< Genesis 27 >

1 And it cometh to pass that Isaac [is] aged, and his eyes are too dim for seeing, and he calleth Esau his elder son, and saith unto him, 'My son;' and he saith unto him, 'Here [am] I.'
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 And he saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, I have become aged, I have not known the day of my death;
His father said to him: “You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death.
3 and now, take up, I pray thee, thy instruments, thy quiver, and thy bow, and go out to the field, and hunt for me provision,
Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,
4 and make for me tasteful things, [such] as I have loved, and bring in to me, and I do eat, so that my soul doth bless thee before I die.'
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 Rebekah is hearkening while Isaac is speaking unto Esau his son; and Esau goeth to the field to hunt provision — to bring in;
And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order,
6 and Rebekah hath spoken unto Jacob her son, saying, 'Lo, I have heard thy father speaking unto Esau thy brother, saying,
she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,
7 Bring for me provision, and make for me tasteful things, and I do eat, and bless thee before Jehovah before my death.
‘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 'And now, my son, hearken to my voice, to that which I am commanding thee:
Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,
9 Go, I pray thee, unto the flock, and take for me from thence two good kids of the goats, and I make them tasteful things for thy father, [such] as he hath loved;
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 and thou hast taken in to thy father, and he hath eaten, so that his soul doth bless thee before his death.
Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.”
11 And Jacob saith unto Rebekah his mother, 'Lo, Esau my brother [is] a hairy man, and I a smooth man,
He answered her: “You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth.
12 it may be my father doth feel me, and I have been in his eyes as a deceiver, and have brought upon me disesteem, and not a blessing;'
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 saith to him, 'On me thy disesteem, my son; only hearken to my voice, and go, take for me.'
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 And he goeth, and taketh, and bringeth to his mother, and his mother maketh tasteful things, [such] as his father hath loved;
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 Rebekah taketh the desirable garments of Esau her elder son, which [are] with her in the house, and doth put on Jacob her younger son;
And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.
16 and the skins of the kids of the goats she hath put on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck,
And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck.
17 and she giveth the tasteful things, and the bread which she hath made, into the hand of Jacob her son.
And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.
18 And he cometh in unto his father, and saith, 'My father;' and he saith, 'Here [am] I; who [art] thou, my son?'
When he had carried these in, he said, “My father?” And he answered, “I’m listening. Who are you, my son?”
19 And Jacob saith unto his father, 'I [am] Esau thy first-born; I have done as thou hast spoken unto me; rise, I pray thee, sit, and eat of my provision, so that thy soul doth bless me.'
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 Isaac saith unto his son, 'What [is] this thou hast hasted to find, my son?' and he saith, 'That which Jehovah thy God hath caused to come before me.'
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 saith unto Jacob, 'Come nigh, I pray thee, and I feel thee, my son, whether thou [art] he, my son Esau, or not.'
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 And Jacob cometh nigh unto Isaac his father, and he feeleth him, and saith, 'The voice [is] the voice of Jacob, and the hands hands of Esau.'
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 hath not discerned him, for his hands have been hairy, as the hands of Esau his brother, and he blesseth him,
And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,
24 and saith, 'Thou art he — my son Esau?' and he saith, 'I [am].'
he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”
25 And he saith, 'Bring nigh to me, and I do eat of my son's provision, so that my soul doth bless thee;' and he bringeth nigh to him, and he eateth; and he bringeth to him wine, and he drinketh.
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 And Isaac his father saith to him, 'Come nigh, I pray thee, and kiss me, my son;'
he said to him, “Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.”
27 and he cometh nigh, and kisseth him, and he smelleth the fragrance of his garments, and blesseth him, and saith, 'See, the fragrance of my son [is] as the fragrance of a field which Jehovah hath blessed;
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 and God doth give to thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and abundance of corn and wine;
May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.
29 peoples serve thee, and nations bow themselves to thee, be thou mighty over thy brethren, and the sons of thy mother bow themselves to thee; those who curse thee [are] cursed, and those who bless thee [are] blessed.'
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 And it cometh to pass, as Isaac hath finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob is only just going out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother hath come in from his hunting;
Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.
31 and he also maketh tasteful things, and bringeth to his father, and saith to his father, 'Let my father arise, and eat of his son's provision, so that thy soul doth bless me.'
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 his father saith to him, 'Who [art] thou?' and he saith, 'I [am] thy son, thy first-born, Esau;'
And Isaac said to him, “But who are you?” And he answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”
33 and Isaac trembleth a very great trembling, and saith, 'Who, now, [is] he who hath provided provision, and bringeth in to me, and I eat of all before thou comest in, and I bless him? — yea, blessed is he.'
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 When Esau heareth the words of his father, then he crieth a very great and bitter cry, and saith to his father, 'Bless me, me also, O my father;'
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 saith, 'Thy brother hath come with subtilty, and taketh thy blessing.'
And he said, “Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.”
36 And he saith, 'Is it because [one] called his name Jacob that he doth take me by the heel these two times? my birthright he hath taken; and lo, now, he hath taken my blessing;' he saith also, 'Hast thou not kept back a blessing for me?'
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 And Isaac answereth and saith to Esau, 'Lo, a mighty one have I set him over thee, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and [with] corn and wine have I sustained him; and for thee now, what shall I do, my son?'
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 saith unto his father, 'One blessing hast thou my father? bless me, me also, O my father;' and Esau lifteth up his voice, and weepeth.
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 And Isaac his father answereth and saith unto him, 'Lo, of the fatness of the earth is thy dwelling, and of the dew of the heavens from above;
Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,
40 and by thy sword dost thou live, and thy brother dost thou serve; and it hath come to pass when thou rulest, that thou hast broken his yoke from off thy neck.'
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 And Esau hateth Jacob, because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau saith in his heart, 'The days of mourning [for] my father draw near, and I slay Jacob my brother.'
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 And the words of Esau her elder son are declared to Rebekah, and she sendeth and calleth for Jacob her younger son, and saith unto him, 'Lo, Esau thy brother is comforting himself in regard to thee — to slay thee;
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 and now, my son, hearken to my voice, and rise, flee for thyself unto Laban my brother, to Haran,
Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.
44 and thou hast dwelt with him some days, till thy brother's fury turn back,
And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,
45 till thy brother's anger turn back from thee, and he hath forgotten that which thou hast done to him, and I have sent and taken thee from thence; why am I bereaved even of you both the same day?'
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 saith unto Isaac, 'I have been disgusted with my life because of the presence of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these — from the daughters of the land — why do I live?'
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 >