As the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter. He was an outdoorsman, but Jacob had a quiet temperarament, preferring to stay at home. Isaac loved Esau because he enjoyed eating wild game Esau bought home, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
One day, when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau arrived home from the wilderness exhausted and hungry. Esau said to Jacob, “I’m starved! Give me some of that red stew!” (This is how Esau got his other name, Edom, which means “red”.)
“All right, ” Jacob replied, “but give me your rights as the firstborn son.”
“Look, I’m dying of starvation!” said Esau. “What good is my birthright to me now?”
But Jacob said, “You must swear that your birthright is mine.” So Esau swore an oath, thereby selling all his rights as the firstborn to his brother, Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew. Esau ate the meal, then up and left. He showed contempt for his rights as the firstborn. (vv. 27-34, NLT)