Genesis 27
1 Forsothe Isaac wexe eld, and hise iyen dasewiden, and he miyte not se. And he clepide Esau, his more sone, and seide to hym, My sone! Which answerde, Y am present.
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.”
2 To whom the fadir seide, Thou seest that Y haue woxun eld, and Y knowe not the dai of my deeth.
His father said to him: “You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death.
3 Take thin armeres, `arewe caas, and a bowe, and go out; and whanne thou hast take ony thing bi huntyng,
Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,
4 make to me a seew therof, as thou knowist that Y wole, and brynge that Y ete, and my soule blesse thee bifore that Y die.
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.”
5 And whanne Rebecca hadde herd this thing, and he hadde go in to the feeld to fille the comaundment of the fadir,
And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order,
6 sche seide to hir sone Jacob, Y herde thi fadir spekynge with Esau, thi brothir, and seiynge to him, Brynge thou me of thin huntyng,
she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,
7 and make thow metis, that Y ete, and that Y blesse thee bifor the Lord bifor that Y die.
‘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.’
8 Now therfor, my sone, assent to my counsels,
Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,
9 and go to the floc, and brynge to me tweyne the beste kidis, that Y make metis of tho to thi fadir, whiche he etith gladli;
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.
10 and that whanne thow hast brouyt in tho metis, and he hath ete, he blesse thee bifore that he die.
Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.”
11 To whom Jacob answerde, Thou knowist that Esau my brother is an heeri man, and Y am smethe; if my fadir `touchith and feelith me,
He answered her: “You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth.
12 Y drede lest he gesse that Y wolde scorne him, and lest he brynge in cursyng on me for blessyng.
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.”
13 To whom the modir seide, My sone, this cursyng be in me; oonly here thou my vois, and go, and brynge that that Y seide.
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.”
14 He yede, and brouyte, and yaf to his modir. Sche made redi metis, as sche knewe that his fadir wolde,
He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.
15 and sche clothide Jacob in ful goode clothis of Esau, whiche sche hadde at home anentis hir silf.
And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.
16 And sche `compasside the hondis with litle skynnys of kiddis, and kyuerede the `nakide thingis of the necke;
And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck.
17 and sche yaf seew, and bitook the loouys whiche sche hadde bake.
And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.
18 And whanne these weren brouyt in, he seide, My fadir! And he answerde, Y here; who art thou, my sone?
When he had carried these in, he said, “My father?” And he answered, “I’m listening. Who are you, my son?”
19 And Jacob seide, Y am Esau, thi first gendrid sone. Y haue do to thee as thou comaundist to me; rise thou, sitte, and ete of myn huntyng, that thi soule blesse me.
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.”
20 Eft Ysaac seide to his sone, My sone, hou miytist thou fynde so soone? Which answerde, It was Goddis wille, that this that Y wolde schulde come soone to me.
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.”
21 And Isaac seide, My sone, come thou hidir, that Y touche thee, and that Y preue wher thou art my sone Esau, ethir nay.
And Isaac said, “Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.”
22 He neiyede to the fadir; and whanne he hadde feelid hym, Isaac seide, Sotheli the vois is the vois of Jacob, but the hondis ben the hondis of Esau.
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.”
23 And Isaac knew not Jacob, for the heery hondis expressiden the licnesse of the more sone.
And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,
24 Therfor Isaac blesside him, and seide, Art thou my sone Esau? Jacob answerde, Y am.
he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”
25 And Isaac seide, My sone, brynge thou to me metis of thin huntyng, that my soule blesse thee. And whanne Isaac hadde ete these metis brouyt, Jacob brouyte also wyn to Isaac, and whanne this was drunkun,
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,
26 Isaac seide to him, My sone, come thou hidir, and yyue to me a cos.
he said to him, “Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.”
27 Jacob neiyede, and kisside hym; and anoon as Isaac feelide the odour of hise clothis, he blesside him, and seide, Lo! the odour of my sone as the odour of a `feeld ful which the Lord hath blessid.
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.
28 God yyue to thee of the dewe of heuene, and of the fatnesse of erthe, aboundaunce of whete, and of wyn, and of oile;
May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.
29 and puplis serue thee, and lynagis worschipe thee; be thou lord of thi britheren, and the sones of thi modir be bowid bifor thee; be he cursid that cursith thee, and he that blessith thee, be fillid with blessyngis.
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.”
30 Vnnethis Isaac hadde fillid the word, and whanne Jacob was gon out,
Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.
31 Esau cam, and brouyte in metis sodun of the huntyng to the fadir, and seide, My fadir, rise thou, and ete of the huntyng of thi sone, that thi soule blesse me.
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.”
32 And Isaac seide, Who forsothe art thou? Which answerde, Y am Esau, thi firste gendrid sone.
And Isaac said to him, “But who are you?” And he answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”
33 Isaac dredde bi a greet astonying; and he wondride more, than it mai be bileued, and seide, Who therfor is he which a while ago brouyte to me huntyng takun, and Y eet of alle thingis bifor that thou camest; and Y blesside him? and he schal be blessid.
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.”
34 Whanne the wordis of the fadir weren herd, Esau rorid with a greet cry, and was astonyed, and seide, My fadir, blesse thou also me.
Esau, having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, “But bless me also, my father.”
35 Which seide, Thy brother cam prudentli, and took thi blessyng.
And he said, “Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.”
36 And Esau addide, Justli his name is clepid Jacob, for lo! he supplauntide me another tyme; bifor he took awei `my firste gendride thingis, and now the secounde tyme he rauyschide priueli my blessyng. And eft he seide to the fadir, Wher thou hast not reserued a blessyng also to me?
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?”
37 Ysaac answeride, Y haue maad him thi lord, and Y haue maad suget alle hise britheren to his seruage; Y haue stablischid him in whete, and wyn, and oile; and, my sone, what schal Y do to thee aftir these thingis?
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?”
38 To whom Esau saide, Fadir, wher thou hast oneli o blessyng? Y biseche that also thou blesse me. And whanne Esau wepte with greet yellyng,
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,
39 Isaac was stirid, and seide to hym, Thi blessyng schal be in the fatnesse of erthe, and in the dew of heuene fro aboue;
Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,
40 thou schalt lyue bi swerd, and thou schalt serue thi brothir, and tyme schal come whanne thou schalt shake awei, and vnbynde his yok fro thi nollis.
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.”
41 Therfor Esau hatide euer Jacob for the blessyng bi which the fadir hadde blessid hym; and Esau seide in his herte, The daies of morenyng of my fadir schulen come, and Y schal sle Jacob, my brothir.
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.”
42 These thingis weren teld to Rebecca, and sche sente, and clepide hir sone Jacob, and seide to hym, Lo! Esau, thi brothir, manaasith to sle thee;
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.
43 now therfor, my sone, here thou my vois, and rise thou, and fle to Laban, my brother, in Aran;
Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.
44 and thou schalt dwelle with hym a fewe daies, til the woodnesse of thi brother reste,
And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,
45 and his indignacioun ceesse, and til he foryite tho thingis whiche thou hast don ayens hym. Aftirward Y schal sende, and Y schal brynge thee fro thennus hidir. Whi schal Y be maad soneles of euer eithir sone in o dai?
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?”
46 And Rebecca seide to Isaac, It anoieth me of my lijf for the douytris of Heth; if Jacob takith a wijf of the kynrede of this lond, Y nyle lyue.
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.”
