PART I. me away that I may go to my master. And they said, We will 135 call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Our sister, be thou the 140 mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. 61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. And Isaac came from the way of Beer- 145 lahai-roi1; for he dwelt in the land of the South. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel. And she said unto the servant, What 150 man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant said, It is my master: and she took her veil, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved 155 her and Isaac was comforted after his mother's 2 death. : 1 For Isaac . . . Beer-lahai-roi read Isaac came through the wilderness in Beer-lahai-roi (S). 2 For mother's read father's. Q LESSON VII JACOB'S FLIGHT The rivalry of Isaac's twin sons. Jacob obtains his father's blessing by fraud, and flees to avoid his brother's vengeance. Camping at Bethel on the way, he sees God's angels in a dream. GENESIS XXV. 27-XXVIII. 22 25 27 And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field ; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison and Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came in from 5 the field, and he was faint and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day 1 thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die and what profit shall the birthright do to me? And 10 Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him : and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright. 27 1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his 15 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 20 venison; and make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring 1 For this day read first of all (R). it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring 25 me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death. Now therefore, my son, obey 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 meat for 30 thy father, such as he loveth: and 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. My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver 1; 35 and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing. And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them. And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved. And Rebekah 40 took the goodly raiment of Esau her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck and she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the 45 hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, My father and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son ? And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac 50 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. 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. And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; 55 1 For a deceiver read a mocker (R). and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, 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. And he said, Art thou my very son Esau ? 60 And he said, I am. 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. And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, 65 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 LORD hath blessed : And God give thee of the dew of heaven, 75 And nations bow down to thee: Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: And blessed be every one that blesseth thee. 30 And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the 80 presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. And he also made savoury meat, 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. And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he 85 said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. And 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 90 exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless And he said, Thy brother came me, even me also, O my father. with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve And it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose,2 : 105 41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith 110 his father blessed him and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob. And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching 115 thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: 120 then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be bereaved of you both in one day? 28 10 And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there 1 For of read far from (R). 2 For break loose read grow restive. |