Old Testament · Genesis 25:21–34Genesis 27:1–45Genesis 33:1–11
Jacob and Esau — Bible Story for Kids
Twin brothers Jacob and Esau did not get along. Jacob tricked his brother and had to run away, but years later Esau ran to hug him.
This is a retelling for children, written by BibleKenya from the Bible passages shown on each picture. It is not a Bible translation.
and prayed for a child. God gave them twin boys, and .
prayed for his wife , and she had twins. The first was red and hairy, so they named him . His brother came out holding Esau's heel, so they named him .
Bible explorer Before they were born, God told Rebekah that the older would serve the younger (Genesis 25:23).
loved hunting. stayed near the tents. One day hungry Esau traded his special rights as the oldest son for a bowl of Jacob's stew!
grew up to be a skilful hunter; was a quiet man who stayed among the tents. One day Esau came in exhausted and asked for some of Jacob's red stew. Jacob said, "First, sell me your ." Esau agreed, ate bread and stew, and went away. Esau despised his birthright.
When their father was old and could not see, pretended to be to get Esau's .
was old and his eyes were dim. He told to hunt and cook a meal so that he could him. helped dress in Esau's clothes and cover his hands with goat skins. Jacob told his father, "I am Esau," and Isaac blessed him.
Bible explorer The Bible tells this honestly: Jacob deceived his father. It does not say this was right.
was very angry. had to run far away.
hated because of the and planned to kill him. told Jacob to flee to her brother Laban in Haran until Esau's anger turned away.
Bible explorer On the journey God spoke to Jacob in a dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:10-15).
Many years later came home. He was afraid, but ran to meet him and hugged him, and they cried.
After many years returned. He bowed to the ground seven times as he came near his brother. But ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. Jacob said, "I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me."
The end of the story
Read it in the Bible
This is the Bible text itself, from the version shown. Scripture in WEBWorld English Bible — Protestant Edition
Genesis 25:21–34 WEB
21Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren. The LORD was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived. 22The children struggled together within her. She said, “If it is like this, why do I live?” She went to inquire of the LORD. 23The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb. Two peoples will be separated from your body. The one people will be stronger than the other people. The elder will serve the younger.” 24When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. 26After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. 27The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. 28Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. 29Jacob boiled stew. Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. 30Esau said to Jacob, “Please feed me with some of that red stew, for I am famished.” Therefore his name was called Edom. 31Jacob said, “First, sell me your birthright.” 32Esau said, “Behold, I am about to die. What good is the birthright to me?” 33Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” He swore to him. He sold his birthright to Jacob. 34Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew. He ate and drank, rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 27:1–45 WEB
1When Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My son?” He said to him, “Here I am.” 2He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death. 3Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and get me venison. 4Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.” 5Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before the LORD before my death.’ 8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you. 9Go now to the flock and get me two good young goats from there. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves. 10You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 11Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.” 13His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me.” 14He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son. 16She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 17She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18He came to his father, and said, “My father?” He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.” 20Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He said, “Because the LORD your God gave me success.” 21Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He said, “I am.” 25He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.” He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. 26His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” 27He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, “Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed. 28God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine. 29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you.” 30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.” 32Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.” 34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father.” 35He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.” 36He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?” 37Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?” 38Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39Isaac his father answered him, “Behold, your dwelling will be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of the sky from above. 40You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you will shake his yoke from off your neck.” 41Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. 44Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
Genesis 33:1–11 WEB
1Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. 2He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept. 5He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves. 7Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves. 8Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.” 10Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.
Who is in the story?
Words to learn
- Birthright
- A birthright was the special place of the oldest son in a family. Esau traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew.
- Blessing
- A blessing is a good gift from God, or kind words asking God to do good to someone. Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them.
- Forgiveness
- To forgive means to let go of someone's wrong instead of paying them back. Joseph forgave his brothers, even after they had sold him.
What can we learn from this passage?
This family hurt one another through favouritism and deceit, and the Bible does not hide it. Years later Esau ran to embrace the brother who had wronged him, and the brothers were reconciled. Genesis 25:28Genesis 33:4