- Genesis / B'resheet
- <
- 27
- >

27
1 When Isaac [Laughter] was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau [Hairy] 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 take me venison. 4 Make me savory food, such as I 'ahav ·affectionately love·, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.”
5 Rebekah [Securely bound] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· when Isaac [Laughter] spoke to Esau [Hairy] his son. Esau [Hairy] went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 6 Rebekah [Securely bound] spoke to Jacob [Supplanter] her son, saying, “Behold, I sh'ma ·heard obeyed· your father speak to Esau [Hairy] your brother, saying, 7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Adonai before my death.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, sh'ma ·hear obey· my voice according to that which I enjoin you. 9 Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he 'ahav ·affectionately loves·. 10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death.”
11 Jacob [Supplanter] said to Rebekah [Securely bound] his mother, “Behold, Esau [Hairy] my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I 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 sh'ma ·hear obey· my voice, 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 'ahav ·affectionately loved·. 15 Rebekah [Securely bound] took the good clothes of Esau [Hairy], her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob [Supplanter], her younger son. 16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 17 She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob [Supplanter].
18 He came to his father, and said, “My father?”
He said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”
19 Jacob [Supplanter] said to his father, “I am Esau [Hairy] your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me.”
20 Isaac [Laughter] said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
He said, “Because Adonai your God gave me success.”
21 Isaac [Laughter] said to Jacob [Supplanter], “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau [Hairy] or not.”
22 Jacob [Supplanter] went near to Isaac [Laughter] his father. He felt him, and said, “The voice is Jacob [Supplanter]’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau [Hairy].” 23 He didn’t recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau [Hairy]’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau [Hairy]?”
He said, “I am.”
25 He said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless you.”
He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. 26 His father Isaac [Laughter] said to him, “Come near now, and kiss me, my son.” 27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said,
“Behold, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which Adonai has blessed.
(6) 28 God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and 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.”
30 As soon as Isaac [Laughter] had finished blessing Jacob [Supplanter], and Jacob [Supplanter] had just gone out from the presence of Isaac [Laughter] his father, Esau [Hairy] his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that your soul may bless me.”
32 Isaac [Laughter] his father said to him, “Who are you?”
He said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau [Hairy].”
33 Isaac [Laughter] trembled violently, and said, “Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau [Hairy] sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father.”
35 He said, “Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”
36 He said, “Is not he rightly named Jacob [Supplanter]? For he has supplanted me these two times. 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 [Laughter] answered Esau [Hairy], “Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?”
38 Esau [Hairy] said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father.” Esau [Hairy] lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 Isaac [Laughter] his father answered him,
“Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling,
and of the dew of the sky from above.
40 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother.
It will happen, when you will break loose,
that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck.”
41 Esau [Hairy] hated Jacob [Supplanter] because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau [Hairy] said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob [Supplanter].”
42 The words of Esau [Hairy], her elder son, were told to Rebekah [Securely bound]. She sent and called Jacob [Supplanter], her younger son, and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau [Hairy] comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, sh'ma ·hear obey· my voice. Arise, flee to Laban [White], my brother, in Haran [Mountaineer]. 44 Stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away; 45 until your brother’s anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
46 Rebekah [Securely bound] said to Isaac [Laughter], “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth [Trembling fear]. If Jacob [Supplanter] takes a wife of the daughters of Heth [Trembling fear], such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?”

- Genesis / B'resheet
- <
- 27
- >

© 2016 Thomas Robinson