¹⁶ Then when he gives his property to his sons for their heritage, he is not to put the son of his loved one in the place of the first son, the son of the hated wife:

¹⁰ And Hosah, a son of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the oldest, his father made him chief);

² Though Judah became stronger than his brothers, and from him came the ruler, the birthright was Joseph's:)

³ And their father gave them much silver and gold and things of great value, as well as walled towns in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the oldest.

²⁹ Because those of whom he had knowledge before they came into existence, were marked out by him to be made like his Son, so that he might be the first among a band of brothers:

⁸ For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things.

¹⁶ And that there may not be any evil liver, or any man without respect for God, like Esau, who let his birthright go for a plate of food.

¹⁷ For you have knowledge that even long after, when he was desiring the blessing for his heritage, he was turned away, though he made his request frequently and with weeping; because the past might not be changed.

¹⁹ And she had sons by him, Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.

²⁰ And after her he took Maacah, the daughter of Absalom; and she had Abijah and Attai and Ziza and Shelomith by him.

²¹ Maacah, the daughter of Absalom, was dearer to Rehoboam than all his wives and his servant-wives: (for he had eighteen wives and sixty servant-wives, and was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.)

²² Rehoboam made Abijah, the son of Maacah, chief and ruler among his brothers, for it was his purpose to make him king.