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.
2Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t 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. 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.”
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, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring 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.’ 8Now, my son, listen carefully and do what 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. 10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.”
11Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man while I have smooth skin. 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.”
13His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me. Just do what I say; go and 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. 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. 16She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins. 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,” he answered. “Who is it?”
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.”
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, to know whether you really are 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.” 23He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he proceeded to bless him. 24“Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.
“I am,” he replied.
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. 26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”
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.
28May God give you heaven’s dew
and earth’s richness—
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.”
30After Isaac finished blessing him, and Jacob had scarcely left his father’s presence, his brother Esau came in from hunting. 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.”
32His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
“I am your son,” he answered, “your firstborn, Esau.”
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!”
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!”
35But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”
36Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob27:36 Jacob means he grasps the heel, a Hebrew idiom for he takes advantage of or he deceives.? 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?”
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?”
38Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, 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.
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.”
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.”
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. 43Now then, my son, do what I say: Flee at once to my brother Laban in Harran. 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?”
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.”
Yakobo Anaipata Baraka Ya Isaki
1Isaki alipokuwa mzee na macho yake yalipokuwa yamekosa nguvu asiweze kuona tena, akamwita Esau mwanawe mkubwa, akamwambia, “Mwanangu.”
Akajibu, “Mimi hapa.”
2Isaki akasema, “Mimi sasa ni mzee na sijui siku ya kifo changu. 327:3 Mwa 25:27Sasa basi, chukua silaha zako, podo na upinde, uende nyikani, ukawinde nyama pori kwa ajili yangu. 4Uniandalie aina ya chakula kitamu nikipendacho uniletee nile, ili niweze kukubariki kabla sijafa.”
5Basi Rebeka alikuwa akisikiliza Isaki alipokuwa akizungumza na mwanawe Esau. Esau alipoondoka kwenda nyikani kuwinda nyama pori na kuleta, 6Rebeka akamwambia Yakobo mwanawe, “Tazama, nimemsikia baba yako akimwambia ndugu yako Esau, 7‘Niletee mawindo, kisha ukaniandalie chakula kitamu nile, ili niweze kukubariki mbele za Bwana kabla sijafa.’ 827:8 Mwa 27:13, 43Sasa, mwanangu, nisikilize kwa makini na ufanye yale ninayokuambia: 9Nenda sasa katika kundi ukaniletee wana-mbuzi wawili wazuri, ili niandalie chakula kitamu kwa ajili ya baba yako, kama vile anavyopenda. 10Kisha umpelekee baba yako ale, ili apate kukubariki kabla hajafa.”
1127:11 Mwa 25:25Yakobo akamwambia Rebeka mama yake, “Lakini ndugu yangu Esau ana nywele mwilini, mimi nina ngozi nyororo. 1227:12 Mwa 27:22Itakuwaje kama baba yangu akinigusa? Itaonekana kwake kama niliyemfanyia ujanja na kuleta laana juu yangu badala ya baraka.”
13Mama yake akamwambia, “Mwanangu, laana na iwe juu yangu. Fanya tu ninalokuambia, nenda ukaniletee hao wana-mbuzi.”
14Kwa hiyo alikwenda akawaleta, akampa mama yake, akaandaa chakula kitamu, kama vile alivyopenda baba yake. 1527:15 Mwa 27:27Kisha Rebeka akachukua nguo nzuri za Esau mwanawe wa kwanza, alizokuwa nazo nyumbani, akamvika Yakobo mwanawe mdogo. 16Pia akamfunika mikononi na sehemu laini ya shingo kwa ngozi za mbuzi. 17Hatimaye akampa Yakobo hicho chakula kitamu pamoja na mkate aliouoka.
18Akamwendea baba yake akasema, “Baba yangu.”
Akajibu, “Naam, mwanangu, wewe ni nani?”
1927:19 Mwa 27:4Yakobo akamwambia baba yake, “Mimi ni Esau mzaliwa wako wa kwanza. Nimefanya kama ulivyoniambia. Tafadhali uketi, ule sehemu ya mawindo yangu ili uweze kunibariki.”
20Isaki akamuuliza mwanawe. “Umepataje haraka namna hii, mwanangu?”
Akajibu, “Bwana Mungu wako amenifanikisha.”
2127:21 Mwa 27:12Kisha Isaki akamwambia Yakobo, “Mwanangu tafadhali sogea karibu nami ili nikupapase, nione kama hakika ndiwe Esau mwanangu, au la.”
22Yakobo akasogea karibu na baba yake Isaki, ambaye alimpapasa na kusema, “Sauti ni ya Yakobo, bali mikono ni ya Esau.” 2327:23 Mwa 27:16Hakumtambua, kwa sababu mikono yake ilikuwa na nywele kama ya ndugu yake Esau, kwa hiyo akambariki. 24Akamuuliza, “Hivi kweli wewe ni mwanangu Esau?”
Akajibu, “Mimi ndiye.”
2527:25 Mwa 27:4Kisha akasema, “Mwanangu, niletee sehemu ya mawindo yako nile, ili nipate kukubariki.”
