said: I will not eat till I tell my message. He answered him : Speak.

And he said: I am the servant of Abraham and the Lord hath blessed my master wonderfully, and he is become great: and He hath given him sheep and oxen, silver and gold, men-servants and women-servants, camels and asses. And Sara my master's wife hath borne my master a son in her old age, and he hath given him all that he had. And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell: but thou shalt go to my father's house, and shalt take a wife of my own kindred for my son. But I answered my master: What if the woman will not come with me? The Lord, said he, in whose sight I walk, will send His angel with thee, and will direct thy way and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my own kindred, and of my father's house. But thou shalt be clear from my curse, when thou shalt come to my kindred, if they will not give thee one. And I came to-day to the well of water and said: O Lord God of my master Abraham, if Thou hast prospered my way, wherein I now walk, behold I stand by the well of water, and the virgin that shall come out to draw water, who shall hear me say, Give me a little water to drink of thy pitcher : and shall say to me : Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath prepared for my master's son. And whilst I pondered these things secretly with myself, Rebecca appeared coming with a pitcher, which she carried on her shoulder: and she went down to the well and drew water. And I said to her : Give me a little to drink. And she speedily let down the pitcher from her shoulder, and said to me: Both drink thou, and to thy camels I will give drink. I drank, and she watered the camels. And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she answered: I am the daughter of Bathuel, the son of Nachor, whom Melcha bore to him. So I put ear-rings on her to adorn her face, and I put bracelets on her hands. And falling down I adored the Lord, blessing the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath brought me the straight way to take the daughter of my master's brother for his son. Wherefore if you do according to mercy and truth with my master, tell me : but if it please you otherwise, tell me that also, that I may go to the right hand or to the left.

And Laban and Bathuel answered: The word hath proceeded from the Lord: we cannot speak any other thing to thee but His pleasure. Behold Rebecca is before thee, take her and go thy way, and let her be the wife of thy master's son, as the Lord hath

spoken. Which when Abraham's servant heard, falling down to the ground he adored the Lord. And bringing forth vessels of silver and gold, and garments, he gave them to Rebecca for a present. He offered gifts also to her brothers, and to her mother. And a banquet was made, and they ate and drank together, and lodged there. And in the morning, the servant arose, and said: Let me depart, that I may go to my master. And her brother and mother answered: Let the maid stay at least ten days with us, and afterwards she shall depart. Stay me not, said he, because the Lord hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. And they said: Let us call the maid and ask her will. And they called her, and when she was come, they asked: Wilt thou go with this man? She said: I will go. So they sent her away, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his company, wishing prosperity to their sister, and saying: Thou art our sister, mayst thou increase to thousands of thousands, and may thy seed possess the gates of their enemies. So Rebecca and her maids, being set upon camels, followed the man, who with speed returned to his master.

At the same time Isaac was walking along the way to the well which is called Of Him who liveth and seeth: for he dwelt in the south country. And he was gone forth to meditate in the field, the day being now well spent: and when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw camels coming afar off. Rebecca also, when she saw Isaac, lighted off the camel, and said to the servant: Who is that man who cometh towards us along the field? And he said to her: That man is my master. But she quickly took her cloak, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all that he had done. Who brought her into the tent of Sara his mother, and took her to wife and he loved her so much, that it moderated the sorrow which was occasioned by his mother's death.

Esau and Jacob. - And Isaac besought the Lord for his Gen. xxv. wife, because she was barren; and He heard him, B.C. 1837.

and made Rebecca to conceive. But the children

struggled in her womb and she said: If it were to be so with me, what need was there to conceive? And she went to consult the Lord. And He answering said: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be divided out of thy womb, and one people shall overcome the other, and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her time was come to be delivered, behold twins were found in her womb. He that came forth first was red, and hairy like a skin and his name was called Esau. Immediately the other coming forth, held his brother's foot in his

21-28.

Gen. XXV.

hand and therefore he was called Jacob. Isaac was threescore years old when the children were born unto him.

And when they were grown up, Esau became a skilful hunter, and a husbandman: but Jacob a plain man dwelt in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his hunting: and Rebecca loved Jacob.

Esau sells his Birthright.-And Jacob boiled pottage: to 29-34. whom Esau, coming faint out of the field, said: Give me of this red pottage, for I am exceeding faint. For which reason his name was called Edom. And Jacob said to him: Sell me thy first birthright. He answered: Lo I die, what will the first birthright avail me? Jacob said: Swear therefore to me. Esau swore to him, and sold his first birthright. And so taking bread and the pottage of lentils, he ate, and drank, and went his way, making little account of having sold his first birthright.

Gen. XXVI.

SECT. XIII. ISAAC GIVES HIS DYING BLESSING TO JACOB. JACOB FLEES
TO LABAN.

And when a famine came in the land, after that barrenness 1-5. which had happened in the days of Abraham, Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines to Gerara. And the Lord appeared to him and said: Go not down into Egypt, but stay in the land that I shall tell thee. And sojourn in it, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: for to thee and to thy seed I will give all these countries, to fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham thy father. And I will multiply thy seed like the stars of heaven and I will give to thy posterity all these countries and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Because Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My precepts and commandments, and observed My ceremonies and laws. So Isaac abode in Gerara.

Gen. XXVII.

:

Isaac's dying Blessing.--Now Isaac was old, and his eyes 1-41. were dim, and 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, that I may eat and my soul may bless thee before I die.

*

:

By the birthright was meant the rights of the first-born son. These, beside temporal advantages, included the sacred office of the Priesthood and the promise of the Messias among his descendants. This is the reason why S. Paul (Heb. xii.) calls Esau a profane person for selling his birthright.

And when Rebecca had heard this, and he was gone into the field to fulfil his father's commandment, 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 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 which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die.

And he answered her: Thou knowest that Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am smooth. If my father shall feel me, and perceive it, I fear lest he will think I would have mocked him, and I shall bring upon me a curse instead of a blessing.

me.

And 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, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked. And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her. And the skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck. And she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked. Which when he had carried in, he said: My father? But he answered: I hear. Who art thou, my son? And Jacob said: I am Esau, thy first-born: I have done as thou didst command me arise, sit, and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless 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 may 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 after he had drunk, he said to him: Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son.

* Rebecca and Jacob valued the spiritual advantages attached to Isaac's dying blessing, and considered that he was entitled to it, since Esau had sold him his birthright; but it does not follow that he was justified in using deceit to obtain his right.

D

He came near, and 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 the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine. And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee: be thou lord of 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 his words, when Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came, and brought in to his father meats made of what he had taken in hunting, saying: Arise, my father, and eat of thy son's venison; that thy soul may bless me. And Isaac said to him: Why! who art thou? He answered: I am thy first-born 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, cried out with a great cry: and being in a great consternation, said: Bless me also, my father.

And he said: Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing.

But he said again: Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he hath supplanted me lo this second time: my first birthright he took away before, and now this second time he hath stolen away my blessing. And again he said to his father: Hast thou not reserved 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, and after this, what shall I do more for thee, my son?

And Esau said to him: Hast thou only one blessing, father? I beseech thee bless me also.

And when he wept with a loud cry, 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 and loose 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 of the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.