< Genesis 27 >

1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Here am I.
When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” Esau replied.
2 And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death.
“Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old, and I do not know the day of my death.
3 Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison;
Take your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out into the field to hunt some game for me.
4 and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
Then prepare a tasty dish that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.”
5 And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac told his son Esau. So when Esau went into the field to hunt game and bring it back,
6 And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau,
7 Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
‘Bring me some game and prepare me a tasty dish to eat, so that I may bless you in the presence of the LORD before I die.’
8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
Now, my son, listen to my voice and do exactly as I tell you.
9 Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I can make them into a tasty dish for your father—the kind he loves.
10 and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death.
Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am smooth-skinned.
12 My 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.
What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing.”
13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.
His mother replied, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey my voice and go get them for me.”
14 And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
So Jacob went and got two goats and brought them to his mother, who made the tasty food his father loved.
15 And Rebekah took the goodly raiment of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:
And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house that belonged to her older son Esau, and she put them on her younger son Jacob.
16 and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.
17 and she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
Then she handed her son Jacob the tasty food and bread she had made.
18 And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?
So Jacob went to his father and said, “My father.” “Here I am!” he answered. “Which one are you, my son?”
19 And 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.
Jacob said 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.”
20 And 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 sent me good speed.
But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the LORD your God brought it to me,” he replied.
21 And 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.
Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau, or not?”
22 And 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.
So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”
23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
Isaac did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.
24 And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.
Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he replied, “I am.”
25 And 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.
“Serve me,” said Isaac, “and let me eat some of my son’s game, so that I may bless you.” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; then he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come near and kiss me, my son.”
27 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:
So he came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothing, he blessed him and said: “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed.
28 And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and wine:
May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth— an abundance of grain and new wine.
29 Let peoples 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 every one that blesseth thee.
May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May 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, and those who bless you be blessed.”
30 And 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.
As soon as Isaac had finished blessing him and Jacob had left his father’s presence, his brother Esau returned from the hunt.
31 And he also made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father; and he said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
He too made some tasty food, brought it to his father, and said to him, “My father, sit up and eat of your son’s game, so that you may bless me.”
32 And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau.
But his father Isaac replied, “Who are you?” “I am Esau, your firstborn son,” he answered.
33 And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who then 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.
Isaac began to tremble violently and said, “Who was it, then, who hunted the game and brought it to me? Before you came in, I ate it all and blessed him—and indeed, he will be blessed!”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.
When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, O my father!”
35 And he said, Thy brother came with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing.
But Isaac replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”
36 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?
So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?”
37 And 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 then shall I do for thee, my son?
But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him your master and given him all his relatives as servants; I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can do for you, my son?”
38 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.
Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, O my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above;
His father Isaac answered him: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above.
40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck.
You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.”
41 And 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.
Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given 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 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.
When the words of her older son Esau were relayed to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you.
43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran.
44 and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;
Stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury subsides—
45 until 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 bereaved of you both in one day?
until your brother’s rage against you wanes 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 both of you in one day?”
46 And 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, of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?”

< Genesis 27 >