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Jacob Gets Isaac’s Blessing

27 When Isaac was old and going blind, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “Son!”

Esau answered, “Here I am.”

Isaac said, “I’m old. I don’t know when I’m going to die. Now take your hunting equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out into the open country and hunt some wild game for me. Prepare a good-tasting meal for me, just the way I like it. Bring it to me to eat so that I will bless you before I die.”

Rebekah was listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. When Esau went into the open country to hunt for some wild game to bring back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I’ve just heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. He said, ‘Bring me some wild game, and prepare a good-tasting meal for me to eat so that I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ Now listen to me, Son, and do what I tell you. Go to the flock, and get me two good young goats. I’ll prepare them as a good-tasting meal for your father, just the way he likes it. 10 Then take it to your father to eat so that he will bless you before he dies.”

11 Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth.[a] 12 My father will feel ⌞my skin⌟ and think I’m mocking him. Then I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.”

13 His mother responded, “Let any curse on you fall on me, Son. Just obey me and go! Get me ⌞the young goats⌟.”

14 He went and got them and brought them to his mother. She prepared a good-tasting meal, just the way his father liked it. 15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s good clothes, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16 She put the skins from the young goats on his hands and on the back of his neck. 17 Then she gave her son Jacob the good-tasting meal and the bread she had prepared.

18 He went to his father and said, “Father?”

“Yes?” he answered. “Who are you, Son?”

19 Jacob answered his father, “I’m Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done what you told me. Sit up and eat this meat I’ve hunted for you so that you may bless me.”

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

“The Lord your God brought it to me,” he answered.

21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come over here so that I can feel your skin, Son, ⌞to find out⌟ whether or not you really are my son Esau.” 22 So Jacob went over to his father. Isaac felt ⌞his skin⌟. “The voice is Jacob’s,” he said, “but the hands are Esau’s.” 23 He didn’t recognize Jacob, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked him.

“I am,” Jacob answered.

25 Isaac said, “Bring me some of the game, and I will eat it, Son, so that I will bless you.” Jacob brought it to Isaac, and he ate it. Jacob also brought him wine, and he drank it.

26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and give me a kiss, Son.” 27 He went over and gave him a kiss. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him and said,

“The smell of my son
is like the smell of open country
that the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you dew from the sky,
fertile fields on the earth,
and plenty of fresh grain and new wine.
29 May nations serve you.
May people bow down to you.
Be the master of your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed.
May those who bless you be blessed.”

30 Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Jacob had barely left when his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31 He, too, prepared a good-tasting meal and brought it to his father. Then he said to his father, “Please, Father, eat some of the meat I’ve hunted for you so that you will bless me.”

32 “Who are you?” his father Isaac asked him.

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

33 Trembling violently all over, Isaac asked, “Who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it before you came in. I blessed him, and he will stay blessed.”

34 When Esau heard these words from his father, he shouted out a very loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, Father!”

35 Isaac said, “Your brother came and deceived me and has taken away your blessing.”

36 Esau said, “Isn’t that why he’s named Jacob? He’s cheated me twice already: He took my rights as firstborn, and now he’s taken my blessing.” So he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him your master, and I have made all his brothers serve him. I’ve provided fresh grain and new wine for him. What is left for me to do for you, Son?”

38 Esau asked, “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me too, Father!” And Esau sobbed loudly.

39 His father Isaac answered him,

“The place where you live will lack the fertile fields of the earth
and the dew from the sky above.
40 You will use your sword to live,
and you will serve your brother.
But eventually you will gain your freedom
and break his yoke [b] off your neck.”

41 So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father had given him. Esau said to himself, “The time to mourn for my father is near. Then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.”

42 When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Watch out! Your brother Esau is comforting himself by planning to kill you. 43 So now, Son, obey me. Quick! Run away to my brother Laban in Haran. 44 Stay with him awhile, until your brother’s anger cools down. 45 When your brother’s anger is gone and he has forgotten what you did to him, I’ll send for you and get you back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I can’t stand Hittite women! If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of those from around here, I might as well die.”

