The Stolen Blessing

30 Now it came about, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had hardly gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31 Then he also made savory food, and brought it to his father; and he said to his father, “aLet my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that 1byou may bless me.”

32 Isaac his father said to him, “aWho are you?” And he said, “I am your son, byour firstborn, Esau.”

33 Then Isaac 1trembled violently, and said, “aWho was he then that hunted game and brought it to me, so that I ate of all of it before you came, and blessed him? bYes, and he shall be blessed.”

34 When Esau heard the words of his father, ahe cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”

35 And he said, “aYour brother came deceitfully and has taken away your blessing.”

36 Then he said, “1Is he not rightly named aJacob, for he has supplanted me these two times? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

37 But Isaac replied to Esau, “Behold, I have made him ayour master, and all his 1relatives I have given to him 2as servants; and with grain and new wine I have sustained him. Now as for you then, what can I do, my son?”

38 Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” So Esau lifted his voice and awept.

39 Then aIsaac his father answered and said to him,

“Behold, 1baway from the 2fertility of the earth shall be your dwelling,

And 1away from the dew of heaven from above.

40 “By your sword you shall live,

And your brother ayou shall serve;

But it shall come about bwhen you become restless,

That you will 1break his yoke from your neck.”

41 So Esau abore a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him; and Esau said 1to himself, “bThe days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42 Now when the words of her elder son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she sent and called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “Behold your brother Esau is consoling himself concerning you by planning to kill you.

43 “Now therefore, my son, aobey my voice, and arise, 1flee to bHaran, to my brother cLaban!

44 “Stay with him aa few days, until your brother’s fury 1subsides,

45 until your brother’s anger 1against you subsides and he forgets awhat you did to him. Then I will send and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”

46 Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of 1living because of athe daughters of Heth; bif Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?”