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be any profane person, as Esau, who for one mess sold his first birthright: for know ye that afterwards, when he desired to inherit the benediction, he was rejected, and found no place of repentance, though he sought it with tears." Esau was now to lose for ever the blessing of which he had made so little account.

Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim that he could not see; and he called Esau his elder son, and said to him: "My son." And he answered: "Here I am." And his father said to him: "Thou seest that I am old, and know not the day of my death; take thy arms, thy quiver and bow, and go abroad; and when thou hast taken something by hunting, make me savoury meat thereof, as thou knowest I like, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless thee before I die."

When Rebecca had heard this, and Esa was now gone into the field to fulfil his father's commandments, she said to her son Jacob: "I heard thy father talking with Esau thy brother, and saying to him: Bring me of thy hunting, and make me savoury meats, that I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the Lord before I die. Now, therefore, my son, follow my counsel, and go thy way to the flock, bring me two kids of the best, that I may make of them meat for thy father such as he gladly eateth, that when thou hast brought them in to him, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die." And Jacob answered her: "Thou knowest that Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am smooth; if my father shall feel me and perceive, I fear lest he will think I would

have mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing." His mother said to him: "Upon me be this curse, my son; only hear thou my voice, and go fetch me the things which I have said." He went, and brought them, and gave them to his mother; and she dressed the meats, such as she knew his father liked. And she put on him the best garments of Esau which she had at home with her, the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck; and she gave him the savoury meat and the bread which she had baked. Jacob went in with it, and said: "My father." And he answered: "I hear; who art thou, my son?" Jacob said: "I am Esau thy firstborn. I have done as thou didst command me; arise, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me." And Isaac said to his son: "How couldst thou find it so quickly, my son?" He answered: "It was the will of God that what I sought came quickly in my way." And Isaac said: "Come hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and prove whether thou be my son Esau or not." He came near to his father; and when he had felt him, Isaac said: "The voice indeed is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau ;" and he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder. Then, blessing him, he said: "Art thou my son Esau?" He answered: "I am." Then he said: "Bring me the meats of thy hunting, my son, that my soul may bless thee." And when they were brought and he had eaten, he offered him wine also, which when he had drunk, he said: "Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son." He came near and

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kissed him; and immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell of his garments, blessing him, he said:

"Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field which the Lord hath blessed. God give thee

of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine; and let people serve thee, and tribes worship thee; be thou lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's children bow down before thee; cursed be he that curseth thee, and let him that blesseth thee be filled with blessings."

Isaac had scarce ended these words, when, Jacob being now gone out, Esau came, and brought in to his father the meats which he had taken in hunting, saying: "Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison, that thy soul may bless me." bless me." And Isaac said to him: "Why, who art thou?" He answered: "I am thy firstborn son Esau." Isaac was struck with fear, and astonished exceedingly; and wondering beyond what can be believed, said: "Who is he, then, that even now brought me venison that he had taken, and I ate of all before thou camest? and I have blessed him, and he shall be blessed." Esau, having heard his father's words, uttered an exceeding piercing cry, and trembling, said: "Bless me also, my father." "And he said: "Thy brother came deceitfully, and hath obtained thy blessing." Esau said: "Rightly his name is called Jacob (i. e. supplanter); for he hath supplanted me this second time; my first birthright he took away before, and now the second time he hath stolen away my blessing." And again he said to his father: "Hast thou not reserved to me also a blessing?" Isaac answered: "I have appointed him thy lord, and have made all his brethren his servants. I have established him with corn and wine; what shall I do more for thee, my son?" And Esau said to him: "Hast thou

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only one blessing, father? I beseech thee, bless me also." And when he wept with a loud voice, Isaac, being moved, said to him: "In the fat of the earth and in the dew of heaven from above shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live by the sword, and shalt serve thy brother, and the time shall come when thou shalt shake off his yoke from thy neck." Esau, therefore, always hated Jacob for the blessing wherewith his father had blessed him; and he said in his heart: "The days will come for the mourning for my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob."

These things were told to Rebecca, and she sent and called Jacob her son, and said to him: "Behold, Esau thy brother threateneth to kill thee. Now, therefore, my son, hear my voice; arise and flee to Laban my brother to Haran; and thou shalt dwell with him a few days, until the wrath of thy brother be assuaged, and he forget the things thou hast done unto him; afterwards I will send and bring thee in hither: why should I be deprived of both my sons in one day?"

§ 15. Jacob goes from his Father's House into Mesopotamia (B.C. 1945). His Dream.

Rebecca, wishing to spare Isaac the grief of being made acquainted with the murderous designs of Esau, went to him, and said: "I am weary of my life, because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob take a wife of such as these which are the people of the land, 】 choose rather not to live." Isaac therefore called Ja cob, and blessed him, and charged him, saying: "Take