Genesis 27
27
Isaac Blesses Jacob
1Now it came to pass, when Isaac was #Gen. 35:28old and #Gen. 48:10; 1 Sam. 3:2his eyes were so dim that he could not see, that he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.”
And he answered him, “Here I am.”
2Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. I #(Prov. 27:1; James 4:14)do not know the day of my death. 3#Gen. 25:27, 28Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me. 4And make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, that my soul #Gen. 27:19, 25, 27, 31; 48:9, 15, 16; 49:28; Deut. 33:1; Heb. 11:20may bless you before I die.”
5Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bring it. 6So Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “Indeed I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7‘Bring me game and make savory food for me, that I may eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8Now therefore, my son, #Gen. 27:13, 43obey my voice according to what I command you. 9Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will make #Gen. 27:4savory food from them for your father, such as he loves. 10Then you shall take it to your father, that he may eat it, and that he #Gen. 27:4; 48:16may bless you before his death.”
11And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look, #Gen. 25:25Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth-skinned man. 12Perhaps my father will #Gen. 27:21, 22feel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bring #Gen. 9:25; Deut. 27:18a curse on myself and not a blessing.”
13But his mother said to him, #Gen. 43:9; 1 Sam. 25:24; 2 Sam. 14:9; Matt. 27:25“Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14And he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother #Prov. 23:3; Luke 21:34made savory food, such as his father loved. 15Then Rebekah took the #Gen. 27:27choice clothes of her elder son Esau, 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 part of his neck. 17Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18So he went to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game, #Gen. 27:4that your soul may bless me.”
20But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
And he said, “Because the Lord your God brought it to me.”
21Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I #Gen. 27:12may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22So Jacob went 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 recognize him, because #Gen. 27:16his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
24Then he said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, so #Gen. 27:4, 10, 19, 31that my soul may bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.” 27And he came near and #Gen. 29:13kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
“Surely, #Song 4:11; Hos. 14:6the smell of my son
Is like the smell of a field
Which the Lord has blessed.
28Therefore may #Heb. 11:20God give you
Of #Gen. 27:39; Deut. 33:13, 28; 2 Sam. 1:21; Ps. 133:3; Prov. 3:20; Mic. 5:7; Zech. 8:12the dew of heaven,
Of #Gen. 45:18; Num. 18:12the fatness of the earth,
And #Deut. 7:13; 33:28plenty of grain and wine.
29#Gen. 9:25; 25:23; Is. 45:14; 49:7; 60:12, 14Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
And #Gen. 37:7, 10; 49:8let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
#Gen. 12:2, 3; Zeph. 2:8, 9Cursed be everyone who curses you,
And blessed be those who bless you!”
Esau’s Lost Hope
30Now it happened, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise and #Gen. 27:4eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”
32And his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”
So he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Where is the one who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate all of it before you came, and I have blessed him—#Gen. 25:23; 28:3, 4; Num. 23:20; Rom. 11:29and indeed he shall be blessed.”
34When Esau heard the words of his father, #(Heb. 12:17)he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”
35But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”
36And Esau said, #Gen. 25:26, 32–34“Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now look, he has taken away my blessing!” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37Then Isaac answered and said to Esau, #2 Sam. 8:14“Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; with #Gen. 27:28, 29grain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”
38And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voice #Heb. 12:17and wept.
39Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:
“Behold, #Gen. 27:28; Heb. 11:20your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
40By your sword you shall live,
And #Gen. 25:23; 27:29; 2 Sam. 8:14; (Obad. 18–20)you shall serve your brother;
And #2 Kin. 8:20–22it shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
Jacob Escapes from Esau
41So Esau #Gen. 26:27; 32:3–11; 37:4, 5, 8hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, #Gen. 50:2–4, 10“The days of mourning for my father are at hand; #Obad. 10then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, “Surely your brother Esau #Ps. 64:5comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. 43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban #Gen. 11:31; 25:20; 28:2, 5in Haran. 44And stay with him a #Gen. 31:41few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, 45until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?”
46And Rebekah said to Isaac, #Gen. 26:34, 35; 28:8“I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; #Gen. 24:3if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
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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