Genesis 27
Modern English Version
Isaac Blesses Jacob
27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could not see, he called Esau his oldest son and said to him, “My son.”
And he answered him, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3 Therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4 And prepare for me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for wild game and bring it back, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, saying, 7 ‘Bring me wild game, and prepare for me savory food, that I may eat and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, listen to me as I command you. 9 Go now to the flock, and get me two choice young goats, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you will take it to your father, so that he may eat and so that he may bless you before his death.”
11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a man of smooth skin. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I will bring a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be upon me, my son. Only listen to me and go get them for me.”
14 He went and got them and brought them to his mother. Then his mother prepared savory food such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best clothes belonging to her older son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 Then she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She put the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hands of her son Jacob.
18 He came to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 And Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done just as you asked me. Please arise, sit and eat of my wild game, so that your soul may bless me.”
20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
And he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went near to his father Isaac, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, just like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 He asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”
And he said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s wild game, so that my soul may bless you.”
And he brought it near to him, and he ate. He also brought him wine, and he drank. 26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.”
27 He came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing and blessed him and said,
“See, the smell of my son
is like the smell of the field
which the Lord has blessed.
28 Therefore, may God give you of the dew of heaven
and the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brothers,
and let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
and blessed be those who bless you!”
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had barely gone out from the presence of his father Isaac, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also had prepared savory food and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s wild game, so that your soul may bless me.”
32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?”
And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Then Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who? Where then is he who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him. Yes, and he shall be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
35 He said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.”
36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, “I have made him your lord, and I have given to him all his brothers as servants; and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What can I now do for you, my son?”
38 And Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!” Then Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
39 Isaac his father answered and said to him,
“Your dwelling shall be
away from the fatness of the earth
and away from the dew of heaven from above.
40 You will live by your sword
and will serve your brother.
When you become restless,
you will break his yoke
from your neck.”
Jacob Escapes From Esau
41 So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 These words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Your brother Esau consoles himself regarding you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, listen to me and get up and flee to Laban, my brother in Harran. 44 Stay with him a few days until your brother’s fury subsides, 45 until your brother’s anger against you turns away, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, such as these who are of the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
Genesis 27
Expanded Bible
Jacob Tricks Isaac
27 When Isaac was old, his ·eyesight was poor [L eyes were dim], so he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, “[L My] Son.”
Esau answered, “Here I am.”
2 Isaac said, “I am old and don’t know ·when I might die [L the day of my death]. 3 So take your weapons, your ·bow and arrows [L quiver and your bow], and go hunting in the field for ·an animal for me to eat [L game for me]. 4 When you prepare the tasty food that I love, bring it to me, and I will eat. Then I will bless you before I die.” 5 So Esau went out in the field to hunt [L for game to bring it].
Rebekah was listening as Isaac said this to his son Esau. 6 She said to her son Jacob, “Listen, I heard your father saying to your brother Esau, 7 ‘·Kill an animal [L Bring me game] and prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ 8 So ·obey [listen to] me, my son, and do what I ·tell [command] you. 9 Go out to our ·goats [L flock] and bring me two ·of the best young ones [choice goats]. I will prepare them just the way your father ·likes [loves] them. 10 Then you will ·take the food [L bring them] to your father, and he will bless you before he dies.”
11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth! 12 If my father ·touches me, he will know I am not Esau [L feels me…]. Then he will not bless me but will place a curse on me because ·I tried to trick him [L he will think I am mocking him].”
13 So ·Rebekah [L his mother] said to him, “·If your father puts a curse on you, I will accept the blame [L Let your curse be on me]. Just do what I said. Go get the goats for me.”
14 So Jacob went out and got ·two goats [L them] and brought them to his mother, and ·she cooked them in the special way [L his mother prepared a tasty meal just as] ·Isaac [L his father] ·enjoyed [loved]. 15 She took the best clothes of her older son Esau that were in the house and put them on the younger son Jacob. 16 She also took the skins of the goats and put them on Jacob’s hands and [L the smoothness of his] neck. 17 Then she gave Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.
18 Jacob went in to his father and said, “[L My] Father.”
And his father said, “Yes, my son. Who are you?”
19 Jacob said to him, “I am Esau, your ·first son [firstborn]. I have done what you told me. Now ·sit up [L get up and sit down] and eat some ·meat of the animal [game] I hunted for you. Then bless me.”
