Genesis 27

The Stolen Blessing

1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could not see,#Gn 48:10; 1Sm 3:2 he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.”

And he answered, “Here I am.”

2He said, “Look, I am old and do not know the day of my death. 3So now take your hunting gear, your quiver and bow, and go out in the field to hunt some game for me.#Gn 25:27–28 4Then make me a delicious meal that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die.”#Gn 27:19,25,31; 48:9,15–16; Dt 33:1; Heb 11:20

5Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac said to his son Esau. So while Esau went to the field to hunt some game to bring in, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Listen! I heard your father talking with your brother Esau. He said, 7‘Bring me game and make a delicious meal for me to eat so that I can bless you in the Lord’s presence before I die.’ 8Now, my son, listen to me and do what I tell you. 9Go to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, and I will make them into a delicious meal for your father — the kind he loves. 10Then take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies.”

11Jacob answered Rebekah his mother, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am a man with smooth skin.#Gn 25:25 12Suppose my father touches me. Then I will be revealed to him as a deceiver and bring a curse rather than a blessing on myself.”

13His mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey me and go get them for me.”

14So he went and got the goats and brought them to his mother, and his mother made the delicious food his father loved. 15Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were in the house, and had her younger son Jacob wear them. 16She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. 17Then she handed the delicious food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

18When he came to his father, he said, “My father.”

And he answered, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

19Jacob replied to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game so that you may bless me.”

20But Isaac said to his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?”

He replied, “Because the Lord your God made it happen for me.”

21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau or not?”

22So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac. When he touched him, he said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?”

And he replied, “I am.”

25Then he said, “Bring it closer to me, and let me eat some of my son’s game so that I can bless you.” Jacob brought it closer to him, and he ate; he brought him wine, and he drank.

26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come closer and kiss me, my son.” 27So he came closer and kissed him. When Isaac smelled#27:27 Lit smelled the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said:

Ah, the smell of my son

is like the smell of a field

that the Lord has blessed.

28May God give to you —

from the dew of the sky#Gn 27:39; Dt 32:2; 33:13,28; 2Sm 1:21; Pr 3:20; Is 18:4; Hs 14:5; Hg 1:10; Zch 8:12

and from the richness of the land#Nm 18:12 —

an abundance of grain and new wine.#Dt 7:13; Jl 2:19

29May peoples serve you#Gn 25:23; Is 45:14; 49:7,23; 60:12–14

and nations bow in homage to you.

Be master over your relatives;

may your mother’s sons bow in homage to you.

Those who curse you will be cursed,

and those who bless you will be blessed.#Gn 12:3; Nm 24:9

30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had left the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau arrived from his hunting. 31He had also made some delicious food and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father get up and eat some of his son’s game, so that you may bless me.”

32But his father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”

He answered, “I am Esau your firstborn son.”

33Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. “Who was it then,” he said, “who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!”

34When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, my father!” #Heb 12:17

35But he replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

36So he said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob?#27:36 = He Grasps the Heel#Gn 25:26,32–34 For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

37But Isaac answered Esau, “Look, I have made him a master over you, have given him all of his relatives as his servants, and have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son?”

38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” And Esau wept loudly.#27:38 Lit Esau lifted up his voice and wept

39His father Isaac answered him,

Look, your dwelling place will be

away from the richness of the land,

away from the dew of the sky above.

40You will live by your sword,

and you will serve your brother.

But when you rebel,#27:40 Hb obscure

you will break his yoke from your neck.

Esau’s Anger

41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau determined in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she summoned her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Listen, your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. 43So now, my son, listen to me. Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran, 44and stay with him for a few days until your brother’s anger subsides — 45until your brother’s rage turns away from you and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose you both in one day?”

46So Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m sick of my life because of these Hethite girls.#Gn 26:34–35; 28:8 If Jacob marries someone from around here,#27:46 Lit someone like these daughters of the land like these Hethite girls, what good is my life?” #Gn 24:3

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Bereshis 27

1And it came to pass, that when Yitzchak was zaken (old),and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esav bno hagadol and said unto him, Beni: and he said unto him, Hineni.

2And he said, Hinei now, I am old, I know not my yom mot:

3Therefore take, now, thy kelim (weapons), thy quiver and thy keshet (bow), and go out to the sadeh, and hunt me some wild game;

4And make me matamim (savory meat, tasty food), such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my nefesh may make a brocha upon thee before I die.

5And Rivkah heard when Yitzchak spoke to Esav bno. And Esav went to the sadeh to hunt for wild game, and to bring it.

6And Rivkah spoke unto Ya'akov her ben, saying, Hinei, I heard avicha speak unto Esav achicha, saying,

7Bring me wild game, and make me matamim, that I may eat, and make a brocha upon thee before Hashem before my mot.

8Now therefore, beni (my son), obey my kol (voice) according to that which I command thee.

9Go now to the tzon, and bring me from there two gedayei izzim tovim (good kids of goats); and I will make them matamim for avicha, such as he loveth:

10And thou shalt bring it to avicha, that he may eat, and that he may make a brocha upon thee before his mot.

