Genesis 27
1 Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were cloudy, and so he was not able to see. And he called his elder son Esau, and he said to him, “My son?” And he responded, “Here I am.”
Now when Isaac was old and his eyes had become clouded so that he was not able to see, he sent for Esau, his first son, and said to him, My son: and he said, Here am I.
2 His father said to him: “You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death.
And he said, See now, I am old, and my death may take place at any time:
3 Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,
So take your arrows and your bow and go out to the field and get meat for me;
4 make from it a small meal for me, just as you know I like, and bring it, so that I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die.”
And make me food, good to the taste, such as is pleasing to me, and put it before me, so that I may have a meal and give you my blessing before death comes to me.
5 And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order,
Now Isaac's words to his son were said in Rebekah's hearing. Then Esau went out to get the meat.
6 she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,
And Rebekah said to Jacob, her son, Your father said to your brother Esau in my hearing,
7 ‘Bring to me from your hunting, and make me foods, so that I may eat and bless you in the sight of the Lord before I die.’
Go and get some roe's meat and make me a good meal, so that I may be full, and give you my blessing before the Lord before my death.
8 Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,
Now, my son, do what I say.
9 and go straight to the flock, and bring me two of the best young goats, so that from them I may make meat for your father, such as he willingly eats.
Go to the flock and get me two fat young goats; and I will make of them a meal to your father's taste:
10 Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.”
And you will take it to him, so that he may have a good meal and give you his blessing before his death.
11 He answered her: “You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth.
And Jacob said to Rebekah, his mother, But Esau my brother is covered with hair, while I am smooth:
12 If my father should lay hands on me and perceive it, I am afraid lest he think me willing to mock him, and I will bring a curse upon myself, instead of a blessing.”
If by chance my father puts his hand on me, it will seem to him that I am tricking him, and he will put a curse on me in place of a blessing.
13 And his mother said to him: “Let this curse be upon me, my son. Yet listen to my voice, and go directly to bring what I said.”
And his mother said, Let the curse be on me, my son: only do as I say, and go and get them for me.
14 He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.
So he went and got them and took them to his mother: and she made a meal to his father's taste.
15 And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.
And Rebekah took the fair robes of her oldest son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son:
16 And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck.
And she put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck:
17 And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.
And she gave into the hand of Jacob, her son, the meat and the bread which she had made ready.
18 When he had carried these in, he said, “My father?” And he answered, “I’m listening. Who are you, my son?”
And he came to his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I: who are you, my son?
19 And Jacob said: “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you instructed me. Arise; sit and eat from my hunting, so that your soul may bless me.”
And Jacob said, I am Esau, your oldest son; I have done as you said: come now, be seated and take of my meat, so that you may give me a blessing.
20 And again Isaac said to his son, “How were you able to find it so quickly, my son?” He answered, “It was the will of God, so that what I sought met with me quickly.”
And Isaac said, How is it that you have got it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord your God made it come my way.
21 And Isaac said, “Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.”
And Isaac said, Come near so that I may put my hand on you, my son, and see if you are truly my son Esau or not.
22 He approached 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 Jacob went near his father Isaac: and he put his hands on him; and he said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.
23 And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,
And he did not make out who he was, because his hands were covered with hair like his brother Esau's hands: so he gave him a blessing.
24 he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”
And he said, Are you truly my son Esau? And he said, I am.
25 Then he said, “Bring me the foods from your hunting, my son, so that my soul may bless you.” And when he had eaten what was offered, he also brought forth wine for him. And after he finished it,
And he said, Put it before me and I will take of my son's meat, so that I may give you a blessing. And he put it before him and he took it; and he gave him wine, and he had a drink.
26 he said to him, “Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.”
And his father Isaac said to him, Come near now, my son, and give me a kiss.
27 He approached and kissed him. And immediately he perceived the fragrance of his garments. And so, blessing him, he said: “Behold, the smell of my son is like the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord has blessed.
