Genesis 27
27
Isaac Blesses Jacob
1Isaac was now old and had become blind. He sent for his elder son Esau and said to him, “My son!”
“Yes,” he answered.
2Isaac said, “You see that I am old and may die soon. 3Take your bow and arrows, go out into the country, and kill an animal for me. 4Cook me some of that tasty food that I like, and bring it to me. After I have eaten it, I will give you my final blessing before I die.”
5While Isaac was talking to Esau, Rebecca was listening. So when Esau went out to hunt, 6she said to Jacob, “I have just heard your father say to Esau, 7‘Bring me an animal and cook it for me. After I have eaten it, I will give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ 8Now, my son,” Rebecca continued, “listen to me and do what I say. 9Go to the flock and pick out two fat young goats, so that I can cook them and make some of that food your father likes so much. 10You can take it to him to eat, and he will give you his blessing before he dies.”
11But Jacob said to his mother, “You know that Esau is a hairy man, but I have smooth skin. 12Perhaps my father will touch me and find out that I am deceiving him; in this way I will bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.”
13His mother answered, “Let any curse against you fall on me, my son; just do as I say, and go and get the goats for me.” 14So he went to get them and brought them to her, and she cooked the kind of food that his father liked. 15Then she took Esau's best clothes, which she kept in the house, and put them on Jacob. 16She put the skins of the goats on his arms and on the hairless part of his neck. 17She handed him the tasty food, together with the bread she had baked.
18Then Jacob went to his father and said, “Father!”
“Yes,” he answered. “Which of my sons are you?”
19Jacob answered, “I am your elder son Esau; I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of the meat that I have brought you, so that you can give me your blessing.”
20Isaac said, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”
Jacob answered, “The LORD your God helped me to find it.”
21Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so that I can touch you. Are you really Esau?” 22Jacob moved closer to his father, who felt him and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob's voice, but your arms feel like Esau's arms.” 23He did not recognize Jacob, because his arms were hairy like Esau's. He was about to give him his blessing, 24but asked again, “Are you really Esau?”
“I am,” he answered.
25Isaac said, “Bring me some of the meat. After I have eaten it, I will give you my blessing.” Jacob brought it to him, and he also brought him some wine to drink. 26Then his father said to him, “Come closer and kiss me, my son.” 27#Heb 11.20As he came up to kiss him, Isaac smelt his clothes — so he gave him his blessing. He said, “The pleasant smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the LORD has blessed. 28May God give you dew from heaven and make your fields fertile! May he give you plenty of corn and wine! 29#Gen 12.3May nations be your servants, and may peoples bow down before you. May you rule over all your relatives, and may your mother's descendants bow down before you. May those who curse you be cursed, and may those who bless you be blessed.”
Esau Begs for Isaac's Blessing
30Isaac finished giving his blessing, and as soon as Jacob left, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31He also cooked some tasty food and took it to his father. He said, “Please, father, sit up and eat some of the meat that I have brought you, so that you can give me your blessing.”
32“Who are you?” Isaac asked.
“Your elder son Esau,” he answered.
33Isaac began to tremble and shake all over, and he asked, “Who was it, then, who killed an animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my final blessing, and so it is his for ever.”
34When Esau heard this, he cried out loudly and bitterly and said, “Give me your blessing also, father!”
35Isaac answered, “Your brother came and deceived me. He has taken away your blessing.”
36 #
Gen 25.29–34
Esau said, “This is the second time that he has cheated me. No wonder his name is Jacob.#27.36 Jacob: This name sounds like the Hebrew for “cheat”. He took my rights as the firstborn son, and now he has taken away my blessing. Haven't you saved a blessing for me?”
37Isaac answered, “I have already made him master over you, and I have made all his relatives his slaves. I have given him corn and wine. Now there is nothing that I can do for you, my son!”
38 #
Heb 12.17
Esau continued to plead with his father: “Have you only one blessing, father? Bless me too, father!” He began to cry.
39 #
Heb 11.20
Then Isaac said to him,
“No dew from heaven for you,
No fertile fields for you.
40 #
Gen 36.8; 2 Kgs 8.20 You will live by your sword,
But be your brother's slave.
Yet when you rebel,#27.40 rebel; or grow restless.
You will break away from his control.”
41Esau hated Jacob, because his father had given Jacob the blessing. He thought, “The time to mourn my father's death is near; then I will kill Jacob.”
42But when Rebecca heard about Esau's plan, she sent for Jacob and said, “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to get even with you and kill you. 43Now, my son, do what I say. Go at once to my brother Laban in Haran, 44and stay with him for a while, until your brother's anger cools down 45and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send someone to bring you back. Why should I lose both my sons on the same day?”
Isaac Sends Jacob to Laban
46Rebecca said to Isaac, “I am sick and tired of Esau's foreign wives. If Jacob also marries one of these Hittite women, I might as well die.”
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Genesis 27: GNBUK
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.
Genesis 27
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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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.