Genesis 27
Complete Jewish Bible
27 In the course of time, after Yitz’chak had grown old and his eyes dim, so that he couldn’t see, he called ‘Esav his older son and said to him, “My son?” and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 “Look, I’m old now, I don’t know when I will die. 3 Therefore, please take your hunting gear — your quiver of arrows and your bow; go out in the country, and get me some game. 4 Make it tasty, the way I like it; and bring it to me to eat. Then I will bless you [as firstborn], before I die.”
5 Rivkah was listening when Yitz’chak spoke to his son ‘Esav. So when ‘Esav went out to the country to hunt for game and bring it back, 6 she said to her son Ya‘akov, “Listen! I heard your father telling ‘Esav your brother, 7 ‘Bring me game, and make it tasty, so I can eat it. Then I will give you my blessing in the presence of Adonai, before my death.’ 8 Now pay attention to me, my son; and do what I tell you. 9 Go to the flock, and bring me back two choice kids. I will make it tasty for your father, the way he likes it; 10 and you will bring it to your father to eat; so that he will give his blessing to you before his death.” 11 Ya‘akov answered Rivkah his mother, “Look, ‘Esav is hairy, but I have smooth skin. 12 Suppose my father touches me — he’ll know I’m trying to trick him, and I’ll bring a curse on myself, not a blessing!” 13 But his mother said, “Let your curse be on me. Just listen to me, and go get me the kids!” 14 So he went, got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared them in the tasty way his father loved. 15 Next, Rivkah took ‘Esav her older son’s best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on Ya‘akov her younger son; 16 and she put the skins of the goats on his hands and on the smooth parts of his neck. 17 Then she gave the tasty food and the bread she had prepared to her son Ya‘akov.
18 He went to his father and said, “My father?” He replied, “Here I am; who are you, my son?” 19 Ya‘akov said to his father, “I am ‘Esav your firstborn. I’ve done what you asked me to do. Get up now, sit down, eat the game, and then give me your blessing.” 20 Yitz’chak said to his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Adonai your God made it happen that way.” 21 Yitz’chak said to Ya‘akov, “Come here, close to me, so I can touch you, my son, and know whether you are in fact my son ‘Esav or not.” 22 Ya‘akov approached Yitz’chak his father, who touched him and said, “The voice is Ya‘akov’s voice, but the hands are ‘Esav’s hands.” 23 However, he didn’t detect him; because his hands were hairy like his brother ‘Esav’s hands; so he gave him his blessing. 24 He asked, “Are you really my son ‘Esav?” And he replied, “I am.” 25 He said, “Bring it here to me, and I will eat my son’s game, so that I can give you my blessing.” So he brought it up to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Yitz’chak said to him, “Come close now, and kiss me, my son.” 27 He approached and kissed him. Yitz’chak smelled his clothes and blessed Ya‘akov with these words: “See, my son smells like a field which Adonai has blessed. (vi) 28 So may God give you dew from heaven, the richness of the earth, and grain and wine in abundance. 29 May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be lord over your kinsmen, let your mother’s descendants bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
30 But as soon as Yitz’chak had finished giving his blessing to Ya‘akov, when Ya‘akov had barely left his father’s presence, ‘Esav his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He too had prepared a tasty meal and brought it to his father, and now he said to his father, “Let my father get up and eat from his son’s game, so that you may give me your blessing.” 32 Yitz’chak his father said to him, “Who are you?” and he answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, ‘Esav.” 33 Yitz’chak began trembling uncontrollably and said, “Then who was it that took game and brought it to me? I ate it all just before you came, and I gave my blessing to him. That’s the truth, and the blessing must stand.” 34 When ‘Esav heard his father’s words he burst into loud, bitter sobbing. “Father, bless me too,” he begged. 35 He replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took away your blessing.” 36 ‘Esav said, “His name, Ya‘akov [he supplants], really suits him — because he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and here, now he has taken away my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?” 37 Yitz’chak answered ‘Esav, “Look, I have made him your lord, I have given him all his kinsmen as servants, and I have given him grain and wine to sustain him. What else is there that I can do for you, my son?” 38 ‘Esav said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Father, bless me too!” ‘Esav wept aloud, 39 and Yitz’chak his father answered him: “Here! Your home will be of the richness of the earth and of the dew of heaven from above. 40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you break loose, you will shake his yoke off your neck.”
41 ‘Esav hated his brother because of the blessing his father had given him. ‘Esav said to himself, “The time for mourning my father will soon come, and then I will kill my brother Ya‘akov.” 42 But the words of ‘Esav her older son were told to Rivkah. She sent for Ya‘akov her younger son and said to him, “Here, your brother ‘Esav is comforting himself over you by planning to kill you. 43 Therefore, my son, listen to me: get up and escape to Lavan my brother in Haran. 44 Stay with him a little while, until your brother’s anger subsides. 45 Your brother’s anger will turn away from you, and he will forget what you did to him. Then I’ll send and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you on the same day?”
46 Rivkah said to Yitz’chak, “I’m sick to death of Hitti women! If Ya‘akov marries one of the Hitti women, like those who live here, my life won’t be worth living.”
Bereshis 27
Orthodox Jewish Bible
27 And it came to pass, that when Yitzchak was zaken (old),and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esav bno hagadol and said unto him, Beni: and he said unto him, Hineni.
2 And he said, Hinei now, I am old, I know not my yom mot:
3 Therefore take, now, thy kelim (weapons), thy quiver and thy keshet (bow), and go out to the sadeh, and hunt me some wild game;
4 And make me matamim (savory meat, tasty food), such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my nefesh may make a brocha upon thee before I die.
