Genesis 27

Jacob acquires his father’s blessing

1When Isaac had grown old and his eyesight was failing, he summoned his older son Esau and said to him, “My son?”

And Esau said, “I’m here.”

2He said, “I’m old and don’t know when I will die. 3So now, take your hunting gear, your bow and quiver of arrows, go out to the field, and hunt game for me. 4Make me the delicious food that I love and bring it to me so I can eat. Then I can bless you before I die.”

5Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau went out to the field to hunt game to bring back, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I just heard your father saying to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring me some game and make me some delicious food so I can eat, and I will bless you in the LORD’s presence before I die.’ 8Now, my son, listen to me, to what I’m telling you to do. 9Go to the flock and get me two healthy young goats so I can prepare them as the delicious food your father loves. 10You can bring it to your father, he will eat, and then he will bless you before he dies.”

11Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, but I have smooth skin. 12What if my father touches me and thinks I’m making fun of him? I will be cursed instead of blessed.”

13His mother said to him, “Your curse will be on me, my son. Just listen to me: go and get them for me.” 14So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and his mother made the delicious food that his father loved. 15Rebekah took her older son Esau’s favorite clothes that were in the house with her, and she put them on her younger son Jacob. 16On his arms and smooth neck she put the hide of young goats, 17and the delicious food and the bread she had made she put into her son’s hands.

18Jacob went to his father and said, “My father.”

And he said, “I’m here. Who are you, my son?”

19Jacob said to his father, “I’m Esau your oldest son. I’ve made what you asked me to. Sit up and eat some of the game so you can bless me.”

20Isaac said to his son, “How could you find this so quickly, my son?”

He said, “The LORD your God led me right to it.”#27.20 Or made something good happen for me

21Isaac said to Jacob, “Come here and let me touch you, my son. Are you my son Esau or not?” 22So Jacob approached his father Isaac, and Isaac touched him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the arms are Esau’s arms.” 23Isaac didn’t recognize him because his arms were hairy like Esau’s arms, so he blessed him.

24Isaac said, “Are you really my son Esau?”

And he said, “I am.”

25Isaac said, “Bring some food here and let me eat some of my son’s game so I can bless you.” Jacob put it before him and he ate, and he brought him wine and he drank. 26His father Isaac said to him, “Come here and kiss me, my son.” 27So he came close and kissed him. When Isaac smelled the scent of his clothes, he blessed him,

“See, the scent of my son

is like the scent of the field

that the LORD has blessed.

28May God give you

showers from the sky,

olive oil from the earth,

plenty of grain and new wine.

29May the nations serve you,

may peoples bow down to you.

Be the most powerful man among your brothers,

and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Those who curse you will be cursed,

and those who bless you will be blessed.”

Esau receives a secondary blessing

30After Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and just as Jacob left his father Isaac, his brother Esau came back from his hunt. 31He too made some delicious food, brought it to his father, and said, “Let my father sit up and eat from his son’s game so that you may bless me.”

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

And he said, “I’m your son, your oldest son, Esau.”

33Isaac was so shocked that he trembled violently. He said, “Who was the hunter just here with game? He brought me food, and I ate all of it before you came. I blessed him, and he will stay blessed!”

34When Esau heard what his father said, he let out a loud agonizing cry and wept bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me! Me too, my father!”

35Isaac said, “Your brother has already come deceitfully and has taken your blessing.”

36Esau said, “Isn’t this why he’s called Jacob? He’s taken me#27.36 Heb ya’acob, a wordplay on Jacob twice now: he took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing.” He continued, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”

37Isaac replied to Esau, “I’ve already made him more powerful than you, and I’ve made all of his brothers his servants. I’ve made him strong with grain and wine. What can I do for you, my son?”

38Esau said to his father, “Do you really have only one blessing, Father? Bless me too, my father!” And Esau wept loudly.

39His father Isaac responded and said to him,

“Now, you will make a home

far away from the olive groves of the earth,

far away from the showers of the sky above.

40You will live by your sword;

you will serve your brother.

