No sooner had Jacob left from receiving the blessing of his father Isaac, than his brother Esau arrived home from hunting. He too prepared a savory meal for his father and took it to him. He said to Isaac, “Sit up my father; eat some of your son’s wild game so that you can give me your innermost blessing.”
His father Isaac asked him, “Who are you?”
“I’m Esau, your firstborn son,” he answered.
When Isaac realized what had happened, he began to tremble and shake violently. He asked, “Who was it then that hunted wild game and brought it to me? I’ve already eaten it all before you came, and I gave him the blessing—yes, and he will be blessed indeed!”
When Esau heard his father’s words, he burst into bitter weeping and uncontrollable sobbing. He said to his father, “Bless me! Bless me too, father!”
Isaac answered, “Your brother was here and deceived me. He has taken away your blessing.”
Esau exclaimed, “Jacob, that heel grabber—the name fits him perfectly! Now he has tricked me twice! He stole my birthright, and now he’s robbed me of my blessing!” Then he asked, “Father, haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?”
Isaac replied, “You don’t understand. My blessing will empower him to be master over you. I have already given him all his brothers and relatives as servants. My blessing will richly provide him with grain and new wine. What more is left for me to do for you, my son?”
Esau pleaded with his father, “Is that the only blessing you have to give? Bless me too, my father!” Esau could not hold back his tears and he wept loudly. Then Isaac his father spoke these words:
“You will live far from earth’s bounty
and far from heaven’s dew on high.
You will live by the sword and serve your brother;
but when you grow restless,
you will break free from his control.”
Esau hated Jacob because he stole his blessing. He said to himself, “In a short time my father will be gone. After the time for mourning his death has passed, I will kill my brother Jacob!”
But when Rebekah found out about her older son Esau’s plan, she quickly sent for her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “Listen, your brother Esau is planning to exact revenge by killing you. My son, you must do what I say. Run away at once to my brother Laban in Haran. You can live with him for a while until your brother calms down. After your brother’s anger has died down and he has forgotten what you’ve done to him, I will send a messenger to bring you back from there. Why should I lose both my sons in one day?”
Later, Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m so disgusted with our Hittite daughters-in-law. I’d rather die than see Jacob marry one of these local girls—these Hittite women!”
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