And Esau said, "What is the use of the birthright to me now, when I am
almost starving to death? You can have my birthright if you will give me
something to eat."

Then Esau made Jacob a solemn promise to give to Jacob his birthright,
all for a bowl of food. It was not right for Jacob to deal so selfishly
with his brother; but it was very wrong in Esau to care so little for
his birthright and God's blessing.

Some time after this, when Esau was forty years old, he married two
wives. Though this would be very wicked in our times, it was not
supposed to be wrong then; for even good men then had more than one
wife. But Esau's two wives were women from the people of Canaan, who
worshipped idols, and not the true God. And they taught their children
also to pray to idols; so that those who came from Esau, the people who
were his descendants, lost all knowledge of God, and became very wicked.
But this was long after that time.

Isaac and Rebekah were very sorry to have their son Esau marry women who
prayed to idols and not to God; but still Isaac loved his active son
Esau more than his quiet son Jacob. But Rebekah loved Jacob more than
Esau.

Isaac became at last very old and feeble, and so blind that he could
see scarcely anything. One day he said to Esau:

"My son, I am very old, and do not know how soon I must die. But before
I die, I wish to give to you, as my older son, God's blessing upon you,
and your children, and your descendants. Go out into the fields, and
with your bow and arrows shoot some animal that is good for food, and