Jacob Deceives Isaac
1 When Isaac was old, and his eyes were weak so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son and said to him, “My son?”
He said to him, “Here I am.”
2 He said, “See now, I am old. I don’t 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 get some wild game for me. 4 Make me some savory food that I love and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that I may bless you before I die.”
5 Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for game and to bring it back. 6 Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, “I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring to me wild game and make some savory food for me so that I may eat and bless you in the presence of the Lord before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I am commanding you. 9 Go now to the flock and get for me, two good young goats from there. I will make savory food for your father, that he loves. 10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”
11 Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 What if my father touches me? I would appear to him to be a deceiver and would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey me and go get them for me.”
14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth of his neck. 17 She put the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hands of her son Jacob.
18 He came to his father and said, “My father?”
He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
Isaac Blesses Jacob
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please get up, sit and eat of my wild game, that you may bless me.”
20 Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
He said, “Because the Lord your God gave me success.”
21 Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near so that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 He did not recognize him because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s wild game so that I may bless you.”
He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. 26 His father Isaac said to him, “Come near now and kiss me, my son.”
27 He came near and kissed him. He smelled the scent of his clothing and blessed him and said,
“The scent of my son
is as the scent of a field which the Lord has blessed.
28 May God give you from the dew of the sky
and the richness of the earth,
plenty of grain and new wine.
29 Let peoples serve you
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers.
Let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
Blessed be everyone who blesses you.”
Jacob Cheats Esau
30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had just left the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from hunting. 31 He also made savory food and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father get up and eat of his son’s venison, that you may bless me.”
32 Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33 Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken wild game and brought it to me, and I have eaten all of it before you came and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out loudly and bitterly and said to his father, “Bless me–me also–my father.”
35 He said, “Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing.”
36 He said, “Isn’t he appropriately named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing.” He said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
37 Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him your lord, and all his brothers, I have given to him for servants. I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then will I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have just one blessing, my father? Bless me, me also, my father.” Esau raised his voice and wept.
39 Isaac his father answered him,
“Your dwelling will be away from of the richness of the earth
and the dew of the sky above.
40 You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother.
It will happen, when you break loose,
that you will shake his yoke from your neck.”
41 Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”
42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent for Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, “Your brother Esau consoles himself over you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey me. Get up and flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. 44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury abates— 45 until your brother’s anger turns from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife like these from the women of this land, from the women of Heth, what good is my life to me?”