Esau

The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him 'Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already].

Then his brother emerged, with his hand holding 'Esav's heel, so he was called Ya'akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz'chak was sixty years old when she bore them.

The boys grew; and 'Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya'akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents.

Yitz'chak favored 'Esav, because he had a taste for game; Rivkah favored Ya'akov.

One day when Ya'akov had cooked some stew, 'Esav came in from the open country, exhausted,

and said to Ya'akov, "Please! Let me gulp down some of that red stuff - that red stuff! I'm exhausted!" (This is why he was called Edom [red].)

"Look, I'm about to die!" said 'Esav. "What use to me are my rights as the firstborn?"

Then Ya'akov gave him bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, got up and went on his way. Thus 'Esav showed how little he valued his birthright.

When 'Esav was forty years old, he took as wives Y'hudit the daughter of Be'eri the Hitti and Basmat the daughter of Elon the Hitti.

In the course of time, after Yitz'chak had grown old and his eyes dim, so that he couldn't see, he called 'Esav his older son and said to him, "My son?" and he answered, "Here I am."

Rivkah was listening when Yitz'chak spoke to his son 'Esav. So when 'Esav went out to the country to hunt for game and bring it back,

she said to her son Ya'akov, "Listen! I heard your father telling 'Esav your brother,

Ya'akov answered Rivkah his mother, "Look, 'Esav is hairy, but I have smooth skin.

Next, Rivkah took 'Esav her older son's best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on Ya'akov her younger son;

Ya'akov said to his father, "I am 'Esav your firstborn. I've done what you asked me to do. Get up now, sit down, eat the game, and then give me your blessing."

Yitz'chak said to Ya'akov, "Come here, close to me, so I can touch you, my son, and know whether you are in fact my son 'Esav or not."

Ya'akov approached Yitz'chak his father, who touched him and said, "The voice is Ya'akov's voice, but the hands are 'Esav's hands."

However, he didn't detect him; because his hands were hairy like his brother 'Esav's hands; so he gave him his blessing.

He asked, "Are you really my son 'Esav?"And he replied, "I am."

But as soon as Yitz'chak had finished giving his blessing to Ya'akov, when Ya'akov had barely left his father's presence, 'Esav his brother came in from his hunting.

Yitz'chak his father said to him, "Who are you?" and he answered, "I am your son, your firstborn, 'Esav."

When 'Esav heard his father's words he burst into loud, bitter sobbing. "Father, bless me too," he begged.

Yitz'chak answered 'Esav, "Look, I have made him your lord, I have given him all his kinsmen as servants, and I have given him grain and wine to sustain him. What else is there that I can do for you, my son?"

'Esav said to his father, "Have you only one blessing, my father? Father, bless me too!"'Esav wept aloud,

'Esav hated his brother because of the blessing his father had given him. 'Esav said to himself, "The time for mourning my father will soon come, and then I will kill my brother Ya'akov."