Genesis 27
27
Jacob Gets Isaac’s Blessing
1When Isaac was old and going blind, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “Son!”
Esau answered, “Here I am.”
2Isaac said, “I’m old. I don’t know when I’m going to die. 3Now take your hunting equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out into the open country and hunt some wild game for me. 4Prepare a good-tasting meal for me, just the way I like it. Bring it to me to eat so that I will bless you before I die.”
5Rebekah was listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. When Esau went into the open country to hunt for some wild game to bring back, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I’ve just heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. 7He said, ‘Bring me some wild game, and prepare a good-tasting meal for me to eat so that I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ 8Now listen to me, Son, and do what I tell you. 9Go to the flock, and get me two good young goats. I’ll prepare them as a good-tasting meal for your father, just the way he likes it. 10Then take it to your father to eat so that he will bless you before he dies.”
11Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth.#27:11 Or “but I am a smooth man.” 12My father will feel ⌞my skin⌟ and think I’m mocking him. Then I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.”
13His mother responded, “Let any curse on you fall on me, Son. Just obey me and go! Get me ⌞the young goats⌟.”
14He went and got them and brought them to his mother. She prepared a good-tasting meal, just the way his father liked it. 15Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s good clothes, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16She put the skins from the young goats on his hands and on the back of his neck. 17Then she gave her son Jacob the good-tasting meal and the bread she had prepared.
18He went to his father and said, “Father?”
“Yes?” he answered. “Who are you, Son?”
19Jacob answered his father, “I’m Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done what you told me. Sit up and eat this meat I’ve hunted for you so that you may bless me.”
20Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, Son?”
“The Lord your God brought it to me,” he answered.
21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come over here so that I can feel your skin, Son, ⌞to find out⌟ whether or not you really are my son Esau.” 22So Jacob went over to his father. Isaac felt ⌞his skin⌟. “The voice is Jacob’s,” he said, “but the hands are Esau’s.” 23He didn’t recognize Jacob, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24“Are you really my son Esau?” he asked him.
“I am,” Jacob answered.
25Isaac said, “Bring me some of the game, and I will eat it, Son, so that I will bless you.” Jacob brought it to Isaac, and he ate it. Jacob also brought him wine, and he drank it.
26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and give me a kiss, Son.” 27He went over and gave him a kiss. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him and said,
“The smell of my son
is like the smell of open country
that the Lord has blessed.
28May God give you dew from the sky,
fertile fields on the earth,
and plenty of fresh grain and new wine.
29May nations serve you.
May people bow down to you.
Be the master of your brothers,
and may the sons of your mother bow down to you.
May those who curse you be cursed.
May those who bless you be blessed.”
30Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Jacob had barely left when his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31He, too, prepared a good-tasting meal and brought it to his father. Then he said to his father, “Please, Father, eat some of the meat I’ve hunted for you so that you will bless me.”
32“Who are you?” his father Isaac asked him.
“I’m your firstborn son Esau,” he answered.
33Trembling violently all over, Isaac asked, “Who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it before you came in. I blessed him, and he will stay blessed.”
34When Esau heard these words from his father, he shouted out a very loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, Father!”
35Isaac said, “Your brother came and deceived me and has taken away your blessing.”
36Esau said, “Isn’t that why he’s named Jacob? He’s cheated me twice already: He took my rights as firstborn, and now he’s taken my blessing.” So he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”
37Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him your master, and I have made all his brothers serve him. I’ve provided fresh grain and new wine for him. What is left for me to do for you, Son?”
38Esau asked, “Do you have only one blessing, Father? Bless me too, Father!” And Esau sobbed loudly.
39His father Isaac answered him,
“The place where you live will lack the fertile fields of the earth
and the dew from the sky above.
40You will use your sword to live,
and you will serve your brother.
But eventually you will gain your freedom
and break his yoke #27:40 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts. off your neck.”
41So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing that his father had given him. Esau said to himself, “The time to mourn for my father is near. Then I’ll 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, “Watch out! Your brother Esau is comforting himself by planning to kill you. 43So now, Son, obey me. Quick! Run away to my brother Laban in Haran. 44Stay with him awhile, until your brother’s anger cools down. 45When your brother’s anger is gone and he has forgotten what you did to him, I’ll send for you and get you back. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”
46Rebekah said to Isaac, “I can’t stand Hittite women! If Jacob marries a Hittite woman like one of those from around here, I might as well die.”
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Genesis 27: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
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.