַיִד בְּפִיו וְרִבְקָה אֹהֶבֶת אֶת־יַעֲקֹב׃

29Once when Yaakov was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished.

כטוַיָּזֶד יַעֲקֹב נָזִיד וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן־הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף׃

30And Esau said to Yaakov, “Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished”—which is why he was named Edom.

לוַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו אֶל־יַעֲקֹב הַלְעִיטֵנִי נָא מִן־הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם הַזֶּה כִּי עָיֵף אָנֹכִי עַל־כֵּן קָרָא־שְׁמוֹ אֱדוֹם׃

31Yaakov said, “First sell me your birthright.”

לאוַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב מִכְרָה כַיּוֹם אֶת־בְּכֹרָתְךָ לִי׃

32And Esau said, “I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me?”

לבוַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ לָמוּת וְלָמָּה־זֶּה לִי בְּכֹרָה׃

33But Yaakov said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Yaakov.

לגוַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי כַּיּוֹם וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ וַיִּמְכֹּר אֶת־בְּכֹרָתוֹ לְיַעֲקֹב׃

34Yaakov then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn the birthright.

לדוְיַעֲקֹב נָתַן לְעֵשָׂו לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד עֲדָשִׁים וַיֹּאכַל וַיֵּשְׁתְּ וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וַיִּבֶז עֵשָׂו אֶת־הַבְּכֹרָה׃