Genesis 27

Jacob Obtains Isaac's Blessing

1And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. 2And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: 3now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; 4and make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

5And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, 7Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death. 8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. 9Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth: 10and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death. 11And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: 12my father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. 13And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. 14And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savory meat, such as his father loved. 15And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: 16and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck: 17and she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son? 19And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. 20And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me. 21And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not. 22And Jacob went near unto 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 discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him. 24And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am. 25And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. 27#Heb 11.20. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said,

See, the smell of my son

is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed:

28therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven,

and the fatness of the earth,

and plenty of corn and wine:

29 # Gen 12.3. let people serve thee,

and nations bow down to thee:

be lord over thy brethren,

and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee:

cursed be every one that curseth thee,

and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

30And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31And he also had made savory meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me. 32And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. 33And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed. 34And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father. 35And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. 36#Gen 25.29-34. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son? 38#Heb 12.17. And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

39 # Heb 11.20. And Isaac his father answered and said unto him,

Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth,

and of the dew of heaven from above;

40 # 2 Kgs 8.20; 2 Chr 21.8. and by thy sword shalt thou live,

and shalt serve thy brother:

and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion,

that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

Jacob Flees from Esau

41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. 42And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; 44and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; 45until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

46And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?

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Genesis 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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