22:18 “Speak to Aaron, his sons, and all the Israelites and tell them, ‘When any man 1 from the house of Israel or from the foreigners in Israel 2 presents his offering for any of the votive or freewill offerings which they present to the Lord as a burnt offering, 22:19 if it is to be acceptable for your benefit 3 it must be a flawless male from the cattle, sheep, or goats. 22:20 You must not present anything that has a flaw, 4 because it will not be acceptable for your benefit. 5 22:21 If a man presents a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord for a special votive offering 6 or for a freewill offering from the herd or the flock, it must be flawless to be acceptable; 7 it must have no flaw. 8 22:22 “‘You must not present to the Lord something blind, or with a broken bone, or mutilated, or with a running sore, 9 or with a festering eruption, or with a feverish rash. 10 You must not give any of these as a gift 11 on the altar to the Lord. 22:23 As for an ox 12 or a sheep with a limb too long or stunted, 13 you may present it as a freewill offering, but it will not be acceptable for a votive offering. 14 22:24 You must not present to the Lord something with testicles that are bruised, crushed, torn, or cut off; 15 you must not do this in your land. 22:25 Even from a foreigner 16 you must not present the food of your God from such animals as these, for they are ruined and flawed; 17 they will not be acceptable for your benefit.’”
Jacob Cheats Esau out of the Blessing
27:1 When 1 Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he was almost blind, 2 he called his older 3 son Esau and said to him, “My son!” “Here I am!” Esau 4 replied. 27:2 Isaac 5 said, “Since 6 I am so old, I could die at any time. 7 27:3 Therefore, take your weapons – your quiver and your bow – and go out into the open fields and hunt down some wild game 8 for me. 27:4 Then prepare for me some tasty food, the kind I love, and bring it to me. Then 9 I will eat it so that I may bless you 10 before I die.”
27:5 Now Rebekah had been listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. 11 When Esau went out to the open fields to hunt down some wild game and bring it back, 12 27:6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, 27:7 ‘Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat 13 it and bless you 14 in the presence of the Lord 15 before I die.’ 27:8 Now then, my son, do 16 exactly what I tell you! 17 27:9 Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I’ll prepare 18 them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. 27:10 Then you will take 19 it to your father. Thus he will eat it 20 and 21 bless you before he dies.”
27:11 “But Esau my brother is a hairy man,” Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, “and I have smooth skin! 22 27:12 My father may touch me! Then he’ll think I’m mocking him 23 and I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 27:13 So his mother told him, “Any curse against you will fall on me, 24 my son! Just obey me! 25 Go and get them for me!”
