Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could not see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, "My son." And he answered, "Here I am."

1When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.”

2He said, "Look, I am old and do not know the day of my death.

2He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death.

3So now take your hunting gear, your quiver and bow, and go out in the field to hunt some game for me.

3Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me,

4Then make me a delicious meal that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I can bless you before I die."

4and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”

5Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac said to his son Esau. So while Esau went to the field to hunt some game to bring in,

5Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it,

6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Listen! I heard your father talking with your brother Esau. He said,

6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau,

7'Bring me game and make a delicious meal for me to eat so that I can bless you in the LORD's presence before I die.'

7‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the LORD before I die.’

8Now, my son, listen to me and do what I tell you.

8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you.

9Go to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, and I will make them into a delicious meal for your father--the kind he loves.

9Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves.

10Then take it to your father to eat so that he may bless you before he dies."

10And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”

11Jacob answered Rebekah his mother, "Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am a man with smooth skin.

11But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

12Suppose my father touches me. Then I will be revealed to him as a deceiver and bring a curse rather than a blessing on myself."

12Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.”

13His mother said to him, "Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey me and go get them for me."

13His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”

14So he went and got the goats and brought them to his mother, and his mother made the delicious food his father loved.

14So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved.

15Then Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were in the house, and had her younger son Jacob wear them.

15Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

16She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck.

16And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

17Then she handed the delicious food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

17And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

18When he came to his father, he said, "My father." And he answered, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"

18So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

19Jacob replied 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."

19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.”

20But Isaac said to his son, "How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?" He replied, "Because the LORD your God made it happen for me."

20But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the LORD your God granted me success.”

21Then Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau or not?"

21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.”

22So Jacob came closer to his father Isaac. When he touched him, he said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

22So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”

23He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him.

23And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him.

24Again he asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" And he replied, "I am."

24He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”

25Then he said, "Bring it closer to me, and let me eat some of my son's game so that I can bless you." Jacob brought it closer to him, and he ate; he brought him wine, and he drank.

25Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

26Then his father Isaac said to him, "Please come closer and kiss me, my son."

26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.”

27So he came closer and kissed him. When Isaac smelled 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. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed!

28May God give to you--from the dew of the sky and from the richness of the land--an abundance of grain and new wine.

28May God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine.

29May peoples serve you and nations bow in worship to you. Be master over your relatives; may your mother's sons bow in worship to you. Those who curse you will be cursed, and those who bless you will be blessed.

29Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”

30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob had left the presence of his father Isaac, his brother Esau arrived from his hunting.

30As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

31He had also made some delicious food and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "Let my father get up and eat some of his son's game, so that you may bless me."

31He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.”

32But his father Isaac said to him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am Esau your firstborn son."

32His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”

33Isaac began to tremble uncontrollably. "Who was it then," he said, "who hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came in, and I blessed him. Indeed, he will be blessed!"

33Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.”

34When Esau heard his father's words, he cried out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father, "Bless me too, my father!"

34As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!”

35But he replied, "Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing."

35But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.”

36So he said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me twice now. He took my birthright, and look, now he has taken my blessing." Then he asked, "Haven't you saved a blessing for me?"

36Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”

37But Isaac answered Esau, "Look, I have made him a master over you, have given him all of his relatives as his servants, and have sustained him with grain and new wine. What then can I do for you, my son?"

37Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?”

38Esau said to his father, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!" And Esau wept loudly.

38Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39His father Isaac answered him, Look, your dwelling place will be away from the richness of the land, away from the dew of the sky above.

39Then Isaac his father answered and said to him: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high.

40You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But when you rebel, you will break his yoke from your neck.

40By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau determined in his heart: "The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob."

41Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42When the words of her older son Esau were reported to Rebekah, she summoned her younger son Jacob and said to him, "Listen, your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you.

42But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.

43So now, my son, listen to me. Flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran,

43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran

44and stay with him for a few days until your brother's anger subsides--

44and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away—

45until your brother's rage turns away from you 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 you both in one day?"

45until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”

46So Rebekah said to Isaac, "I'm sick of my life because of these Hethite girls. If Jacob marries someone from around here, like these Hethite girls, what good is my life?"

46Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.