Yakobo akamletea naye akala, akamletea na divai akanywa. 26Kisha Isaki baba yake akamwambia, “Njoo hapa, mwanangu, unibusu.”
2727:27 Kut 4:27; Ebr 11:20Kwa hiyo akamwendea akambusu. Isaki aliposikia harufu ya nguo zake, akambariki, akasema,
“Aha, harufu ya mwanangu
ni kama harufu ya shamba
ambalo Bwana amelibariki.
2827:28 Kum 33:28; 33:11; 2Sam 1:21Mungu na akupe umande kutoka mbinguni
na utajiri wa duniani:
wingi wa nafaka na divai mpya.
2927:29 Mwa 9:25; 25:23; 12:3Mataifa na yakutumikie
na mataifa yakusujudie.
Uwe bwana juu ya ndugu zako,
na wana wa mama yako wakusujudie.
Walaaniwe wale wakulaanio,
nao wale wakubarikio wabarikiwe.”
3027:30 Mwa 31:54; Kut 18:12; 24:11Baada ya Isaki kumaliza kumbariki na baada tu ya Yakobo kuondoka kwa baba yake, ndugu yake Esau akaingia kutoka mawindoni. 3127:31 Mwa 21:23, 27Naye pia akaandaa chakula kitamu akamletea baba yake. Kisha akamwambia, “Baba yangu, keti ule sehemu ya mawindo yangu, ili upate kunibariki.”
3227:32 Mwa 27:18; 21:30Isaki baba yake akamuuliza, “Wewe ni nani?”
Akajibu, “Mimi ni mwanao, mzaliwa wako wa kwanza, Esau.”
3327:33 Mwa 21:14Isaki akatetemeka kwa nguvu sana, akasema, “Alikuwa nani basi, ambaye aliwinda mawindo akaniletea? Nilikula kabla tu hujaja na nikambariki, naye hakika atabarikiwa!”
3427:34 Ebr 12:17; Kut 12:32Esau aliposikia maneno haya ya baba yake, akalia sauti kubwa na ya uchungu, na kumwambia baba yake, “Nibariki mimi, mimi pia, baba yangu!”
3527:35 Yer 9:4Lakini akasema, “Ndugu yako amekuja kwa udanganyifu na akachukua baraka yako.”
3627:36 Mwa 25:26; Ebr 12:16-17Esau akasema, “Si ndiyo sababu anaitwa Yakobo? Amenidanganya mara hizi mbili: Alichukua haki yangu ya kuzaliwa na sasa amechukua baraka yangu!” Kisha akauliza, “Hukubakiza hata baraka moja kwa ajili yangu?”
3727:37 Mwa 27:28; Kum 16:13Isaki akamjibu Esau, “Nimemfanya yeye kuwa bwana juu yako, pia nimewafanya ndugu zako wote kuwa watumishi wake, nimemtegemeza kwa nafaka na divai mpya. Sasa nitaweza kukufanyia nini, mwanangu?”
3827:38 Rut 1:9; Ebr 12:17Esau akamwambia baba yake, “Je, baba yangu una baraka moja tu? Unibariki mimi pia, baba yangu!” Kisha Esau akalia kwa sauti kubwa.
3927:39 Ebr 11:20; Mwa 27:28Baba yake Isaki akamjibu, akamwambia,
“Makao yako yatakuwa
mbali na utajiri wa dunia,
mbali na umande wa mbinguni juu.
4027:40 2Sam 8:14; 2Fal 8:20-22Utaishi kwa upanga,
nawe utamtumikia ndugu yako,
lakini wakati utakapokuwa umejikomboa,
utatupa nira yake
kutoka shingoni mwako.”
Yakobo Anakimbilia Kwa Labani
4127:41 1Sam 17:28; Hos 10:14Esau akawa na kinyongo dhidi ya Yakobo kwa ajili ya baraka ambazo baba yake alikuwa amembariki. Akasema moyoni mwake, “Siku za kuomboleza kwa ajili ya baba yangu zimekaribia, ndipo nitamuua ndugu yangu Yakobo.”
42Rebeka alipokwisha kuambiwa yale aliyoyasema Esau mwanawe mkubwa, alimwita Yakobo mwanawe mdogo, akamwambia, “Ndugu yako Esau anajifariji kwa wazo la kukuua. 4327:43 Mwa 24:29; 11:31Sasa basi, mwanangu, fanya nisemalo: Kimbilia haraka kwa Labani ndugu yangu kule Harani. 44Ukae naye kwa muda mpaka ghadhabu ya ndugu yako itulie. 4527:45 Mwa 26:3Wakati ndugu yako atakapokuwa hana hasira nawe tena na amesahau uliyomtendea, nitakupelekea ujumbe urudi. Kwa nini niwapoteze wote wawili kwa siku moja?”
4627:46 Mwa 26:35; Ay 7:7Kisha Rebeka akamwambia Isaki, “Nimechukia kuishi kwa sababu ya hawa wanawake wa Kihiti. Ikiwa Yakobo ataoa mke miongoni mwa wanawake wa nchi hii, wanawake wa Kihiti kama hawa, sitakuwa na faida kuendelea kuishi.”
