But Jacob replied, “First ¹  sell me your birthright.”

“Look,” said Esau, “I’m about to die! What use is the birthright to me?” ¹ 

Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and lentil stew; Esau ate and drank, then got up and went out. ¹  So Esau despised his birthright. ² 

But Jacob said, “Swear an oath to me now.” ¹  So Esau ²  swore an oath to him and sold his birthright ³  to Jacob.

And see to it that no one becomes ¹  an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. ² 

Though Judah was the strongest among his brothers and a leader descended from him, ¹  the right of the firstborn belonged to Joseph.)

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn – (Now he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s bed, ¹  his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph, Israel’s son. So Reuben is not listed as firstborn in the genealogical records. ² 

Esau exclaimed, “‘Jacob’ is the right name for him! ¹  He has tripped me up ²  two times! He took away my birthright, and now, look, he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Have you not kept back a blessing for me?”

They sat before him, arranged by order of birth, beginning with the firstborn and ending with the youngest. ¹  The men looked at each other in astonishment. ² 

Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, outstanding in dignity, outstanding in power.

Rather, he must acknowledge the son of the less loved ¹  wife as firstborn and give him the double portion ²  of all he has, for that son is the beginning of his father’s procreative power ³  – to him should go the right of the firstborn.