Jacob and Esau

¹⁹ Here is the story of the family line of Abraham’s son Isaac.

Abraham was the father of Isaac. ²⁰ Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebekah. She was the daughter of Bethuel, the Aramean from Paddan Aram. She was also the sister of Laban, the Aramean.

²¹ Rebekah couldn’t have children. So Isaac prayed to the Lord for her. And the Lord answered his prayer. His wife Rebekah became pregnant. ²² The babies struggled with each other inside her. She said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to ask the Lord what she should do.

²³ The Lord said to her,

²⁴ The time came for Rebekah to have her babies. There were twin boys in her body. ²⁵ The first one to come out was red. His whole body was covered with hair. So they named him Esau. ²⁶ Then his brother came out. His hand was holding onto Esau’s heel. So he was named Jacob. Isaac was 60 years old when Rebekah had them.

²⁷ The boys grew up. Esau became a skillful hunter. He liked the open country. But Jacob was content to stay at home among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac liked the meat of wild animals. So Esau was his favorite son. But Rebekah’s favorite was Jacob.

²⁹ One day Jacob was cooking some stew. Esau came in from the open country. He was very hungry. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, “Quick! I’m very hungry! Let me have some of that red stew!” That’s why he was also named Edom.

³¹ Jacob replied, “First sell me the rights that belong to you as the oldest son in the family.”

³² “Look, I’m dying of hunger,” Esau said. “What good are those rights to me?”

³³ But Jacob said, “First promise to sell me your rights.” So Esau promised to do it. He sold Jacob all the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son.

³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. Esau ate and drank. Then he got up and left.

So Esau didn’t value the rights that belonged to him as the oldest son.

Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

³⁴ When Esau was 40 years old, he got married to Judith. She was the daughter of Beeri the Hittite. Esau also married Basemath. She was the daughter of Elon the Hittite. ³⁵ Isaac and Rebekah became very upset because Esau had married Hittite women.

27 Isaac had become old. His eyes were so weak he couldn’t see anymore. One day he called for his older son Esau. He said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² Isaac said, “I’m an old man now. And I don’t know when I’ll die. ³ Now then, get your weapons. Get your bow and arrows. Go out to the open country. Hunt some wild animals for me. ⁴ Prepare for me the kind of tasty food I like. Bring it to me to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing before I die.”

⁵ Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. Esau left for the open country. He went to hunt for a wild animal and bring it back. ⁶ Then Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. ⁷ He said, ‘Bring me a wild animal. Prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing before I die. The Lord will be my witness.’ ” ⁸ Rebekah continued, “My son, listen carefully. Do what I tell you. ⁹ Go out to the flock. Bring me two of the finest young goats. I will prepare tasty food for your father. I’ll make it just the way he likes it. ¹⁰ I want you to take it to your father to eat. Then he’ll give you his blessing before he dies.”

¹¹ Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau’s body is covered with hair. But my skin is smooth. ¹² What if my father touches me? He would know I was trying to trick him. He would curse me instead of giving me a blessing.”

¹³ His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse be on me. Just do what I say. Go and get the goats for me.”

¹⁴ So he went and got the goats. He brought them to his mother. And she prepared some tasty food. She made it just the way his father liked it. ¹⁵ The clothes of her older son Esau were in her house. She took Esau’s best clothes and put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶ She covered his hands with the skins of the goats. She also covered the smooth part of his neck with them. ¹⁷ Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

¹⁸ He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who is it?”

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I’m your oldest son Esau. I’ve done as you told me. Please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.”

²⁰ Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied.

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son. I want to know whether you really are my son Esau.”

²² Jacob went close to his father. Isaac touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ Isaac didn’t recognize Jacob. Jacob’s hands were covered with hair like those of his brother Esau. So Isaac blessed him. ²⁴ “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” Jacob replied.

²⁵ Isaac said, “My son, bring me some of your wild meat to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing.”

Jacob brought it to him. So Isaac ate. Jacob also brought some wine. And Isaac drank. ²⁶ Then Jacob’s father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son. Kiss me.”

²⁷ So Jacob went to him and kissed him. When Isaac smelled the clothes, he gave Jacob his blessing. He said,

³⁰ When Isaac finished blessing him, Jacob left his father. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. ³¹ He too prepared some tasty food. He brought it to his father. Then Esau said to him, “My father, please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.”

³² His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”

“I’m your son,” he answered. “I’m Esau, your oldest son.”

³³ Isaac began to shake all over. He said, “Then who hunted a wild animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my blessing. And he will certainly be blessed!”

³⁴ Esau heard his father’s words. Then he yelled loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me! Bless me too, my father!”

³⁵ But Isaac said, “Your brother came and tricked me. He took your blessing.”

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t Jacob just the right name for him? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me. First, he took my rights as the oldest son. And now he’s taken my blessing!” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you saved any blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “I’ve made him ruler over you. I’ve made all his relatives serve him. And I’ve provided him with grain and fresh wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept loudly.

³⁹ His father Isaac answered him,

⁴¹ Esau was angry with Jacob. He was angry because of the blessing his father had given to Jacob. He said to himself, “The days of sorrow over my father’s death are near. Then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.”