1 It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so
that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, “My
son?”
He said to him, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t know the day of my death. 3 Now
therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to
the field, and take me venison. 4 Make me savory food, such as I love, and
bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I
die.”
5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field
to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son,
saying, “Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless
you before Yahweh before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice
according to that which I command you. 9 Go now to the flock, and get me
from there two good kids of the goats. I will make them savory food for your
father, such as he loves. 10 You shall bring it to your father, that he
may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy
man, and I am a smooth man. 12 What if my father touches me? I will seem
to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a
blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my
voice, and go get them for me.”
14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made
savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good clothes of
Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob,
her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the kids of the goats on his
hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 17 She gave the savory food and the
bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 He came to his father, and said, “My father?”
He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what
you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul
may bless me.”
20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my
son?”
He said, “Because Yahweh your God gave me success.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son,
whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice
is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He didn’t
recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau’s hands.
So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that
my soul may bless you.”
He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.
26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and
blessed him, and said,
“Behold, the smell of my son
Is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
28 God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
Nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
30 It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and
Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his
brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also made savory food, and brought
it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his
son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.”
32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken
venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have
blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding
great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my
father.”
35 He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your
blessing.”
36 He said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these
two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my
blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his
brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I
sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless
me, even me also, my father.” Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 Isaac his father answered him,
“Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling,
and of the dew of the sky from above.
40 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother.
It will happen, when you will break loose,
That you shall shake his yoke from off your neck.”
41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed
him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand.
Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. 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 Stay
with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away; 45 until your
brother’s anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him.
Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you
both in one day?”
46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters
of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of
the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?”
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