GENESIS 27

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Isaac Blesses Jacob  27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him, “My son”; and he answered, “Here I am.” 2 He said, “Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field and hunt game for me, 4 and prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.”
    5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you. 9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves. 10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.” 13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
    14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicious food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son. 16 And the skins of the young goats she put on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 And she put the delicious food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
    18 So he went in to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?” 19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, that your soul may bless me.” 20 But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “Because the Lord your God granted me success.” 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.” 22 So Jacob went near to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23 And he did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. 24 He said, “Are you really my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.” 25 Then he said, “Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s game and bless you.” So he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.
    26 Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.” 27 So he came near and kissed him. And Isaac smelled the smell of his garments and blessed him and said,

“See, the smell of my son

is as the smell of a field that the Lord has blessed! 28

May God give you of the dew of heaven

and of the fatness of the earth

and plenty of grain and wine. 29

Let peoples serve you,

and nations bow down to you.

Be lord over your brothers,

and may your mother’s sons bow down to you.

Cursed be everyone who curses you,

and blessed be everyone who blesses you!”
    30 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 31 He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” 32 His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” 33 Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” 34 As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” 35 But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” 36 Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” 38 Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.” And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
    39 Then Isaac his father answered and said to him:

“Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,

and away from the dew of heaven on high. 40

By your sword you shall live,

and you shall serve your brother;

but when you grow restless

you shall break his yoke from your neck.”
    41 Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, “The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.” 42 But the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son and said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran 44 and stay with him a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— 45 until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereft of you both in one day?”
    46 Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I loathe my life because of the Hittite women. If Jacob marries one of the Hittite women like these, one of the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”

PSALM 10

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Why Do You Hide Yourself?10:1

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?

Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2

In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;

let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised. 3

For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,

and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. 4

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;

all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” 5

His ways prosper at all times;

your judgments are on high, out of his sight;

as for all his foes, he puffs at them. 6

He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;

throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” 7

His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;

under his tongue are mischief and iniquity. 8

He sits in ambush in the villages;

in hiding places he murders the innocent.

His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; 9

he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;

he lurks that he may seize the poor;

he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net. 10

The helpless are crushed, sink down,

and fall by his might. 11

He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,

he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12

Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;

forget not the afflicted. 13

Why does the wicked renounce God

and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”? 14

But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,

that you may take it into your hands;

to you the helpless commits himself;

you have been the helper of the fatherless. 15

Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;

call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16

The Lord is king forever and ever;

the nations perish from his land. 17

O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;

you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear 18

to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,

so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

PROVERBS 29

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29:1

He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,

will suddenly be broken beyond healing. 2

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,

but when the wicked rule, the people groan. 3

He who loves wisdom makes his father glad,

but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth. 4

By justice a king builds up the land,

but he who exacts gifts tears it down. 5

A man who flatters his neighbor

spreads a net for his feet. 6

An evil man is ensnared in his transgression,

but a righteous man sings and rejoices. 7

A righteous man knows the rights of the poor;

a wicked man does not understand such knowledge. 8

Scoffers set a city aflame,

but the wise turn away wrath. 9

If a wise man has an argument with a fool,

the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet. 10

Bloodthirsty men hate one who is blameless

and seek the life of the upright. 11

A fool gives full vent to his spirit,

but a wise man quietly holds it back. 12

If a ruler listens to falsehood,

all his officials will be wicked. 13

The poor man and the oppressor meet together;

the Lord gives light to the eyes of both. 14

If a king faithfully judges the poor,

his throne will be established forever. 15

The rod and reproof give wisdom,

but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. 16

When the wicked increase, transgression increases,

but the righteous will look upon their downfall. 17

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest;

he will give delight to your heart. 18

Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint,

but blessed is he who keeps the law. 19

By mere words a servant is not disciplined,

for though he understands, he will not respond. 20

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words?

There is more hope for a fool than for him. 21

Whoever pampers his servant from childhood

will in the end find him his heir. 22

A man of wrath stirs up strife,

and one given to anger causes much transgression. 23

One’s pride will bring him low,

but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honor. 24

The partner of a thief hates his own life;

he hears the curse, but discloses nothing. 25

The fear of man lays a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. 26

Many seek the face of a ruler,

but it is from the Lord that a man gets justice. 27

An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous,

but one whose way is straight is an abomination to the wicked.