41 Now Esau (A)hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, (B)“The days of mourning for my father are approaching; (C)then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, 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 bereft of you both in one day?”

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, (D)“I loathe my life because of the Hittite women.[a] (E)If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

Jacob Sent to Laban

28 Then Isaac called Jacob (F)and blessed him and directed him, (G)“You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women. (H)Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of (I)Bethuel your mother's father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother's brother. (J)God Almighty[b] bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples. May he give (K)the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of (L)the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!” Thus Isaac sent Jacob away. And he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, the son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 27:46 Hebrew daughters of Heth
  2. Genesis 28:3 Hebrew El Shaddai

Jacob Flees to Paddan-Aram

41 From that time on, Esau hated Jacob because their father had given Jacob the blessing. And Esau began to scheme: “I will soon be mourning my father’s death. Then I will kill my brother, Jacob.”

42 But Rebekah heard about Esau’s plans. So she sent for Jacob and told him, “Listen, Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. 43 So listen carefully, my son. Get ready and flee to my brother, Laban, in Haran. 44 Stay there with him until your brother cools off. 45 When he calms down and forgets what you have done to him, I will send for you to come back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick and tired of these local Hittite women! I would rather die than see Jacob marry one of them.”

28 So Isaac called for Jacob, blessed him, and said, “You must not marry any of these Canaanite women. Instead, go at once to Paddan-aram, to the house of your grandfather Bethuel, and marry one of your uncle Laban’s daughters. May God Almighty[a] bless you and give you many children. And may your descendants multiply and become many nations! May God pass on to you and your descendants[b] the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham.”

So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram to stay with his uncle Laban, his mother’s brother, the son of Bethuel the Aramean.

Footnotes

  1. 28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai.
  2. 28:4 Hebrew seed; also in 28:13, 14.