Genesis 27
27
1 Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were cloudy, and so he was not able to see. And he called his elder son Esau, and he said to him, "My son?" And he responded, "Here I am."
2 His father said to him: "You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death.
3 Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,
4 make from it a small meal for me, just as you know I like, and bring it, so that I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die."
5 And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father's order,
6 she said to her son Jacob: "I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,
7 'Bring to me from your hunting, and make me foods, so that I may eat and bless you in the sight of the Lord before I die.'
8 Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,
9 and go straight to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats, so that from them I may make meat for your father, such as he willingly eats.
10 Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies."
11 He answered her: "You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth.
12 If my father should lay hands on me and perceive it, I am afraid lest he think me willing to mock him, and I will bring a curse upon myself, instead of a blessing."
13 And his mother said to him: "Let this curse be upon me, my son. Yet listen to my voice, and go directly to bring what I said."
14 He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.
15 And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.
16 And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck.
17 And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.
18 When he had carried these in, he said, "My father?" And he answered, "I'm listening. Who are you, my son?"
19 And Jacob said: "I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you instructed me. Arise; sit and eat from my hunting, so that your soul may bless me."
20 And again Isaac said to his son, "How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?" He answered, "It was the will of God, so that what I sought met with me quickly."
21 And Isaac said, "Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not."
22 He approached 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."
23 And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,
24 he said, "Are you my son Esau?" He answered, "I am."
25 Then he said, "Bring me the foods from your hunting, my son, so that my soul may bless you." And when he had eaten what was offered, he also brought forth wine for him. And after he finished it,
26 he said to him, "Come to me and give me a kiss, my son."
27 He approached and kissed him. And immediately he perceived the fragrance of his garments. And so, blessing him, he said: "Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.
29 And may the peoples serve you, and may the tribes reverence you. May you be the lord of your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down before you. Whoever curses you, may he be cursed, and whoever blesses you, may he be filled with blessings."
30 Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.
31 And he brought his father foods cooked from his hunting, saying, "Arise, my father, and eat from your son's hunting, so that your soul may bless me."
32 And Isaac said to him, "But who are you?" And he answered, "I am your firstborn son, Esau."
33 Isaac became frightened and very astonished. And wondering beyond what can be believed, he said: "Then who is he that a while ago brought me the prey from his hunting, from which I ate, before you arrived? And I blessed him, and he will be blessed."
34 Esau, having heard his father's words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, "But bless me also, my father."
35 And he said, "Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing."
36 But he responded: "Justly is his name called Jacob. For he has supplanted me yet another time. My birthright he took away before, and now, this second time, he has stolen my blessing." And again, he said to his father, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me also?"
37 Isaac answered: "I have appointed him as your lord, and I have subjugated all his brothers as his servants. I have reinforced him with grain and wine, and after this, my son, what more shall I do for you?"
38 And Esau said to him: "Have you only one blessing, father? I beg you, bless me also." And when he wept with a loud wail,
39 Isaac was moved, and he said to him: "In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,
40 will your blessing be. You will live by the sword, and you will serve your brother. But the time will arrive when you will shake off and release his yoke from your neck."
41 Therefore, Esau always hated Jacob, for the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And he said in his heart, "The days will arrive for the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob."
42 These things were reported to Rebekah. And sending and calling for her son Jacob, she said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau is threatening to kill you.
43 Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.
44 And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,
45 and his indignation ceases, and he forgets the things that you have done to him. After this, I will send for you and bring you from there to here. Why should I be bereaved of both my sons in one day?"
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob accepts a wife from the stock of this land, I would not be willing to live."
Genesis 27
27
Jacob Tricks Isaac
1Isaac grew old, and his eyes became so weak that he could not see clearly. One day he called his older son Esau to him and said, “Son!”
Esau answered, “Here I am.”
2Isaac said, “I am old. Maybe I will die soon. 3So take your bow and arrows and go hunting. Kill an animal for me to eat. 4Prepare the food that I love. Bring it to me, and I will eat it. Then I will bless you before I die.” 5So Esau went hunting.
Rebekah was listening when Isaac told this to his son Esau. 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Listen, I heard your father talking to your brother Esau. 7Your father said, ‘Kill an animal for me to eat. Prepare the food for me, and I will eat it. Then, with the Lord as witness, I will bless you before I die.’ 8So listen, son, and do what I tell you. 9Go out to our goats and bring me two young ones. I will prepare them the way your father loves them. 10Then you will carry the food to your father, and he will bless you before he dies.”