5 And Rivkah heard when Yitzchak spoke to Esav bno. And Esav went to the sadeh to hunt for wild game, and to bring it
6 And Rivkah spoke unto Ya’akov her ben, saying, Hinei, I heard avicha speak unto Esav achicha, saying,
7 Bring me wild game, and make me matamim, that I may eat, and make a brocha upon thee before Hashem before my mot.
8 Now therefore, beni (my son), obey my kol (voice) according to that which I command thee.
9 Go now to the tzon, and bring me from there two gedayei izzim tovim (good kids of goats); and I will make them matamim for avicha, such as he loveth:
10 And thou shalt bring it to avicha, that he may eat, and that he may make a brocha upon thee before his mot.
11 And Ya’akov said to Rivkah immo, Look, Esav achi is an ish sa’ir (hairy man), and I am an ish chalak (smooth man)
12 What if avi will touch me, and I shall seem to him as a meta’te’a (mocker); and I shall bring a kelalah upon me, and not a brocha.
13 And immo said unto him, Upon me be thy kelalah, beni; only obey my kol (voice), and go bring me them.
14 And he went, and got, and brought them to immo: and immo made matamim, such as aviv loved.
15 And Rivkah took begadim of Esav her ben hagadol, the chamudot (best ones) which were with her in the bais, and dressed Ya’akov her ben hakatan;
16 And with orot gedayei haizzim (skins of the kids of the goats) she dressed and covered his hands, and also upon the smooth of his tzavar (neck);
17 And she gave the matamim and the lechem, which she had prepared, into the yad Ya’akov her ben.
18 And he came unto aviv, and said, Avi; and he said, Hineni; who art thou, beni?
19 And Ya’akov said unto aviv, I am Esav thy bechor; I have done according as thou told me; arise, now, sit up and eat of my wild game, that thy nefesh may make a brocha upon me.
20 And Yitzchak said unto bno, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, beni? And he said, Hashem Eloheicha worked it out for me.
21 And Yitzchak said unto Ya’akov, Come near, now, that I may touch thee, beni, indeed, whether thou be beni Esav or not.
22 And Ya’akov went near unto Yitzchak aviv; and he touched him, and said, The kol is kol Ya’akov, but the yadayim are the yedei Esav.
23 And he discerned him not, for his hands were se’irot, as yedei Esav achiv; so he made a brocha upon him
24 And he said, Art thou indeed beni Esav? And he said, I am.
25 And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of the wild game of beni, that my nefesh may make a brocha upon thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat; and he brought him yayin and he drank.
26 And aviv Yitzchak said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me beni.
27 And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the reiach (smell) of his begadim, and made a brocha upon him, and said, See, the reiach of beni is as the reiach of a sadeh upon which Hashem hath made a brocha;
28 Therefore HaElohim give thee of the tal haShomayim, and the fatness of ha’aretz, and plenty of dagan and tirosh;
29 Let people serve thee, and amim bow down to thee: be gevir over thy achim, and let bnei immecha bow down to thee: arur be every one that curseth thee, and baruch be he that blesseh thee.
30 And as soon as Yitzchak had completed making on Ya’akov a brocha, and Ya’akov had hardly gone out from the presence of Yitzchak aviv, that Esav achiv came in from his hunt.
31 And he also had prepared matamim, and brought it unto aviv and said unto aviv, Let avi arise, and eat of the wild game of bno, that thy nefesh may make a brocha upon me.
32 And Yitzchak aviv said unto him, Mi atah? (Who art thou?) And he said, I am binecha, thy bechor Esav.
33 And Yitzchak trembled with charadah gedolah ad me’od (exceedingly great trembling), and said, Who? Where is he that hath hunted wild game, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all of it before thou camest, and have made a brocha upon him? And indeed he shall be baruch (blessed)!
34 And when Esav heard the words of aviv, he cried with tzeakah gedolah umarah ad me’od (a great and exceeding bitter cry), and said unto aviv, Make a brocha on me, even me also, O avi.
35 And he said, Achicha came with mirmah (deceit), and hath taken away thy brocha.
36 And he said, Is not he rightly called shmo Ya’akov? for vaya’keveni (now he deceived/outwitted me) these two times he took away my bechorah (birthright); and, hinei, now he hath taken away my brocha (blessing). And he asked, Hast thou not reserved a brocha for me?
37 And Yitzchak answered and said unto Esav, See, I have made him gevir over you, and all his achim have I given to him for avadim; and with dagan and tirosh have I sustained him; and what shall I do now unto thee, beni?
38 And Esav said unto aviv, Hast thou but one brocha, avi? Make a brocha on me, even me also, O avi. And Esav lifted up his kol (voice), and wept.
39 And Yitzchak aviv answered and said unto him, Hinei, thy moshav (dwelling) shall be the fatness of ha’aretz, and of the tal HaShomayim from above;
40 And by thy cherev shalt thou live, and shalt serve achicha; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt become restless, that thou shalt break his ol (yoke) from off thy tzavar (neck).
41 And Esav hated Ya’akov because of the brocha wherewith aviv made a brocha upon him: and Esav said in his lev, The yemei evel (days of mourning) for avi are at hand; then will I slay Ya’akov achi.
42 And these words of Esav her ben hagadol were told to Rivkah; and she sent and called Ya’akov her ben hakatan, and said unto him, Hinei, Esav achicha, as touching thee, doth console himself, purposing to kill thee.
43 Now therefore, beni, shema bekoli (listen to my voice)! Arise, flee thou to Lavan achi to Charan;
44 And tarry with him a few days, until chamat achicha subsides;
45 And when af achicha subsides from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him; then I will send, and get thee from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in yom echad (one day, the same day)?
46 And Rivkah said to Yitzchak, I am weary of my life because of the Banot Chet: if Ya’akov take an isha of the Banot Chet (Hittite women) such as these which are of the banot ha’aretz, what will chayyim to me be?
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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