Footnotes

  1. 27:11 Or “but I am a smooth man.”
  2. 27:40 A yoke   is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.

Isaac Calls to Bless Esau

27 Now it happened that when Isaac was old and (A)his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his (B)older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” [a](C)And Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old, and I do not know the day of my death. So now, please take up your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and (D)hunt game for me; and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that (E)my soul may bless you before I die.”

Now Rebekah was listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. Then Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring to Isaac. (F)But Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying, ‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat and bless you in the presence of Yahweh before my death.’ So now, my son, (G)listen to my voice [b]as I command you. Go now to the flock and [c]get for me two choice [d]young goats from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 11 Then Jacob [e]answered his mother Rebekah, “Behold, Esau my brother is a (H)hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 (I)Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a mocker in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” 13 But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only (J)listen to my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother made a savory dish such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the [f]best (K)garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and she put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the [g]young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 She also gave the savory dish and the bread, which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

Isaac Blesses Jacob and Esau

18 Then 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 as you told me. (L)Rise up, please, sit and eat of my game, that (M)your soul may bless me.” 20 Then Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “(N)Because Yahweh your God caused it to happen to me.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that (O)I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him because his hands were (P)hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25 So he said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that (Q)my soul may bless you.” And he brought it near to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and then he (R)blessed him and said,

“See, (S)the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field (T)which Yahweh has blessed;
28 Now may (U)God give you of the dew of heaven,
And of the (V)fatness of the earth,
And an abundance of grain and new wine;
29 (W)May peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you;
(X)Be master of your brothers,
(Y)And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
(Z)Cursed be those who curse you,
And blessed be those who bless you.”

30 Now it happened that as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 Then he also made a savory dish and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, “(AA)Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that (AB)your soul may bless me.” 32 And Isaac his father said to him, “(AC)Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, (AD)your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac [h]trembled exceedingly violently and said, “(AE)Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came and blessed him? (AF)Indeed, he shall be blessed.” 34 As Esau heard the words of his father, (AG)he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, O my father!” 35 And he said, “(AH)Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” 36 Then he said, “[i]Is he not rightly named (AI)Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 But Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him (AJ)your master, and all his fellow brothers I have given to him [j]as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, 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.” So Esau lifted his voice and (AK)wept.

39 Then (AL)Isaac his father answered and said to him,

“Behold, [k](AM)away from the fatness of the earth shall be your habitation,
And [l]away from the dew of heaven from above.
40 By your sword you shall live,
And your brother (AN)you shall serve;
But it shall be (AO)when you become restless,
That you will [m]break his yoke from your neck.”

41 So Esau (AP)bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, “(AQ)The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 Then the words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. 43 So now, my son, (AR)listen to my voice, and arise, [n]flee to (AS)Haran, to my brother (AT)Laban! 44 Stay with him (AU)a few days, until your brother’s wrath [o]subsides, 45 until your brother’s anger [p]against you subsides and he forgets (AV)what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of [q]living because of (AW)the daughters of Heth; (AX)if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 27:2 Lit He
  2. Genesis 27:8 Lit according to what
  3. Genesis 27:9 Lit take
  4. Genesis 27:9 Lit kids of goats
  5. Genesis 27:11 Lit said to
  6. Genesis 27:15 Or choice, cf. 3:6; lit desirable
  7. Genesis 27:16 Lit kids of the goats
  8. Genesis 27:33 Lit trembled with a very great trembling
  9. Genesis 27:36 Or Was he then named Jacob that he has
  10. Genesis 27:37 Lit for
  11. Genesis 27:39 Or of
  12. Genesis 27:39 Or of
  13. Genesis 27:40 Lit tear off
  14. Genesis 27:43 Lit flee for yourself
  15. Genesis 27:44 Lit turns away
  16. Genesis 27:45 Lit turns away from you
  17. Genesis 27:46 Lit my life