20 But Isaac asked his son, “How did you find ·and kill the animal [L it] so quickly?”
Jacob answered, “Because the Lord your God ·helped me to find it [L went before me].”
21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can ·touch [feel] you, my son. Then I will know if you are really my son Esau [L or not].”
22 So Jacob came near to Isaac his father. Isaac ·touched [felt] him and said, “Your voice ·sounds like [L is] Jacob’s voice, but your hands ·are hairy like [L are] the hands of Esau.” 23 Isaac did not ·know it was [recognize] Jacob, because his hands were hairy like Esau’s hands, so Isaac blessed him. 24 Isaac asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”
Jacob answered, “Yes, I am.”
25 Then Isaac said, “Bring ·me the food [L it to me], and I will eat ·it [L my son’s game] and bless you.” So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate. Jacob gave him wine, and he drank. 26 Then Isaac [L his father] said to him, “My son, come near and kiss me.” 27 So Jacob went to his father and kissed him. When Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes, he blessed him and said,
“[L See,] The smell of my son
is like the smell of the field
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you ·plenty of rain [L the dew of heaven]
and ·good soil [L the fatness/richness/fertility of the earth]
so that you will have plenty of grain and new wine.
29 May nations serve you
and peoples bow down to you.
May you be master over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
May everyone who curses you be cursed,
and may everyone who blesses you be blessed [12:3; Heb. 11:20].”
30 Isaac [L had just] finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting. 31 He also prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. He said [L to his father], “Father, rise and eat ·the food that your son killed for you [L your son’s game] and then bless me.”
32 Isaac his father asked him, “Who are you?”
He answered, “I am your son—your firstborn son—Esau.”
33 Then Isaac trembled ·greatly [violently] and said, “Then who was it that hunted ·the animals [game] and brought me food before you came? I ate it, and I blessed him, and ·it is too late now to take back my blessing [L he will indeed be blessed].”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he let out a loud and bitter cry. He said to his father, “Bless me—me, too, my father [Heb. 12:17]!”
35 But Isaac said, “Your brother came and ·tricked [deceived; defrauded] me. He has taken your blessing.”
36 Esau said, “Jacob [C sounds like Hebrew for “heel” or “deceive”; 25:26] is the right name for him. He has ·tricked me [deceived me; L been at my heel] these two times. He took away my ·share of everything you own [birthright], and now he has taken away my blessing.” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you ·saved [reserved] a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered [L and said to Esau], “I gave Jacob the power to be master over you, and all his brothers will be his servants. And I kept ·him strong [sustained him] with grain and new wine. ·There is nothing left to give you [L What can I do for you…?], my son.”
38 But Esau ·continued [L said to his father], “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me, too, Father!” Then Esau ·began to cry out loud [L lifted his voice and wept; Heb. 12:17].
39 Isaac his father said to him,
“You will live far away from the ·best [fatness; richness; fertility of the] land,
far from the ·rain [L the dew of heaven; 27:28].
40 You will live by using your sword,
and you will ·be a slave to [serve] your brother.
But when you ·struggle [or become restless],
you will break ·free from him [L his yoke from your neck; Heb. 11:20].”
41 After that Esau ·hated [held a grudge against] Jacob because of the blessing ·from Isaac [L with which his father blessed him]. He thought ·to himself [L in his heart], “·My father will soon die, and I will be sad for him [L The days of mourning for my father are near]. Then I will kill Jacob [L my brother].”
42 Rebekah ·heard about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob [L was told the words of Esau her oldest son]. So she sent for Jacob [L her younger son] and ·said to [informed] him, “Listen, your brother Esau is ·comforting himself [consoling himself; or wants to execute his anger against you] by planning to kill you. 43 So, my son, ·do what I say [L listen to my voice]. My brother Laban is living in Haran. ·Go to him at once [L Get up and flee to him]! 44 ·Stay [Live; Reside] with him for a while, until your brother ·is not so angry [calms down]. 45 In time, your brother will not be angry, and he will forget what you did to him. Then I will send a servant to bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of my sons on the same day.”
46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am ·tired of [weary of my life due to] ·Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites]. If Jacob marries one of ·these Hittite women [L the daughters of the Hittites] here in this land, ·I want to die [why would I want to live?].”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.