sod pottage; and Esau came in from tines looked out at a window, and the field, and he was faint. 30And saw, and, behold, Isaac was sportEsau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, ing with Rebekah his wife. "And I pray thee, some of this red, red Abimelech called Isaac, and said: pottage; for I am faint.' Therefore 'Behold, of a surety she is thy wife was his name called "Edom. 31And and how saidst thou: She is my Jacob said: 'Sell me first thy birth- sister?' And Isaac said unto him: right.' And Esau said: 'Behold, I 'Because I said: Lest I die because am at the point to die; and what of her.' 10And Abimelech said: 'What profit shall the birthright do to me?' is this thou hast done unto us? one 33 And Jacob said: 'Swear to me first'; of the people might easily have lain and he swore unto him; and he sold with thy wife, and thou wouldest his birthright unto Jacob. 34And have brought guiltiness upon us. Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage "And Abimelech charged all the of lentils; and he did eat and drink, people, saying: 'He that toucheth and rose up, and went his way. So this man or his wife shall surely be Esau despised his birthright. put to death.' 12And Isaac sowed in 26 And there was a famine in the that land, and found in the same year land, beside the first famine that a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed was in the days of Abraham. And him. And the man waxed great, and Isaac went unto Abimelech king of grew more and more until he became the Philistines unto Gerar. And the very great. 14And he had possessions LORD appeared unto him, and said: of flocks, and possessions of herds, 'Go not down into Egypt; dwell in and a great household; and the the land which I shall tell thee of. Philistines envied him. 15Now all the Sojourn in this land, and I will be wells which his father's servants had with thee, and will bless thee; for unto digged in the days of Abraham his thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all father, the Philistines had stopped these lands, and I will establish the them, and filled them with earth. oath which I swore unto Abraham 16And Abimelech said unto Isaac: thy father; and I will multiply thy 'Go from us; for thou art much mightseed as the stars of heaven, and will ier than we.' And Isaac departed give unto thy seed all these lands; thence, and encamped in the valley of and by thy seed shall all the nations of Gerar, and dwelt there. 18And Isaac the earth bless themselves; because digged again the wells of water, that Abraham hearkened to My voice, which they had digged in the days of and kept My charge, My command- Abraham his father; for the Philistines ments, My statutes, and My laws.' had stopped them after the death of "And Isaac dwelt in Gerar. "And Abraham; and he called their names the men of the place asked him of his after the names by which his father wife; and he said: 'She is my sister'; had called them. 19And Isaac's servfor he feared to say: 'My wife'; 'lest ants digged in the valley, and found the men of the place should kill there a well of living water. 20And me for Rebekah, because she is fair the herdmen of Gerar strove with to look upon.' And it came to pass, Isaac's herdmen, saying: 'The water when he had been there a long time, is ours.' And he called the name of that Abimelech king of the Philis- the well Esek; because they conThat is, Red. b That is, Contention. 34And when Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35And they were a bitterness of spirit unto Isaac and to Rebekah. 27 And it came to pass, that when tended with him. And they digged Shibah. Therefore the name of the another well, and they strove for that city is Beer-sheba unto this day. also. And he called the name of it Sitnah. And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not. And he called the name of it "Rehoboth; and he said: 'For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.' And he went up from thence to Beer-sheba. 24And the LORD appeared unto him the same night, and said: 'I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake.' 25And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants digged a well. Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar, and Ahuzzath his friend, and Phicol the captain of his host. 27 And Isaac said unto them: 'Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me, and have sent me away from you?' 28 And they said: 'We saw plainly that the LORD was with thee; and we said: Let there now be an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee; 29that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace; thou art now the blessed of the LORD.' 30And he made them a feast, and they did eat and drink. "And they rose up betimes in the morning, and swore one to another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace. 32And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him: 'We have found water.' And he called it 33 That is, Enmity. Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him: 'My son'; and he said unto him: 'Here am I.' And he said: 'Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death. Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison; and make me savoury food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.' And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. "And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son, saying: 'Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying: "Bring me venison, and make me savoury food, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, hearken to my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury food for thy father, such as he loveth; 10and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, so that he may bless thee before his death.' "And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother: 'Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a mocker; and I shall bring a curse b That is, Room. upon me, and not a blessing.' And his mother said unto him: Upon me be thy curse, my son; only hearken to my voice, and go fetch me them.' 14And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savoury food, such as his father loved. 15And Rebekah took the choicest garments of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son. 16And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck. 17And she gave the savoury food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. 18And he came unto his father, and said: 'My father'; and he said: 'Here am I; who art thou, my son?' 19And Jacob said unto his father: 'I am Esau thy first-born; I have done according as thou badest me. Arise, pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.' 20 And Isaac said unto his son: 'How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?' And he said: 'Because the LORD thy God sent me good speed.' 21 And Isaac said unto Jacob: 'Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.' 