Genesis 27

Isaac Blesses Jacob

1When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” And he answered, “Here I am.” 2He said, “See now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 3Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the field and hunt game for me. 4Prepare for me the delicious food that I love and bring it to me, so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

5Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. So when Esau went to the field to hunt game and bring it, 6Rebekah said to Jacob her son, “See, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 7‘Bring me game and prepare delicious food for me, that I may eat and bless you before the LORD before my death.’ 8Now therefore, my son, listen to my voice as I command you. 9Go now to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10Then you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”

11But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “See, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to him to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13His mother said to him, “Let your curse be upon me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”

14So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food such as his father loved. 15Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17Then she gave the delicious food and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of Jacob her son.

18So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Rise now, sit and eat of my game, so that your soul may bless me.” 20But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.” 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

22So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate. And he brought him wine, and he drank.

26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27So he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,
“See, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field
that the LORD has blessed. 28May God give you
of the dew of heaven
and of the richness of the earth,
and abundance of grain and wine. 29Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you,
and blessed be everyone who blesses you.”

Esau’s Bitter Cry

30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, so that your soul may bless me.” 32Isaac his father said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33Then Isaac trembled with exceedingly great trembling and said, “Who then was it that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came, and I blessed him—and indeed he shall be blessed.”

34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father!” 35But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

37Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39Then Isaac his father answered and said to him,
“Behold, away from the richness of the earth shall your dwelling be,
and away from the dew of heaven above. 40By your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother.
But when you grow restless,
you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

Jacob Flees from Esau

41Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “See, your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by planning to kill you. 43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Rise and flee to Laban my brother in Haran, 44and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away, 45until your brother’s anger turns away from you and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you back from there. Why should I be bereaved of both of you in one day?”

46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from the Hittite women like these, from the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”