Isaac Blesses Jacob

27 Now it came to pass, when Isaac was (A)old and (B)his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

And he answered him, “Here I am.”

Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I (C)do not know the day of my death. (D)Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. And make me [a]savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul (E)may bless you before I die.”

Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, ‘Bring me game and make [b]savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ Now therefore, my son, (F)obey my voice according to what I command you. Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make (G)savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. 10 Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he (H)may bless you before his death.”

11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, (I)Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. 12 Perhaps my father will (J)feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring (K)a curse on myself and not a blessing.”

13 But his mother said to him, (L)Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14 And he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother (M)made [c]savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took (N)the choice clothes of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

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

And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, (O)that your soul may bless me.”

20 But 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, that I (P)may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because (Q)his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

24 Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?”

He said, “I am.

25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so (R)that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” 27 And he came near and (S)kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:

“Surely, (T)the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the Lord has blessed.
28 Therefore may (U)God give you
Of (V)the dew of heaven,
Of (W)the fatness of the earth,
And (X)plenty of grain and wine.
29 (Y)Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And (Z)let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
(AA)Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”

Esau’s Lost Hope(AB)

30 Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also had made [d]savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and (AC)eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”

32 And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”

So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

33 Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—(AD)and indeed he shall be blessed.”

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, (AE)he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”

35 But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”

36 And Esau said, (AF)“Is he not rightly named [e]Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, 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, (AG)“Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with (AH)grain and wine I have [f]sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”

38 And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice (AI)and wept.

39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, (AJ)your dwelling shall be of the [g]fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
40 By your sword you shall live,
And (AK)you shall serve your brother;
And (AL)it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Jacob Escapes from Esau

41 So Esau (AM)hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, (AN)“The days of mourning for my father [h]are at hand; (AO)then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42 And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau (AP)comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban (AQ)in Haran. 44 And stay with him a (AR)few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?”

46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, (AS)“I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; (AT)if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 27:4 tasty
  2. Genesis 27:7 tasty
  3. Genesis 27:14 tasty
  4. Genesis 27:31 tasty
  5. Genesis 27:36 Supplanter or Deceitful, lit. One Who Takes the Heel
  6. Genesis 27:37 provided support for
  7. Genesis 27:39 fertility
  8. Genesis 27:41 are soon here

27 And it cometh to pass that Isaac [is] aged, and his eyes are too dim for seeing, and he calleth Esau his elder son, and saith unto him, `My son;' and he saith unto him, `Here [am] I.'

And he saith, `Lo, I pray thee, I have become aged, I have not known the day of my death;

and now, take up, I pray thee, thy instruments, thy quiver, and thy bow, and go out to the field, and hunt for me provision,

and make for me tasteful things, [such] as I have loved, and bring in to me, and I do eat, so that my soul doth bless thee before I die.'

And Rebekah is hearkening while Isaac is speaking unto Esau his son; and Esau goeth to the field to hunt provision -- to bring in;

and Rebekah hath spoken unto Jacob her son, saying, `Lo, I have heard thy father speaking unto Esau thy brother, saying,

Bring for me provision, and make for me tasteful things, and I do eat, and bless thee before Jehovah before my death.

`And now, my son, hearken to my voice, to that which I am commanding thee:

Go, I pray thee, unto the flock, and take for me from thence two good kids of the goats, and I make them tasteful things for thy father, [such] as he hath loved;

10 and thou hast taken in to thy father, and he hath eaten, so that his soul doth bless thee before his death.

11 And Jacob saith unto Rebekah his mother, `Lo, Esau my brother [is] a hairy man, and I a smooth man,

12 it may be my father doth feel me, and I have been in his eyes as a deceiver, and have brought upon me disesteem, and not a blessing;'

13 and his mother saith to him, `On me thy disesteem, my son; only hearken to my voice, and go, take for me.'

14 And he goeth, and taketh, and bringeth to his mother, and his mother maketh tasteful things, [such] as his father hath loved;

15 and Rebekah taketh the desirable garments of Esau her elder son, which [are] with her in the house, and doth put on Jacob her younger son;

16 and the skins of the kids of the goats she hath put on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck,

17 and she giveth the tasteful things, and the bread which she hath made, into the hand of Jacob her son.

