Isaac Gives Jacob His Blessing

27 Isaac had become old. His eyes were so weak he couldn’t see anymore. One day he called for his older son Esau. He said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

2Isaac said, “I’m an old man now. And I don’t know when I’ll die. 3Now then, get your weapons. Get your bow and arrows. Go out to the open country. Hunt some wild animals for me. 4Prepare for me the kind of tasty food I like. Bring it to me to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing before I die.”

5Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. Esau left for the open country. He went to hunt for a wild animal and bring it back.

6Then Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. 7He said, ‘Bring me a wild animal. Prepare some tasty food for me to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing before I die. The Lord will be my witness.’ ”

8Rebekah continued, “My son, listen carefully. Do what I tell you. 9Go out to the flock. Bring me two of the finest young goats. I will prepare tasty food for your father. I’ll make it just the way he likes it. 10I want you to take it to your father to eat. Then he’ll give you his blessing before he dies.”

11Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau’s body is covered with hair. But my skin is smooth. 12What if my father touches me? He would know I was trying to trick him. That would bring a curse down on me instead of a blessing.”

13His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say. Go and get the goats for me.”

14So he went and got the goats. He brought them to his mother. And she prepared some tasty food. She made it just the way his father liked it.

15The clothes of her older son Esau were in her house. She took the best of them and put them on her younger son Jacob. 16She covered his hands with the skins of the goats. She also covered the smooth part of his neck with them.

17Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

18He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” Isaac answered. “Who is it?”

19Jacob said to his father, “I’m your oldest son Esau. I’ve done as you told me. Please sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.”

20Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,” he replied.

21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son. I want to know whether you really are my son Esau.”

22Jacob went close to his father. Isaac touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob. But the hands are the hands of Esau.”

23Isaac didn’t recognize him. His hands were covered with hair like those of his brother Esau. So Isaac blessed him. 24“Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” Jacob replied.

25Isaac said, “My son, bring me some of your wild meat to eat. Then I’ll give you my blessing.”

Jacob brought it to him. So Isaac ate. Jacob also brought some wine. And Isaac drank. 26Then Jacob’s father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son. Kiss me.”

27So Jacob went to him and kissed him. When Isaac smelled the clothes, he gave Jacob his blessing. He said,

“It really is the smell of my son.

It’s like the smell of a field

that the Lord has blessed.

28 May God give you dew from heaven.

May he give you the richness of the earth.

May he give you plenty of grain and fresh wine.

29 May nations serve you.

May they bow down to you.

Rule over your brothers.

May the sons of your mother bow down to you.

May those who call down curses on you be cursed.

And may those who bless you be blessed.”

30When Isaac finished blessing him, Jacob left his father. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting. 31He too prepared some tasty food. He brought it to his father. Then Esau said to him, “My father, sit up. Eat some of my wild meat. Then give me your blessing.”

32His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”

“I’m your son,” he answered. “I’m your oldest son. I’m Esau.”

33Isaac was shaking all over. He said, “Then who was it that hunted a wild animal and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came. I gave him my blessing. And he will certainly be blessed!”

34Esau heard his father’s words. Then he began crying loudly and bitterly. He said to his father, “Bless me! Bless me too, my father!”

35But Isaac said, “Your brother came and tricked me. He took your blessing.”

36Esau said, “Isn’t Jacob just the right name for him? He has cheated me two times. First, he took my rights as the oldest son. And now he’s taken my blessing!” Then Esau asked, “Haven’t you saved any blessing for me?”

37Isaac answered Esau, “I’ve made him ruler over you. I’ve made all of his relatives serve him. And I’ve provided him with grain and fresh wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau sobbed loudly.

39His father Isaac answered him,

“You will live far away from the richness of the earth.

You will live far away from the dew of heaven above.

40 You will live by the sword.

And you will serve your brother.

But you will grow restless.

Then you will throw off the heavy load

he put on your shoulders.”

Jacob Runs Away to Laban

41Esau was angry with Jacob. He was angry because of the blessing his father had given to Jacob. He said to himself, “My father will soon die. The days of sorrow over him are near. Then I’ll kill my brother Jacob.”

42Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said. So she sent for her younger son Jacob. She said to him, “Your brother Esau is comforting himself with the thought of killing you.

43“Now then, my son, do what I say. Go at once to my brother Laban in Haran. 44Stay with him until your brother’s anger calms down. 45Stay until your brother isn’t angry with you anymore. When he forgets what you did to him, I’ll let you know. Then you can come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?”

46Then Rebekah spoke to Isaac. She said, “I’m sick of living because of Esau’s Hittite wives. Suppose Jacob also marries a Hittite woman. If he does, my life won’t be worth living.”