About Isaac giving a special blessing to Jacob

1Isaac was now an old man and he was blind. He called for his older son Esau and said to him, “Son!” “What is it?” he answered.

2Isaac said, “You can see that I am old now. Maybe I will die soon.

3Take your spears and go out into the bush and find an animal for me. Kill one and bring it back here

4and cook it so that it will be tasty for me to eat. Then bring some here for me. Then I will eat it and give you my special blessing. I want to give it to you before I die.”

5Rebecca heard what Isaac said to Esau. So when Esau went out to hunt,

6she said to Jacob, “I heard your father talking to Esau.

7He said, ‘Bring me an animal and cook it for me so I can eat it. Then I will give you my special blessing before I die, and Yahweh himself will hear it.’

8Look, my son,” Rebecca continued, “listen carefully and do everything I tell you.

9Go and find two of our fat young goats. Bring them here to me, and I will cook them nicely, just as your father likes his meat.

10Then you can take some to him to eat, and he will give you his special blessing before he dies.”

11Jacob said to his mother, “You know my older brother is very hairy. My hands aren't hairy like his.

12Maybe if my father touches me he will find out it is me. Then he will know that I am not Esau but I am tricking him. So I won't get a special blessing, I will be cursed.”

13His mother said, “If you are cursed, then you won't be in trouble, I will. Do as I say and bring the goats here.”

14So Jacob went and got the goats and brought them to his mother. And she cooked them just as Isaac liked.

15She went and got some good clothes of Esau's and gave them to Jacob and he put them on.

16Then she put goat skin from the goat that Jacob had killed on his hands and arms and on the back of his neck.

17Then she gave him the meat and damper that she had cooked.

18Then Jacob went and took the food to his father and said, “Father!” “What is it?” his father said. “Which of my sons are you?”

19Jacob said, “I am your firstborn son Esau. I have done what you told me. Please sit up and eat this meat. I have brought it so that you can give me your special blessing.”

20The old man said, “Son! How did you find the animal so quickly?” Jacob said, “Yahweh your God helped me, so I found it quickly.”

21Isaac said, “Come closer and let me touch you. Are you really Esau?”

22Jacob came close to his father and Isaac touched him. Then he said, “When you speak your voice is like Jacob's, but your hands are like Esau's.”

23Isaac didn't recognize Jacob because his hands were all covered in goat skin. They were like Esau's. He was ready to give his special blessing to Jacob

24but again he asked him, “Are you really Esau?” “Yes,” said Jacob.

25Isaac said, “Give me the meat that you have brought. I will eat it first and then I will give you my special blessing.” Jacob gave his father the meat, and also brought some wine for him to drink.

26Then his father said, “Come over here and kiss me, son.”

27Jacob moved closer to kiss him and his father smelled Esau's clothes that Jacob was wearing. And so he gave him his special blessing. He said, “My son, you smell very good, just as the earth that God made smells good.

28May God give you dew from heaven, and then your plants will grow so that you will have plenty of food. May he give you plenty of seeds for food and plenty of wine.

29May nations work for you as servants. May they say, ‘You are a great person,’
and bow down to you. May you rule over your family.
May they also bow down to you.
If people curse you, may they be cursed too. But if they speak good words to you, may good come to them too.”

30Isaac finished his special blessing and Jacob left him. About Esau wanting his father's special blessing At the same time Jacob's older brother Esau came back bringing an animal that he had killed.

31He cooked the meat so that it was tasty and took it to his father and said, “Father, you asked me for some meat. Here it is now. Please sit up and eat it. Then give me your special blessing.”

32“Who are you?” Isaac asked. Esau answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”

33The old man was very upset and began to shake all over. He said, “Someone has killed an animal and brought me the meat before you. I have eaten it and given him my special blessing already. I can't take back those words. That blessing is his forever. Who was that person?”

34When Esau heard that he was very angry. He cried out loudly and said, “Father, give me a special blessing too.”

35Isaac said, “Your brother came here and tricked me. So I gave him my special blessing. It should have been yours because you are the firstborn, but now it is your brother's.”

36Esau said, “I am your firstborn son, but he tricked me before, and so now he is like your firstborn son. And now he has done it again. You should have given me that special blessing, but he got it. Oh dear, it is his now! Twice he has tricked me. Truly he is called Jacob. Please, isn't there a blessing for me too?” The name Jacob means “he tricks people.”

37Isaac said, “I have already made him rule over you. I told him that his relatives would work for him as servants. I told him he would have plenty of seeds for food and plenty of wine. There is no more, my son. The blessing is finished, so there is nothing for you.”

38Esau kept on asking and asking him. “Isn't there just one more special blessing? Isn't there also a word for me? Please give me a special word too.” And Esau was upset and began to cry.

39Isaac said, “The dew won't fall from heaven to water your land.
The earth will not be good for you.

40You will be a brave fighter.
For a while you will work for your younger brother.
Then later you will escape so that he won't rule over you.”

About Jacob leaving home

41Then Esau really hated his brother Jacob, because his father had given him his special blessing. He said, “In a short time my father will die. Then I will kill Jacob.”

42Rebecca heard what Esau said and called Jacob to her and said, “Look, my son. Your brother wants to pay you back and kill you because of what you have done.

43Listen to me! Go at once to Haran. Go to my brother Laban,

44and stay there with him for a while. Later your brother will forget what you have done and he will calm down. Then I will send someone to bring you back. If you don't go away, maybe both of you will die on the one day. And then both my sons will be gone!”

46Then she went to her husband Isaac and said, “Those women from here that Esau married don't belong to us; they are Hittites. I am tired of them. If Jacob also takes one of them for a wife, then what good will that do me?”