Isaac Blesses Jacob
1 Now it came to pass, when Isaac wasold andhis 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.”
2 Then he said, “Behold now, I am old. Ido not know the day of my death.
3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me.
4 And make me savory food, such as I love, and bringitto me that I may eat, that my soulmay bless you before I die.”
5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt game and to bringit.
6 So 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 theLordbefore my death.’
8 Now therefore, my son,obey my voice according to what I command you.
9 Go now to the flock and bring me from there two choice kids of the goats, and I will makesavory food from them for your father, such as he loves.
10 Then you shall takeitto your father, that he may eatit,and that hemay bless you before his death.”
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Look,Esau my brotherisa hairy man, and Iama smooth-skinnedman.
12 Perhaps my father willfeel me, and I shall seem to be a deceiver to him; and I shall bringa curse on myself and not a blessing.”
13 But his mother said to him,“Letyour cursebeon me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, getthemfor me.”
14 And he went and gotthemand broughtthemto his mother, and his mothermade savory food, such as his father loved.
15 Then Rebekah took thechoice clothes of her elder son Esau, whichwerewith her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.
16 And she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
17 Then she gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18 So he went to his father and said, “My father.”
And he said, “Here I am. Whoareyou, my son?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “IamEsau your firstborn; I have done just as you told me; please arise, sit and eat of my game,that your soul may bless me.”
20 But Isaac said to his son, “Howisitthat you have founditso quickly, my son?”
And he said, “Because theLordyour God broughtitto me.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that Imay feel you, my son, whether youarereally my son Esau or not.”
22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, and he felt him and said, “The voiceisJacob’s voice, but the handsarethe hands of Esau.”
23 And he did not recognize him, becausehis hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
24 Then he said, “Areyou really my son Esau?”
He said, “Iam.”
25 He said, “Bringitnear to me, and I will eat of my son’s game, sothat my soul may bless you.” So he broughtitnear to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.”
27 And he came near andkissed him; and he smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him and said:
# “Surely,the smell of my son
Islike the smell of a field
Which theLordhas blessed.
28 Therefore mayGod give you
# Ofthe dew of heaven,
# Ofthe fatness of the earth,
# Andplenty of grain and wine.
29 Let peoples serve you,
And nations bow down to you.
Be master over your brethren,
# Andlet your mother’s sons bow down to you.
# Cursedbeeveryone who curses you,
And blessedbethose who bless you!”
Esau’s Lost Hope
30 Now 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.
31 He also had made savory food, and brought it to his father, and said to his father, “Let my father arise andeat of his son’s game, that your soul may bless me.”
32 And his father Isaac said to him, “Whoareyou?”
So he said, “Iamyour son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Then Isaac trembled exceedingly, and said, “Who? Whereisthe one who hunted game and broughtitto me? I ate allofitbefore you came, and I have blessed him—andindeed he shall be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father,he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me—me also, O my father!”
35 But he said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”
36 AndEsausaid,“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?”
37 Then Isaac answered and said to Esau,“Indeed I have made him your master, and all his brethren I have given to him as servants; withgrain and wine I have sustained him. What shall I do now for you, my son?”
38 And Esau said to his father, “Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me—me also, O my father!” And Esau lifted up his voiceand wept.
39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:
# “Behold,your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth,
And of the dew of heaven from above.
40 By your sword you shall live,
# Andyou shall serve your brother;
# Andit shall come to pass, when you become restless,
That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
Jacob Escapes from Esau
41 So Esauhated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart,“The days of mourning for my father are at hand;then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 And 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 Esaucomforts himself concerning youbyintendingto kill you.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Labanin Haran.
44 And stay with him afew days, until your brother’s fury turns away,
45 until 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?”
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac,“I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth;if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like thesewhoarethe daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”