But when you grow restless,#27.40 Heb uncertain

you will tear away his harness

from your neck.”

Jacob sent away for protection

41Esau was furious at Jacob because his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, When the period of mourning for the death of my father is over, I will kill my brother.

42Rebekah was told what her older son Esau was planning, so she summoned her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Esau your brother is planning revenge. He plans to kill you. 43So now, my son, listen to me: Get up and escape to my brother Laban in Haran. 44Live with him for a short while until your brother’s rage subsides, 45until your brother’s anger at you goes away and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I suffer the loss of both of you on one day?”

46Rebekah then said to Isaac, “I really loathe these Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women, like the women of this land, why should I go on living?”

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Genesis 27

Isaac Calls to Bless Esau

1Now it happened that when Isaac was old and his eyes were too dim to see, that he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am.” 2#27:2 Lit HeAnd Isaac said, “Behold now, I am old, and I do not know the day of my death. 3So now, please take up your gear, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me; 4and prepare a savory dish for me such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you before I die.”

5Now Rebekah was listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. Then Esau went to the field to hunt for game to bring to Isaac. 6But Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob, saying, “Behold, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau, saying, 7‘Bring me some game and prepare a savory dish for me, that I may eat and bless you in the presence of Yahweh before my death.’ 8So now, my son, listen to my voice #27:8 Lit according to whatas I command you. 9Go now to the flock and #27:9 Lit takeget for me two choice #27:9 Lit kids of goatsyoung goats from there, that I may prepare them as a savory dish for your father, such as he loves. 10Then you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.” 11Then Jacob #27:11 Lit said toanswered his mother Rebekah, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12Perhaps my father will feel me, then I will be as a mocker in his sight, and I will bring upon myself a curse and not a blessing.” 13But his mother said to him, “Your curse be on me, my son; only listen to my voice, and go, get them for me.” 14So he went and got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother made a savory dish such as his father loved. 15Then Rebekah took the #27:15 Or choice, cf. 3:6; lit desirablebest garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and she put them on Jacob her younger son. 16And she put the skins of the #27:16 Lit kids of the goatsyoung goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17She also gave the savory dish and the bread, which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

Isaac Blesses Jacob and Esau

18Then he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19And Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn; I have done as you told me. Rise up, please, sit and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” 20Then Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” And he said, “Because Yahweh your God caused it to happen to me.” 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22So Jacob came near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23And he did not recognize him because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. 24And he said, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he said, “I am.” 25So he said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, that my soul may bless you.” And he brought it near to him, and he ate; he also brought him wine, and he drank. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come near and kiss me, my son.” 27So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and then he blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son

Is like the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed;

28Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,

And of the fatness of the earth,

And an abundance of grain and new wine;

29May peoples serve you,

And nations bow down to you;

Be master of your brothers,

And may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be those who curse you,

And blessed be those who bless you.”

30Now it happened that as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31Then he also made a savory dish and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.” 32And Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33Then Isaac #27:33 Lit trembled with a very great tremblingtrembled exceedingly violently and said, “Who was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came and blessed him? Indeed, he shall be blessed.” 34As Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, me also, O my father!” 35And he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.” 36Then he said, “#27:36 Or Was he then named Jacob that he hasIs he not rightly named Jacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37But Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him your master, and all his fellow brothers I have given to him #27:37 Lit foras servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?” 38And Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and wept.

39Then Isaac his father answered and said to him,

“Behold, #27:39 Or ofaway from the fatness of the earth shall be your habitation,

And #27:39 Or ofaway from the dew of heaven from above.

40“By your sword you shall live,

And your brother you shall serve;

But it shall be when you become restless,

That you will #27:40 Lit tear offbreak his yoke from your neck.”

41So Esau bore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42Then the words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you. 43So now, my son, listen to my voice, and arise, #27:43 Lit flee for yourselfflee to Haran, to my brother Laban! 44Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s wrath #27:44 Lit turns awaysubsides, 45until your brother’s anger #27:45 Lit turns away from youagainst you subsides and he forgets what you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”

46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of #27:46 Lit my lifeliving because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

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