Study Desk

Now Isaac's love was for Esau, because Esau's meat was greatly to his taste: but Rebekah had more love for Jacob.

And Jacob said, First of all give me your oath; and he gave him his oath, handing over his birthright to Jacob.

Then Jacob gave him bread and soup; and he took food and drink and went away, caring little for his birthright.

And when he was questioned by the men of the place about his wife, he said, She is my sister; fearing to say, She is my wife; for, he said, the men of the place may put me to death on account of Rebekah; because she is very beautiful.

And when he had been there for some time, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, looking through a window, saw Isaac playing with Rebekah his wife.

And Abimelech gave orders to his people that anyone touching Isaac or his wife was to be put to death.

And his wealth became very great, increasing more and more;

Now all the water-holes, which his father's servants had made in the days of Abraham, had been stopped up with earth by the Philistines.

So Isaac went away from there, and put up his tents in the valley of Gerar, making his living-place there.

And he made again the water-holes which had been made in the days of Abraham his father, and which had been stopped up by the Philistines; and he gave them the names which his father had given them.

Then he made an altar there, and gave worship to the name of the Lord, and he put up his tents there, and there his servants made a water-hole.

And Abimelech had come to him from Gerar, with Ahuzzath his friend and Phicol, the captain of his army.

And when Esau was forty years old, he took as his wives Judith, the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath, the daughter of Elon the Hittite:

Now when Isaac was old and his eyes had become clouded so that he was not able to see, he sent for Esau, his first son, and said to him, My son: and he said, Here am I.

Now Isaac's words to his son were said in Rebekah's hearing. Then Esau went out to get the meat.

And you will take it to him, so that he may have a good meal and give you his blessing before his death.

And Jacob said to Rebekah, his mother, But Esau my brother is covered with hair, while I am smooth:

If by chance my father puts his hand on me, it will seem to him that I am tricking him, and he will put a curse on me in place of a blessing.

And his mother said, Let the curse be on me, my son: only do as I say, and go and get them for me.

So he went and got them and took them to his mother: and she made a meal to his father's taste.