18 And he cometh in unto his father, and saith, `My father;' and he saith, `Here [am] I; who [art] thou, my son?'

19 And Jacob saith unto his father, `I [am] Esau thy first-born; I have done as thou hast spoken unto me; rise, I pray thee, sit, and eat of my provision, so that thy soul doth bless me.'

20 And Isaac saith unto his son, `What [is] this thou hast hasted to find, my son?' and he saith, `That which Jehovah thy God hath caused to come before me.'

21 And Isaac saith unto Jacob, `Come nigh, I pray thee, and I feel thee, my son, whether thou [art] he, my son Esau, or not.'

22 And Jacob cometh nigh unto Isaac his father, and he feeleth him, and saith, `The voice [is] the voice of Jacob, and the hands hands of Esau.'

23 And he hath not discerned him, for his hands have been hairy, as the hands of Esau his brother, and he blesseth him,

24 and saith, `Thou art he -- my son Esau?' and he saith, `I [am].'

25 And he saith, `Bring nigh to me, and I do eat of my son's provision, so that my soul doth bless thee;' and he bringeth nigh to him, and he eateth; and he bringeth to him wine, and he drinketh.

26 And Isaac his father saith to him, `Come nigh, I pray thee, and kiss me, my son;'

27 and he cometh nigh, and kisseth him, and he smelleth the fragrance of his garments, and blesseth him, and saith, `See, the fragrance of my son [is] as the fragrance of a field which Jehovah hath blessed;

28 and God doth give to thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of corn and wine;

29 peoples serve thee, and nations bow themselves to thee, be thou mighty over thy brethren, and the sons of thy mother bow themselves to thee; those who curse thee [are] cursed, and those who bless thee [are] blessed.'

30 And it cometh to pass, as Isaac hath finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob is only just going out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother hath come in from his hunting;

31 and he also maketh tasteful things, and bringeth to his father, and saith to his father, `Let my father arise, and eat of his son's provision, so that thy soul doth bless me.'

32 And Isaac his father saith to him, `Who [art] thou?' and he saith, `I [am] thy son, thy first-born, Esau;'

33 and Isaac trembleth a very great trembling, and saith, `Who, now, [is] he who hath provided provision, and bringeth in to me, and I eat of all before thou comest in, and I bless him? -- yea, blessed is he.'

34 When Esau heareth the words of his father, then he crieth a very great and bitter cry, and saith to his father, `Bless me, me also, O my father;'

35 and he saith, `Thy brother hath come with subtilty, and taketh thy blessing.'

36 And he saith, `Is it because [one] called his name Jacob that he doth take me by the heel these two times? my birthright he hath taken; and lo, now, he hath taken my blessing;' he saith also, `Hast thou not kept back a blessing for me?'

37 And Isaac answereth and saith to Esau, `Lo, a mighty one have I set him over thee, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and [with] corn and wine have I sustained him; and for thee now, what shall I do, my son?'

38 And Esau saith unto his father, `One blessing hast thou my father? bless me, me also, O my father;' and Esau lifteth up his voice, and weepeth.

39 And Isaac his father answereth and saith unto him, `Lo, of the fatness of the earth is thy dwelling, and of the dew of the heavens from above;

40 and by thy sword dost thou live, and thy brother dost thou serve; and it hath come to pass when thou rulest, that thou hast broken his yoke from off thy neck.'

41 And Esau hateth Jacob, because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau saith in his heart, `The days of mourning [for] my father draw near, and I slay Jacob my brother.'

42 And the words of Esau her elder son are declared to Rebekah, and she sendeth and calleth for Jacob her younger son, and saith unto him, `Lo, Esau thy brother is comforting himself in regard to thee -- to slay thee;

43 and now, my son, hearken to my voice, and rise, flee for thyself unto Laban my brother, to Haran,

44 and thou hast dwelt with him some days, till thy brother's fury turn back,

45 till thy brother's anger turn back from thee, and he hath forgotten that which thou hast done to him, and I have sent and taken thee from thence; why am I bereaved even of you both the same day?'

46 And Rebekah saith unto Isaac, `I have been disgusted with my life because of the presence of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these -- from the daughters of the land -- why do I live?'