11But Jacob told his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man. I am not hairy like him. 12If my father touches me, he will know that I am not Esau. Then he will not bless me—he will curse me because I tried to trick him.”
13So Rebekah said to him, “I will accept the blame if there is trouble. Do what I said. Go get the goats for me.”
14So Jacob went out and got two goats and brought them to his mother. His mother cooked the goats in the special way that Isaac loved. 15Then Rebekah took the clothes that her older son Esau loved to wear. She put these clothes on the younger son Jacob. 16She took the skins of the goats and put them on Jacob’s hands and on his neck. 17Then she got the food she had cooked and gave it to Jacob.
18Jacob went to his father and said, “Father.”
His father answered, “Yes, son. Who are you?”
19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your first son. I have done what you told me. Now sit up and eat the meat from the animals that I hunted for you. Then you can bless me.”
20But Isaac said to his son, “How have you hunted and killed the animals so quickly?”
Jacob answered, “Because the Lord your God allowed me to find the animals quickly.”
21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near to me so that I can feel you, my son. If I can feel you, I will know if you are really my son Esau.”
22So Jacob went to Isaac his father. Isaac felt him and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob’s voice, but your arms are hairy like the arms of Esau.” 23Isaac did not know it was Jacob, because his arms were hairy like Esau’s. So Isaac blessed Jacob.
24Isaac said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
Jacob answered, “Yes, I am.”
The Blessing for Jacob
25Then Isaac said, “Bring me the food. I will eat it and bless you.” So Jacob gave him the food, and he ate it. Then Jacob gave him some wine, and he drank it.
26Then Isaac said to him. “Son, come near and kiss me.” 27So Jacob went to his father and kissed him. When Isaac smelled Esau’s clothes, he blessed him and said,
“My son smells like the fields
the Lord has blessed.
28May God give you plenty of rain,
good crops, and wine.
29May the nations serve you
and many people bow down to you.
You will rule over your brothers.
Your mother’s sons will bow down to you and obey you.
Whoever curses you will be cursed.
Whoever blesses you will be blessed.”
Esau’s “Blessing”
30Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Then, just as Jacob left his father Isaac, Esau came in from hunting. 31Esau prepared the food in the special way his father loved. He brought it to his father and said, “Father, I am your son. Get up and eat the meat from the animals that I killed for you. Then you can bless me.”
32But Isaac said to him, “Who are you?”
He answered, “I am your son—your first son—Esau.”
33Then Isaac became so upset that he began to shake. He said, “Then who was it that cooked and brought me food before you came? I ate it all, and I blessed him. Now it is too late to take back my blessing.”
34When Esau heard his father’s words, he became very angry and bitter. He cried out and said to his father, “Then bless me also, father!”
35Isaac said, “Your brother tricked me! He came and took your blessing!”
36Esau said, “His name is Jacob.#27:36 Jacob This name is like the Hebrew word meaning “heel.” It also means “the one who follows” or “tricky.” That is the right name for him. He has tricked me twice. He took away my rights as the firstborn son. And now he has taken away my blessing.” Then Esau said, “Have you saved any blessing for me?”
37Isaac answered, “I have already given Jacob the power to rule over you. And I said all his brothers would be his servants. I have given him the blessing for much grain and wine. There is nothing left to give you, my son.”
38But Esau continued to beg his father. “Do you have only one blessing, father? Bless me also, father!” Esau began to cry.
39Then Isaac said to him,
“You will not live on good land.
You will not have much rain.
40You will have to fight to live,
and you will be a slave to your brother.
But when you fight to be free,
you will break away from his control.”
Jacob Leaves the Country
41After that Esau hated Jacob because of this blessing. Esau said to himself, “My father will soon die, and after we are finished with that, I will kill Jacob.”
42Rebekah heard about Esau’s plan to kill Jacob. She sent for Jacob and said to him, “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to kill you. 43So, son, do what I say. My brother Laban is living in Haran. Go to him and hide. 44Stay with him for a short time until your brother stops being angry. 45When your brother forgets what you did to him, I will send a servant to bring you back. I don’t want to lose both of my sons the same day.”
46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “Your son Esau married Hittite women. I am very upset about this, because they are not our people. I’ll have nothing to live for if Jacob marries one of these women!”
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International