His wives, who were the reason that he had lost the birthright.

The tent door opened again, and Isaac emerged into the light, though his eyes showed no sign of responding to it. He had a sturdy chest in his arms. Rebekah recognized it. All the holy writings were kept within it.

“Jacob!” Isaac called. His voice was also ragged with weeping.

“Father,” said Jacob. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“I forbid you to be sorry,” said Isaac. “What you did today came from God.”

Jacob wept.

“Listen to me, my son,” said Isaac. “I knew it was your voice. I was about to curse you and send you out of the tent, perhaps banish you from my household. But then I felt the spirit of God within me, and it whispered, This is the right son. Bless him. At that moment I thought the Lord meant that it really was Esau, and so when I felt your arms and smelled your clothing I was reassured and I gave you the blessing knowing that I was giving it to the son that God intended to have it. Then when Esau came in, and I realized that it was you the first time, as I had thought, then the Lord’s meaning became clear to me. It wasn’t Esau, but it was the son who should receive the birthright.”

“Father, I know you love Esau. I know you wanted him to have it.”

“No, Jacob. No, I wanted it to be given to the one the Lord chose. I thought it was Esau. I thought the Lord chose him by making him come first out of the womb. All these years, watching him turn away from everything that mattered to me, ignoring so many of God’s commandments, despising what was precious, and finally marrying idolatrous women—through all of it, I kept thinking, The Lord must have chosen him for a reason, it has to turn out right. And when I saw you, how good you were, how obedient, I kept thinking, There must be some reason God did not choose this one. It must be that all his goodness is false, and God knows that in his heart he’s unworthy, a hypocrite, a deceiver. I thought all your goodness had to be a trick to try to steal your brother’s birthright. But I was wrong. All these years, I had to work so hard not to love you.” Isaac wept. “Jacob, come to me, take these holy writings from me! They belong to you. You’re the one with eyes. You’re the one whose vision is clear. I’m the one who was blind even when I could see.”

Jacob rose to his feet and ran to his father, took the chest from his arms and set it down in the grass. Then he embraced his father and they wept into each other’s shoulders.