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.”
And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, [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, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:
3 Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,
Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me [some] venison;
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 savoury meat, such as I love, and bring [it] to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
5 And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order,
And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt [for] venison, [and] to bring [it].
6 she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,
And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,
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.’
Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.
8 Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.
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 now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:
10 Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.”
And thou shalt bring [it] to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee 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, Behold, Esau my brother [is] a hairy man, and I [am] a smooth man:
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.”
My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not 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 unto him, Upon me [be] thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me [them].
14 He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.
And he went, and fetched, and brought [them] to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.
15 And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.
And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which [were] with her in the house, and put them upon 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 kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:
17 And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.
And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
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 unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here [am] I; who [art] thou, 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 unto his father, I [am] Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.
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 unto his son, How [is it] that thou hast found [it] so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought [it] to me.
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 unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou [be] my very 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 unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and 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 discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
24 he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”
And he said, [Art] thou my very 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, Bring [it] near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought [it] near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26 he said to him, “Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.”
And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.
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 kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son [is] as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:
28 May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.
Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:
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 people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed [be] every one that curseth thee, and blessed [be] he that blesseth thee.
30 Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.
And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
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 also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.
32 And Isaac said to him, “But who are you?” And he answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”
And Isaac his father said unto him, Who [art] thou? And he said, I [am] thy son, thy firstborn 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 Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where [is] he that hath taken venison, and brought [it] me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, [and] he shall be blessed.
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 when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, [even] me also, O my father.
35 And he said, “Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.”
And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy 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 not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved 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 answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, 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 unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, [even] me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39 Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,
And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;
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.”
And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy 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.”
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.
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.
And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, [purposing] to kill thee.
43 Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;
44 And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,
And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn 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?”
Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget [that] which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both 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.”
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these [which are] of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