11And Ya'akov said to Rivkah immo, Look, Esav achi is an ish sa'ir (hairy man), and I am an ish chalak (smooth man).

12What if avi will touch me, and I shall seem to him as a meta'te'a (mocker); and I shall bring a kelalah upon me, and not a brocha.

13And immo said unto him, Upon me be thy kelalah, beni; only obey my kol (voice), and go bring me them.

14And he went, and got, and brought them to immo: and immo made matamim, such as aviv loved.

15And Rivkah took begadim of Esav her ben hagadol, the chamudot (best ones) which were with her in the bais, and dressed Ya'akov her ben hakatan;

16And with orot gedayei haizzim (skins of the kids of the goats) she dressed and covered his hands, and also upon the smooth of his tzavar (neck);

17And she gave the matamim and the lechem, which she had prepared, into the yad Ya'akov her ben.

18And he came unto aviv, and said, Avi; and he said, Hineni; who art thou, beni?

19And Ya'akov said unto aviv, I am Esav thy bechor; I have done according as thou told me; arise, now, sit up and eat of my wild game, that thy nefesh may make a brocha upon me.

20And Yitzchak said unto bno, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, beni? And he said, Hashem Eloheicha worked it out for me.

21And Yitzchak said unto Ya'akov, Come near, now, that I may touch thee, beni, indeed, whether thou be beni Esav or not.

22And Ya'akov went near unto Yitzchak aviv; and he touched him, and said, The kol is kol Ya'akov, but the yadayim are the yedei Esav.

23And he discerned him not, for his hands were se'irot, as yedei Esav achiv; so he made a brocha upon him.

24And he said, Art thou indeed beni Esav? And he said, I am.

25And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of the wild game of beni, that my nefesh may make a brocha upon thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat; and he brought him yayin and he drank.

26And aviv Yitzchak said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me beni.

27And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the reiach (smell) of his begadim, and made a brocha upon him, and said, See, the reiach of beni is as the reiach of a sadeh upon which Hashem hath made a brocha;

28Therefore HaElohim give thee of the tal haShomayim, and the fatness of ha'aretz, and plenty of dagan and tirosh;

29Let people serve thee, and amim bow down to thee: be gevir over thy achim, and let bnei immecha bow down to thee: arur be every one that curseth thee, and baruch be he that blesseth thee.

30And as soon as Yitzchak had completed making on Ya'akov a brocha, and Ya'akov had hardly gone out from the presence of Yitzchak aviv, that Esav achiv came in from his hunt.

31And he also had prepared matamim, and brought it unto aviv and said unto aviv, Let avi arise, and eat of the wild game of bno, that thy nefesh may make a brocha upon me.

32And Yitzchak aviv said unto him, Mi atah? (Who art thou?) And he said, I am binecha, thy bechor Esav.

33And Yitzchak trembled with charadah gedolah ad me'od (exceedingly great trembling), and said, Who? Where is he that hath hunted wild game, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all of it before thou camest, and have made a brocha upon him? And indeed he shall be baruch (blessed)!

34And when Esav heard the words of aviv, he cried with tzeakah gedolah umarah ad me'od (a great and exceeding bitter cry), and said unto aviv, Make a brocha on me, even me also, O avi.

35And he said, Achicha came with mirmah (deceit), and hath taken away thy brocha.

36And he said, Is not he rightly called shmo Ya'akov? for vaya'keveni (now he deceived/outwitted me) these two times he took away my bechorah (birthright); and, hinei, now he hath taken away my brocha (blessing). And he asked, Hast thou not reserved a brocha for me?

37And Yitzchak answered and said unto Esav, See, I have made him gevir over you, and all his achim have I given to him for avadim; and with dagan and tirosh have I sustained him; and what shall I do now unto thee, beni?

38And Esav said unto aviv, Hast thou but one brocha, avi? Make a brocha on me, even me also, O avi. And Esav lifted up his kol (voice), and wept.

39And Yitzchak aviv answered and said unto him, Hinei, thy moshav (dwelling) shall be the fatness of ha'aretz, and of the tal HaShomayim from above;

40And by thy cherev shalt thou live, and shalt serve achicha; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt become restless, that thou shalt break his ol (yoke) from off thy tzavar (neck).

41And Esav hated Ya'akov because of the brocha wherewith aviv made a brocha upon him: and Esav said in his lev, The yemei evel (days of mourning) for avi are at hand; then will I slay Ya'akov achi.

42And these words of Esav her ben hagadol were told to Rivkah; and she sent and called Ya'akov her ben hakatan, and said unto him, Hinei, Esav achicha, as touching thee, doth console himself, purposing to kill thee.

43Now therefore, beni, shema bekoli (listen to my voice)! Arise, flee thou to Lavan achi to Charan;

44And tarry with him a few days, until chamat achicha subsides;

45And when af achicha subsides from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him; then I will send, and get thee from there. Why should I be bereaved also of you both in yom echad (one day, the same day)?

46And Rivkah said to Yitzchak, I am weary of my life because of the Banot Chet: if Ya'akov take an isha of the Banot Chet (Hittite women) such as these which are of the banot ha'aretz, what will chayyim to me be?

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