Genesis 27

1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

2Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death. 3Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. 4Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”

5Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ 8Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: 9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. 10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”

11Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. 12What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”

13His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me.”

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

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

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

19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

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

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

21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

22Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. 24“Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

25Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”

Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

27So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said,

“Ah, the smell of my son

is like the smell of a field

that the Lord has blessed.

28May God give you heaven’s dew

and earth’s richness—

an abundance of grain and new wine.

29May nations serve you

and peoples bow down to you.

Be lord over your brothers,

and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.

May those who curse you be cursed

and those who bless you be blessed.”

30After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, “My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing.”

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

“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”

33Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!”

34When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me—me too, my father!”

35But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

36Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob#27:36 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

37Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

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

39His father Isaac answered him,

“Your dwelling will be

away from the earth’s richness,

away from the dew of heaven above.

40You will live by the sword

and you will serve your brother.

But when you grow restless,

you will throw his yoke

from off your neck.”

41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. 43Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44Stay with him for a while until your brother’s fury subsides. 45When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I’ll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”

Genesis 27

1Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, and he could not see: and he called Esau, his elder son, and said to him: My son? And he answered: Here I am.

2And his father said to him: Thou seest that I am old, and know not the day of my death.

3Take thy arms, thy quiver, and bow, and go abroad: and when thou hast taken some thing by hunting,

4Make me savoury meat thereof, as thou knowest I like, and bring it, that I may eat: and my soul may bless thee before I die.

5And when Rebecca had heard this; and he was gone into the field to fulfill his father's commandment,

6She said to her son Jacob: I heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, and saying to him:

7Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the Lord, before I die.

8Now, therefore, my son, follow my counsel:

9And go thy way to the flock; bring me two kids of the best, that I may make of them meat for thy father, such as he gladly eateth.

10Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die.

11And he answered her: Thou knowest that Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am smooth.

12If my father shall feel me, and perceive it, I fear lest he will think I would have mocked him: and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing.

13And his mother said to him: Upon me be this curse, my son: Only hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have said.

14He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked.

15And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.

16And the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck.

17And she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked.

18Which when he had carried in, he said: My father? But he answered: I hear. Who art thou, my son?

19And Jacob said: I am Esau thy firstborn: I have done as thou didst command me. Arise, sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

20And Isaac said to his son: How couldst thou find it so quickly, My son? He answered: It was the will of God what I sought came quickly in my way

21And Isaac said: Come hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be my son Esau, or not.

22He came near to his father, and when he had felt him, Isaac said: The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob; but the hands are the hands of Esau.

23And he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder. Then blessing him,

24He said: Art thou my son Esau? He answered: I am.

25Then he said: Bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee. And when they were brought, and he had eaten, he offered him wine also. Which after he had drunk,

26He said to him: Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son.

27He came near, and kissed him. And immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said: Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which Lord hath blessed.

28God give thee the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine.

29And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee. Be thou lord of thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee. Cursed be he that curseth thee: and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings.

30Isaac had scarce ended his words, when Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came,

31And brought in to his father meats made of what he had taken in hunting, saying: Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison; that thy soul may bless me.

32And Isaac said to him: Why? Who art thou? He answered: I am thy firstborn son Esau.

33Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly: and wondering beyond what can be believed, said: Who is he then the even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou camest? And I have blessed him; and he shall be blessed.

34Esau having heard his father's words roared out with a great cry: and being in a great consternation, said: Bless me also, my father.

35And he said: Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing.

36But he said again: Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he hath supplanted me, lo, this second time. My first birthright he took away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing. And again he said to his father: Hast thou not reserved me also a blessing?

37Isaac answered: I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants. I have established him with corn and wine, and after this, what shall I do more for thee, my son?

38And Esac said to him: Hast thou only one blessing, father? I beseech thee, bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry,

39Isaac being moved, said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,

40Shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live by the sword and shalt serve thy brother. And the time shall come, when thou shalt shake off and loose his yoke from thy neck.

41Esau therefore always hated Jacob for the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him: and he said in his heart: The days will come of the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.

42These things were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Jacob her son, and said to him, Behold Esau thy brother threateneth to kill thee.

43Now therefore, my son, hear my voice: Arise and flee to Laban, my brother, to Haran:

44And thou shalt dwell with him a few days, till the wrath of thy brother be assuaged,

45And his indignation cease, and he forget the things thou hast done to him. Afterwards I will send, and bring thee from thence hither. Why shall I be deprived of both my sons in one day?

46And Rebecca said to Isaac: I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the stock of this land, I choose not to live.

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Genesis 27

Genesis 27