Genesis 25:29-34
29 Jacob had cooked [reddish-brown lentil] stew [one day], when Esau came from the field and was famished;
30 and Esau said to Jacob, “Please, let me have a quick swallow of that red stuff there, because I am exhausted and famished.” For that reason Esau was [also] called Edom (Red).
31 Jacob answered, “First sell me your (a)birthright (the rights of a firstborn).”
32 Esau said, “Look, I am about to die [if I do not eat soon]; so of what use is this birthright to me?”
33 Jacob said, “Swear [an oath] to me today [that you are selling it to me for this food]”; so he swore [an oath] to him, and sold him his birthright.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew; and he ate and drank, and got up and went on his way. In this way Esau scorned his birthright.(A)
Footnotes:
a.
Genesis 25:31: In later times, this was the right of the firstborn to take over as head of the family and to receive a double share of the inheritance (cf Deut 21:17). The rewards given to Jacob appear to have been even greater (Gen 27:37). Furthermore, in Jewish tradition it was reported that before the tabernacle was set up, sacrifices were offered by the firstborn of a family.