Israel

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].)

Ya'akov answered, "First sell me your rights as the firstborn."

Ya'akov said, "First, swear to me!" So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya'akov.

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.

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;

Then she gave the tasty food and the bread she had prepared to her son Ya'akov.

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."

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.

'Esav said, "His name, Ya'akov [he supplants], really suits him - because he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and here, now he has taken away my blessing!" Then he asked, "Haven't you saved a blessing for me?"

'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."

But the words of 'Esav her older son were told to Rivkah. She sent for Ya'akov her younger son and said to him, "Here, your brother 'Esav is comforting himself over you by planning to kill you.

Rivkah said to Yitz'chak, "I'm sick to death of Hitti women! If Ya'akov marries one of the Hitti women, like those who live here, my life won't be worth living."

So Yitz'chak called Ya'akov, and, after blessing him, charged him: "You are not to choose a wife from the Hitti women.

So Yitz'chak sent Ya'akov away; and he went to Paddan-Aram, to Lavan, son of B'tu'el the Arami, the brother of Rivkah Ya'akov's and 'Esav's mother.

Now 'Esav saw that Yitz'chak had blessed Ya'akov and sent him away to Paddan-Aram to choose a wife from there, and that as he blessed him he charged him, "You are not to choose a Kena'ani woman as your wife,"

and that Ya'akov had listened to his father and mother and gone to Paddan-Aram.

Ya'akov went out from Be'er-Sheva and traveled toward Haran.