Open English Translation GEN Chapter 27

27 When Yitshak grew old and could no longer see, he called his older son Esaw and said to him, “My son.”

“I’m here,” Esaw replied.

2 “Please listen,” Yitshak continued, “I’m old and don’t know how long I’ve got before I die. 3 So please take your weapons—your quiver, and your bow—and go out into the countryside and hunt game for me 4 and cook me a tasty meal in the way that I love it, and bring it to me so I can eat it, so that I can bless you before I die.”

5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Yitshak spoke to Esaw. Then Esaw went out to the countryside to hunt game and bring it back. 6 Meanwhile Rebekah said to her son Yacob, “Listen, I heard your father speaking to your brother Esaw, saying, 7 ‘Get some game meat for me and prepare me a tasty meal so that I can eat it, and then I can bless you in Yahweh’s presence before I die.’ 8 So now Yacob, listen to what I tell you: 9 Go out to the flock and get me two of the best young goats so that I can prepare a tasty meal from them that your father loves. 10 Then you can take it in to your father, and after he’s eaten it, he’ll bless you before he dies.”

11 “Look,” Yacob said to his mother, “My brother Esaw is very hairy, whereas my skin is smooth. 12 What if my father touches me? Then he’ll think of me as a deceiver and he’ll curse me rather than bless me.”

13 “Let your curse be on me, my son,” his mother replied, “Just do what I said and go get the young goats for me.” 14 So he went and slaughtered them and brought them to his mother. Then she prepared tasty food the way his father loved it. 15 She then got Esaw’s best clothes that were in the house and got her younger son Yacob to put them on, 16 and then she tied the skins of the young goats over his hands and around the smooth part of his neck.

17 Then she handed the tasty food and the bread to Yacob, 18 and he went in to his elderly father and said, “My father.”

“I’m here,” he said, “Which son are you?” 19 “I’m your oldest son Esaw,” Yacob replied to his father. “I’ve done what you told me. Please get up, and come and sit up and eat some of my game, so that you’ll bless me.” 20 “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” Yitshak asked.

“Because your god Yahweh helped me when I went out hunting,” Yacob answered.

21 Then Yitshak said to Yacob, “Please come close so that I can touch you, my son, and to be sure whether you’re really my son Esaw or not.” 22 So Yacob went close to his father and Yitshak felt his skin and said to himself, “It’s Yacob’s voice, but these are definitely Esaw’s hands.” 23 So he didn’t recognise that it was Yacob, because his hands were hairy like Esaw’s hands, so he was about to bless him 24 but asked once more, “Are you really my son Esaw?”

“Yes, I am,” Yacob answered.

25 So Yitshak told him, “Bring the food here and I’ll eat some of my son’s game, so that I can then bless you.” So Yacob took it to him and he ate, and then he brought wine to him and he drank. 26 Then Yitshak asked Yacob, “My son, please come close and kiss me.” 27 So he went close and kissed him. His dad noticed the smell of his clothes, so he blessed him saying,[ref]

“Ah yes, the smell of my son

is like the pleasant fragrance of the countryside

that Yahweh has blessed.

28 May God give you dew from the sky

and riches from the land,

to produce plenty of grain and wine.

29 May peoples serve you,

and may nations bow down to you.

Be master over your brothers,

and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

May those who curse you be cursed,[ref]

and may those who bless you be blessed.”

30 Then just as Yitshak had finished blessing Yacob, and as Yacob had only just gone out from his father’s presence, his brother Esaw his brother returned from his hunting. 31 Then he too prepared some tasty food and brought it in to his father and said, “Let my father get up and eat from the game that his son hunted so that you can bless me.”

32 But Yitshak asked him, “Which son are you?”

“I’m your oldest son Esaw.” he answered.

33 Then Yitshak started to trembled badly and he said, “Then who was it that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all just before you came in, and I blessed that man and indeed, he’ll be blessed.”

34 When Esaw heard that, then he let out a very loud and exceedingly bitter wail, and then begged his father, “Bless me too, my father.”

35 But Yitshak replied, “Your brother came in and deceived me and he’s taken your blessing!”

36 “Yes, his name Yacob (meaning ‘deceiver’) suits him exactly!”[ref] said Esaw. “First he took my inheritance and man, now he’s also taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you at least saved a blessing for me?”

37 But Yitshak replied, “Listen, I’ve made him master over you, and I’ve given all his brothers to him as slaves. And I’ve sustained him with grain and wine. So then, what else can I do for you, my son?”

38 “My father, Did you only have one blessing that you could give?” Esaw asked. “Bless me too, my father!” Then Esaw sobbed loudly.[ref]

39 Then his father Yitshak responded and said to him,[ref]

“Listen, you and your descendants will live

away from the most fertile land on the earth[fn]

in a place that doesn’t get dew from the sky.

40 You and your descendants will live by your sword,[ref]

and you’ll serve your brother.

But when you become restless

you’ll all break away from serving them.

41 From that time onwards, Esaw hated Yacob because of the blessing that their father had blessed him with, and Esaw said to himself, “My father’s funeral can’t be that far away—after that I’ll kill my brother Yacob.”

42 But Rebekah got to hear about Esaw’s plans, so she sent for her younger son Yacob and told him, “Listen, your brother Esaw is coping with what happened by planning to kill you. 43 So my son, listen to what I’m saying: for your own sake, pack up and flee to my brother Lavan’s place in Haran 44 and stay with him for a while until your brother cools down. 45 When he’s no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, then I’ll send for you from there so you can return here. I don’t want to lose both of you on the same day.”

46 Then Rebekah told her husband Yitshak, “I’m quite disgusted with those daughters of Het. If Yacob chooses a wife like Het’s daughters from this culture around us here, I wouldn’t be able to bear it.”