B'resheet (Gen) 27

1In 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. 3Therefore, please take your hunting gear — your quiver of arrows and your bow; go out in the country, and get me some game. 4Make it tasty, the way I like it; and bring it to me to eat. Then I will bless you [as firstborn], before I die.”

5Rivkah 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, 6she 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.’ 8Now pay attention to me, my son; and do what I tell you. 9Go to the flock, and bring me back two choice kids. I will make it tasty for your father, the way he likes it; 10and you will bring it to your father to eat; so that he will give his blessing to you before his death.” 11Ya‘akov answered Rivkah his mother, “Look, ‘Esav is hairy, but I have smooth skin. 12Suppose my father touches me — he’ll know I’m trying to trick him, and I’ll bring a curse on myself, not a blessing!” 13But his mother said, “Let your curse be on me. Just listen to me, and go get me the kids!” 14So he went, got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared them in the tasty way his father loved. 15Next, 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; 16and she put the skins of the goats on his hands and on the smooth parts of his neck. 17Then she gave the tasty food and the bread she had prepared to her son Ya‘akov.

18He went to his father and said, “My father?” He replied, “Here I am; who are you, my son?” 19Ya‘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.” 20Yitz’chak said to his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Adonai your God made it happen that way.” 21Yitz’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.” 22Ya‘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.” 23However, he didn’t detect him; because his hands were hairy like his brother ‘Esav’s hands; so he gave him his blessing. 24He asked, “Are you really my son ‘Esav?” And he replied, “I am.” 25He 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. 26Then his father Yitz’chak said to him, “Come close now, and kiss me, my son.” 27He 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) 28So may God give you dew from heaven, the richness of the earth, and grain and wine in abundance. 29May 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!”

30But 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. 31He 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.” 32Yitz’chak his father said to him, “Who are you?” and he answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, ‘Esav.” 33Yitz’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.” 34When ‘Esav heard his father’s words he burst into loud, bitter sobbing. “Father, bless me too,” he begged. 35He 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?” 37Yitz’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, 39and 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. 40You 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.” 42But 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. 43Therefore, my son, listen to me: get up and escape to Lavan my brother in Haran. 44Stay with him a little while, until your brother’s anger subsides. 45Your 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?”

46Rivkah 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.”

Genesis 27

1And it came to pass when Isaac had become old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, that he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, My son! And he said to him, Here am I. 2And he said, Behold now, I am become old; I know not the day of my death. 3And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison, 4and prepare me a savoury dish such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, in order that my soul may bless thee before I die. 5And Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt venison, to bring it.

6And Rebecca spoke to Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak to Esau thy brother, saying, 7Bring me venison, and prepare me a savoury dish, that I may eat, and bless thee before Jehovah, before my death. 8And now, my son, hearken to my voice in that which I command thee. 9Go, I pray thee, to the flock, and fetch me thence two good kids of the goats. And I will make of them a savoury dish for thy father, such as he loves. 10And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, in order that he may bless thee before his death. 11And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall be in his sight as one who mocks him, and I shall bring a curse on me, and not a blessing. 13And his mother said to him, On me be thy curse, my son! Only hearken to my voice, and go, fetch them. 14And he went, and fetched and brought them to his mother. And his mother prepared a savoury dish such as his father loved. 15And Rebecca took the clothes of her elder son Esau, the costly ones which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son; 16and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck; 17and she gave the savoury dishes and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

18And he came to his father, and said, My father! And he said, Here am I: who art thou, my son? 19And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau, thy firstborn. I have done according as thou didst say to me. Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, in order that thy soul may bless me. 20And Isaac said to his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah thy God#GodHebrew: Elohim put it in my way. 21And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be really my son Esau or not. 22And Jacob drew 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. 23And he did not discern him, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; and he blessed him. 24And he said, Art thou really my son Esau? And he said, It is I. 25And he said, Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son's venison, in order that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26And his father Isaac said to him, Come near, now, and kiss me, my son. 27And he came near, and kissed him. And he smelt the smell of his clothes, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed. 28And God#GodHebrew: Elohim give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and new wine. 29Let peoples serve thee, And races bow down to thee. Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be they that curse thee, And blessed be they that bless thee.

30And it came to pass when Isaac had ended blessing Jacob, and when Jacob was only just gone out from Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came from his hunting. 31And he also had prepared savoury dishes, and he brought them in to his father, and said to his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, in order that thy soul may bless me. 32And Isaac his father said to him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. 33Then Isaac trembled with exceeding great trembling, and said, Who was he, then, that hunted venison and brought it to me? And I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him; also blessed he shall be. 34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me — me also, my father! 35And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and has taken away thy blessing. 36And he said, Is it not therefore he was named Jacob, for he has supplanted me now twice? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37And Isaac answered and said to Esau, Behold, I have made him lord over thee, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and with corn and new wine have I supplied him — and what can I do now for thee, my son? 38And Esau said to his father, Hast thou then but one blessing, my father? bless me — me also, my father! And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. 39And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above; 40And by thy sword shalt thou live; And thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou rovest about, That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will slay my brother Jacob. 42And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, comforts himself that he will kill thee. 43And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran; 44and abide with him some days, until thy brother's fury turn away — 45until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget what thou hast done to him; then I will send and fetch thee thence. Why should I be bereaved even of you both 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 daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good should my life do me?

Choose your language

B'resheet (Gen) 27

Genesis 27