Genesis 27
1 Now Isaac was old, and his eyes 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.
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 And his father said to him: Thou seest that I am old, and know not the day of my death.
And he said, See now, I am old, and my death may take place at any time:
3 Take thy arms, thy quiver, and bow, and go abroad: and when thou hast taken some thing by hunting,
So take your arrows and your bow and go out to the field and get meat for me;
4 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.
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 Rebecca had heard this, and he was gone into the field to fulfill his father’s commandment,
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 thy father talking with Esau thy brother, and saying to him:
And Rebekah said to Jacob, her son, Your father said to your brother Esau in my hearing,
7 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.
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 Now, therefore, my son, follow my counsel:
Now, my son, do what I say.
9 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:
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 Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die.
And you will take it to him, so that he may have a good meal and give you his blessing before his death.
11 And he answered her: Thou knowest that Esau my brother 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 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.
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: Upon me be this curse, my son: only hear thou my voice, and go, fetch me the things which I have 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, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such 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 put on him very good 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 the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his 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 savoury meat, and delivered him 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 Which when he had carried in, he said: My father? But he answered: I hear. Who art thou, 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 thy firstborn: I have done as thou didst command me: arise, sit, and eat of my venison, that thy 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 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, 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 hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be 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 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 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 knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder. Then 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: Art thou 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 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,
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 near 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 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.
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 God give thee the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn 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 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.
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 Isaac had scarce ended his words, when Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came,
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 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 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: Why! who art thou? He answered: I am thy firstborn son Esau.
And Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he said, I am your oldest son, Esau.
33 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.
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 cry: and being in a great consternation, said: 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: Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing.
And he said, Your brother came with deceit, and took away your blessing.
36 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?
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 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 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: Hast thou only one blessing, father? I beseech thee bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry,
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 being moved, said to him: In the fat 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 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.
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 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.
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 told to Rebecca: and she sent and called Jacob her son, and said to him: Behold Esau thy brother threateneth to kill thee.
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 Now therefore, my son, hear my voice: arise and flee to Laban my brother to Haran:
So now, my son, do what I say: go quickly to Haran, to my brother Laban;
44 And thou shalt dwell with him a few days, till the wrath of thy brother be assuaged,
And be there with him for a little time, till your brother's wrath is turned away;
45 And his indignation cease, and he forget the things thou hast done to him: afterwards I will send, and bring thee from thence hither. Why shall I be deprived 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 Rebecca said to Isaac: I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the stock of this land, I choose not 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?
