New International Version | Berean Study Bible |
1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, "My son." "Here I am," he answered. | 1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” Esau replied. |
2Isaac said, "I am now an old man and don't know the day of my death. | 2“Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old, and I do not know the day of my death. |
3Now then, get your equipment--your quiver and bow--and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me. | 3Take your weapons—your quiver and bow—and go out into the field to hunt some game for me. |
4Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die." | 4Then prepare a tasty dish that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.” |
5Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, | 5Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac told his son Esau. So when Esau went into the field to hunt game and bring it back, |
6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, | 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau, |
7Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the LORD before I die.' | 7‘Bring me some game and prepare me a tasty dish to eat, so that I may bless you in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ |
8Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you: | 8Now, my son, listen to my voice and do exactly as I tell you. |
9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it. | 9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I can make them into a tasty dish for your father—the kind he loves. |
10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies." | 10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” |
11Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. | 11Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am smooth-skinned. |
12What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing." | 12What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing.” |
13His mother said to him, "My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and get them for me." | 13His mother replied, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey my voice and go get them for me.” |
14So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it. | 14So Jacob went and got two goats and brought them to his mother, who made the tasty food his father loved. |
15Then Rebekah took the best clothes of Esau her older son, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. | 15And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house that belonged to her older son Esau, and she put them on her younger son Jacob. |
16She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. | 16She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. |
17Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made. | 17Then she handed her son Jacob the tasty food and bread she had made. |
18He went to his father and said, "My father." "Yes, my son," he answered. "Who is it?" | 18So Jacob went to his father and said, “My father.” “Here I am!” he answered. “Which one are you, my son?” |
19Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing." | 19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may bless me.” |
20Isaac asked his son, "How did you find it so quickly, my son?" "The LORD your God gave me success," he replied. | 20But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” “Because the LORD your God brought it to me,” he replied. |
21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not." | 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau, or not?” |
22Jacob went close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau." | 22So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” |
23He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. | 23Isaac did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. |
24"Are you really my son Esau?" he asked. "I am," he replied. | 24Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” And he replied, “I am.” |
25Then he said, "My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing." Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. | 25“Serve me,” said Isaac, “and let me eat some of my son’s game, so that I may bless you.” Jacob brought it to him, and he ate; then he brought him wine, and he drank. |
26Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come here, my son, and kiss me." | 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come near and kiss me, my son.” |
27So he went to him and kissed him. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he blessed him and said, "Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. | 27So he came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothing, he blessed him and said: “Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. |
28May God give you heaven's dew and earth's richness-- an abundance of grain and new wine. | 28May God give to you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth—an abundance of grain and new wine. |
29May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed and those who bless you be blessed." | 29May peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. May you be the master of your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed, and those who bless you be blessed.” |
30After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father's presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. | 30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing him and Jacob had left his father’s presence, his brother Esau returned from the hunt. |
31He too prepared some tasty food and brought it to his father. Then he said to him, "My father, please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may give me your blessing." | 31He too made some tasty food, brought it to his father, and said to him, “My father, sit up and eat of your son’s game, so that you may bless me.” |
32His father Isaac asked him, "Who are you?" "I am your son," he answered, "your firstborn, Esau." | 32But his father Isaac replied, “Who are you?” “I am Esau, your firstborn son,” he answered. |
33Isaac trembled violently and said, "Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him--and indeed he will be blessed!" | 33Isaac began to tremble violently and said, “Who was it, then, who hunted the game and brought it to me? Before you came in, I ate it all and blessed him—and indeed, he will be blessed!” |
34When Esau heard his father's words, he burst out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, "Bless me--me too, my father!" | 34When Esau heard his father’s words, he let out a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me too, O my father!” |
35But he said, "Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing." | 35But Isaac replied, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.” |
36Esau said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!" Then he asked, "Haven't you reserved any blessing for me?" | 36So Esau declared, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice. He took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.” Then he asked, “Haven’t you saved a blessing for me?” |
37Isaac answered Esau, "I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?" | 37But Isaac answered Esau: “Look, I have made him your master and given him all his relatives as servants; I have sustained him with grain and new wine. What is left that I can 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 wept aloud. | 38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, O my father!” Then Esau wept aloud. |
39His father Isaac answered him, "Your dwelling will be away from the earth's richness, away from the dew of heaven above. | 39His father Isaac answered him: “Behold, your dwelling place shall be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of heaven above. |
40You will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck." | 40You shall live by the sword and serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will tear his yoke from your neck.” |
41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, "The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob." | 41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” |
42When Rebekah was told what her older son Esau had said, she sent for her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Your brother Esau is planning to avenge himself by killing you. | 42When the words of her older son Esau were relayed to Rebekah, she sent for her younger son Jacob and told him, “Look, your brother Esau is consoling himself by plotting to kill you. |
43Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. | 43So now, my son, obey my voice and flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran. |
44Stay with him for a while until your brother's fury subsides. | 44Stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury subsides— |
45When your brother is no longer angry with you and forgets what you did to him, I'll send word for you to come back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?" | 45until your brother’s rage against you wanes and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send for you and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?” |
46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living." | 46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a Hittite wife from among them, what good is my life?” |
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