22And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said: 'The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.' And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him. 24And he said: 'Art thou my very son Esau?' And he said: 'I am.' 25 And he said: 'Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee.' And he brought it near to him, and he did eat; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 And his father Isaac said unto him: 'Come near now, and kiss me, my son.' 27And he came near, and kissed him. And he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said: See, the smell of my son Is as the smell of a field which the 28So God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fat places of the earth, 29 Let peoples serve thee, And nations bow down to thee. And let thy mother's sons bow down Cursed be every one that curseth thee, And blessed be every one that blesseth thee. 30And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also made savoury food, and brought it unto his father; and he said unto his father: 'Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.' 32And Isaac his father said unto him: 'Who art thou?' And he said: 'I am thy son, thy first-born, Esau.' 3And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said: 'Who then is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.' When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father: 'Bless me, even me also, O my father.' And he said: 'Thy brother came with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing.' And he said: 'Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.' And he said: 'Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?' And Isaac answered and said unto Esau: 'Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him; and what then shall I do for thee, my son?' 38 And Esau said unto his father: 'Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father.' And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept. 39 And Isaac his father answered and said unto him: Behold, of the fat places of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy broth er; And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose, That thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck. which thou hast done to him; then I will send, and fetch thee from thence; why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?' 46And Rebekah said to Isaac: 'I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?' 28 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him: 'Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a congregation of peoples; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land of thy sojournings, which God gave unto Abraham.' And Isaac sent away Jacob; and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Ara"And Esau hated Jacob because of mean, the brother of Rebekah, Jathe blessing wherewith his father cob's and Esau's mother. "Now Esau blessed him. And Esau said in his saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and heart: 'Let the days of mourning for sent him away to Paddan-aram, to my father be at hand; then will I slay take him a wife from thence; and my brother Jacob.' 42And the words that as he blessed him he gave him of Esau her elder son were told to a charge, saying: 'Thou shalt not Rebekah; and she sent and called take a wife of the daughters of CaJacob her younger son, and said unto naan'; and that Jacob hearkened to him: 'Behold, thy brother Esau, as his father and his mother, and was touching thee, doth comfort himself, gone to Paddan-aram; and Esau purposing to kill thee. Now there- saw that the daughters of Canaan fore, my son, hearken to my voice; and pleased not Isaac his father; so Esau arise, flee thou to Laban my brother went unto Ishmael, and took unto to Haran; and tarry with him a few the wives that he had Mahalath days, until thy brother's fury turn the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's away; until thy brother's anger turn son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his away from thee, and he forget that wife. ויצא that I come back to my father's house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house; and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.' 10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. "And he lighted upon the place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took one of the stones of the place, and put it under his head, and lay down in that place 29 Then Jacob went on his jourto sleep. 12And he dreamed, and be- ney, and came to the land of the hold a ladder set up on the earth, and children of the east. And he looked, the top of it reached to heaven; and and behold a well in the field, and behold the angels of God ascending lo three flocks of sheep lying there and descending on it. 13And, behold, by it. For out of that well they the LORD stood beside him, and said: watered the flocks. And the stone 'I am the LORD, the God of Abraham upon the well's mouth was great. thy father, and the God of Isaac. And thither were all the flocks gathThe land whereon thou liest, to thee ered; and they rolled the stone from the will I give it, and to thy seed. 14And well's mouth, and watered the sheep, thy seed shall be as the dust of the and put the stone back upon the well's earth, and thou shalt spread abroad mouth in its place. And Jacob said to the west, and to the east, and to the unto them: 'My brethren, whence north, and to the south. And in are ye?' And they said: 'Of Haran are thee and in thy seed shall all the we.' "And he said unto them: 'Know families of the earth be blessed. ye Laban the son of Nahor?' And 15And, behold, I am with thee, and they said: 'We know him.' And he will keep thee whithersoever thou said unto them: 'Is it well with him?' goest, and will bring thee back into this And they said: 'It is well; and, beland; for I will not leave thee, until I hold, Rachel his daughter cometh with have done that which I have spoken to the sheep.' And he said: 'Lo, it is yet thee of.' 16And Jacob awaked out of high day, neither is it time that the his sleep, and he said: 'Surely the cattle should be gathered together; LORD is in this place; and I knew it water ye the sheep, and go and feed not.' And he was afraid, and said: them.' And they said: We cannot, 'How full of awe is this place! this is until all the flocks be gathered tonone other than the house of God, gether, and they roll the stone from and this is the gate of heaven.' 18And the well's mouth; then we water the Jacob rose up early in the morning, sheep.' While he was yet speaking and took the stone that he had put with them, Rachel came with her under his head, and set it up for a father's sheep; for she tended them. pillar, and poured oil upon the top of 10And it came to pass, when Jacob it. 19And he called the name of that saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his place Beth-el, but the name of the mother's brother, and the sheep of city was Luz at the first. 2oAnd Jacob Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob vowed a vow, saying: 'If God will went near, and rolled the stone from be with me, and will keep me in this the well's mouth, and watered the way that I go, and will give me bread flock of Laban his mother's brother. to eat, and raiment to put on, so "And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted aThat is, The house of God. |