And he came near and gave him a kiss; and smelling the smell of his clothing, he gave him a blessing, and said, See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field on which the blessing of the Lord has come:
28 May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.
May God give you the dew of heaven, and the good things of the earth, and grain and wine in full measure:
29 And may the peoples serve you, and may the tribes reverence you. May you be the lord of your brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down before you. Whoever curses you, may he be cursed, and whoever blesses you, may he be filled with blessings.”
Let peoples be your servants, and nations go down before you: be lord over your brothers, and let your mother's sons go down before you: a curse be on everyone by whom you are cursed, and a blessing on those who give you a blessing.
30 Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.
And when Isaac had come to the end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had not long gone away from Isaac his father, Esau came in from the field.
31 And he brought his father foods cooked from his hunting, saying, “Arise, my father, and eat from your son’s hunting, so that your soul may bless me.”
And he made ready a meal, good to the taste, and took it to his father, and said to him, Let my father get up and take of his son's meat, so that you may give me a blessing.
32 And Isaac said to him, “But who are you?” And he answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”
And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your oldest son, Esau.
33 Isaac became frightened and very astonished. And wondering beyond what can be believed, he said: “Then who is he that a while ago brought me the prey from his hunting, from which I ate, before you arrived? And I blessed him, and he will be blessed.”
And in great fear Isaac said, Who then is he who got meat and put it before me, and I took it all before you came, and gave him a blessing, and his it will be?
34 Esau, having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, “But bless me also, my father.”
And hearing the words of his father, Esau gave a great and bitter cry, and said to his father, Give a blessing to me, even to me, O my father!
35 And he said, “Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.”
And he said, Your brother came with deceit, and took away your blessing.
36 But he responded: “Justly is his name called Jacob. For he has supplanted me yet another time. My birthright he took away before, and now, this second time, he has stolen my blessing.” And again, he said to his father, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me also?”
And he said, Is it because he is named Jacob that he has twice taken my place? for he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Have you not kept a blessing for me?
37 Isaac answered: “I have appointed him as your lord, and I have subjugated all his brothers as his servants. I have reinforced him with grain and wine, and after this, my son, what more shall I do for you?”
And Isaac answering said, But I have made him your master, and have given him all his brothers for servants; I have made him strong with grain and wine: what then am I to do for you, my son?
38 And Esau said to him: “Have you only one blessing, father? I beg you, bless me also.” And when he wept with a loud wail,
And Esau said to his father, Is that the only blessing you have, my father? give a blessing to me, even me! And Esau was overcome with weeping.
39 Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,
Then Isaac his father made answer and said to him, Far from the fertile places of the earth, and far from the dew of heaven on high will your living-place be:
40 will your blessing be. You will live by the sword, and you will serve your brother. But the time will arrive when you will shake off and release his yoke from your neck.”
By your sword will you get your living and you will be your brother's servant; but when your power is increased his yoke will be broken from off your neck.
41 Therefore, Esau always hated Jacob, for the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And he said in his heart, “The days will arrive for the mourning of my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.”
So Esau was full of hate for Jacob because of his father's blessing; and he said in his heart, The days of weeping for my father are near; then I will put my brother Jacob to death.
42 These things were reported to Rebekah. And sending and calling for her son Jacob, she said to him, “Behold, your brother Esau is threatening to kill you.
Then Rebekah, hearing what Esau had said, sent for Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, It seems that your brother Esau is purposing to put you to death.
43 Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.
So now, my son, do what I say: go quickly to Haran, to my brother Laban;
44 And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,
And be there with him for a little time, till your brother's wrath is turned away;
45 and his indignation ceases, and he forgets the things that you have done to him. After this, I will send for you and bring you from there to here. Why should I be bereaved of both my sons in one day?”
Till the memory of what you have done to him is past and he is no longer angry: then I will send word for you to come back; are the two of you to be taken from me in one day?
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob accepts a wife from the stock of this land, I would not be willing to live.”
Then Rebekah said to Isaac, My life is a weariness to me because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob takes a wife from among the daughters of Heth, such as these, the women of this land, of what use will my life be to me?
