以撒為兒子祝福
1以撒年老的時候，眼睛昏花，幾乎看不見。他把大兒子以掃叫來，說：「我兒啊！」以掃說：「我在這裡。」 2以撒說：「我年老了，不知道還能活多久。 3現在，帶著你的弓箭去田野為我打些野味來， 4照我喜歡的口味，做成美食給我吃，以便我在死前給你祝福。」
5利百加聽見了以撒跟兒子以掃說的話。以掃出去打獵後， 6利百加就對她兒子雅各說：「我聽見你父親對你哥哥以掃說， 7『你去打些野味回來，做成美食給我吃，以便我死之前在耶和華面前給你祝福。』 8現在，孩子，你要聽我的話，照我的吩咐去做。 9你到羊群裡選兩頭上好的山羊羔，我好照你父親喜愛的口味做成美食， 10由你拿去給他吃，讓他死前為你祝福。」
11雅各對母親利百加說：「哥哥以掃渾身是毛，我的皮膚光滑。 12如果父親用手摸我，一定會發覺我騙他，那時候我不但得不到祝福，反會招來咒詛。」 13他母親利百加對他說：「孩子啊，有咒詛，我來承擔。你只管聽我的話，把羊羔牽來。」
14於是，雅各把羊牽來交給母親，他母親就照他父親喜愛的口味做成美食。 15利百加又拿了大兒子以掃留在家裡最好的衣服，給小兒子雅各穿上， 16再用山羊皮把雅各光滑的手和脖子都包起來， 17然後把做好的美味和餅交給雅各。
18雅各來到父親跟前，叫了一聲：「父親。」以撒回答說：「我在這裡，孩子，你是誰？」 19雅各對父親說：「我是你的大兒子以掃，你吩咐我的事，我已經辦好了。請你坐起來，吃我打的野味，然後給我祝福。」 20以撒對他說：「孩子，你怎麼這麼快就打到野味了？」雅各回答說：「因為你的上帝耶和華讓我碰見好機會。」 21以撒說：「孩子，過來，讓我摸摸看你是不是我兒以掃。」 22雅各挨到父親跟前，以撒摸著他說：「聲音是雅各的聲音，手卻是以掃的手。」 23因為雅各手上有毛，與他哥哥以掃的手一樣，以撒分辨不出來，就給他祝福。 24以撒又問：「你真是我的兒子以掃嗎？」雅各回答說：「是。」 25以撒便說：「把野味拿給我，我吃了你打的野味就為你祝福。」雅各遞上野味，以撒吃了；雅各又拿酒給他喝，他也喝了。 26以撒對他說：「孩子，你過來親吻我。」 27雅各就挨上前去親了父親。以撒聞到他衣服上的氣味，就祝福他說：
「我兒子的香氣就像蒙耶和華賜福之田地的香氣。
28願上帝賜你天上的甘霖、肥沃的土地並豐富的五穀和新酒。
29願萬民都臣服於你，
萬國都向你下拜。
願你成為你弟兄的主人，
願你母親的兒子向你下拜。
咒詛你的，願他受咒詛；
祝福你的，願他蒙祝福。」
以掃求父親祝福
30雅各接受了以撒的祝福才剛離開，他的哥哥以掃就打獵回來了。 31以掃把野味煮好，拿到父親跟前，說：「父親，請起來吃你兒子煮的野味，然後給我祝福。」 32他父親以撒問道：「你是誰？」以掃回答說：「我是你的長子以掃。」 33以撒大為震驚，說：「你沒有來之前，拿野味來給我吃的是誰呢？我已經吃了，也給那人祝福了，他將來必蒙祝福。」
34以掃聽了放聲痛哭，說：「父親啊，求你也為我祝福！」 35以撒說：「你弟弟已經用詭計把你的福分奪去了。」 36以掃說：「怪不得他叫雅各，他已經騙了我兩次，先前把我長子的名分奪去，現在又奪去我的福分！」接著他對父親說：「難道你沒有留下別的祝福可以給我嗎？」
37以撒對以掃說：「我已經立他做你的主人，使他的眾弟兄做他的僕人，並給他五穀和新酒。孩子啊，我還能為你做什麼呢？」 38以掃對父親說：「父親啊，你只有一個祝福嗎？父親啊，求你也為我祝福！」以掃又放聲大哭。 39以撒對他說：
「你住的地方必遠離肥沃的土地，
也不會有天上的甘霖。
40你必倚靠刀劍生活，
又必服侍你的弟弟。
到你無法忍受的時候，
你必掙脫頸上的重軛。」
雅各逃往舅父家
41以掃因為父親把祝福給了雅各，就對雅各懷恨在心，暗自思量說：「父親已經不久人世，他死後，我要把雅各殺掉！」 42以掃的計謀傳到利百加耳中。她就派人把雅各叫來，對他說：「你哥哥以掃想要殺你洩憤！ 43孩子，聽我的話，現在就逃到哈蘭你舅舅拉班那裡， 44與他住些日子，一直住到你哥哥的氣消了。 45等他氣消了，忘了你對他所做的事，我會派人接你回來。我何必在一天之內失去你們兩個呢？」 46利百加對以撒說：「我被這些赫人女子煩死了。如果雅各也像以掃一樣娶那些赫人女子為妻，我活著還有什麼意思呢？」
1Isaac 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. He would curse me instead of giving me a blessing.”
13His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse be 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 Esau’s best clothes 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 Jacob. Jacob’s 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.
28May 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.
29May 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 curse 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, please 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 Esau, your oldest son.”
33Isaac began to shake all over. He said, “Then who 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 yelled 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? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me. 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 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 wept loudly.
39His father Isaac answered him,
“You will live far away from the fruit of the earth.
You will live far away from the dew of heaven above.
40You will live by using the sword.
And you will serve your brother.
But you will grow restless.
Then you will throw off the heavy load
he has caused you to carry.”
41Esau was angry with Jacob. He was angry because of the blessing his father had given to Jacob. He said to himself, “The days of sorrow over my father’s death 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 planning to get back at you by killing you. 43Now then, my son, do what I say. Run away at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 44Stay with him until your brother’s anger calms down. 45When 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.”
