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.
When Isaac was old, he became almost blind. One day he summoned Esau, his firstborn/older son,
2 To whom the fadir seide, Thou seest that Y haue woxun eld, and Y knowe not the dai of my deeth.
and said to him, “My son?” Esau replied, “Here I am!”
3 Take thin armeres, `arewe caas, and a bowe, and go out; and whanne thou hast take ony thing bi huntyng,
Isaac said, “Listen to me. I am very old, and I do not know when I will die. So now take your bow and quiver full of arrows and go out into the countryside, and hunt for a wild animal for me.
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.
Kill one and prepare the kind of tasty meat that I like. Then bring it to me so that after I eat it, I can give you a blessing 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,
Rebekah was listening as Isaac said that to his son, Esau. So when Esau left the tent to go to the countryside to hunt for a wild animal in order to kill it and bring it back,
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,
Rebekah said to her son, Jacob, “Listen to me. I heard your father talking to your brother, Esau, saying,
7 and make thow metis, that Y ete, and that Y blesse thee bifor the Lord bifor that Y die.
‘Go and kill some wild animal and bring it here, and prepare the meat in a tasty way, so that I may eat it, and then before I die I can give you my blessing while Yahweh is listening.’
8 Now therfor, my sone, assent to my counsels,
So now, my son, do what I am telling you.
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;
Go out to the flock and [kill] two nice young goats and bring [the meat] to me. Then I will prepare some tasty food for your father, the way he likes it.
10 and that whanne thow hast brouyt in tho metis, and he hath ete, he blesse thee bifore that he die.
Then you can take it to your father, in order that he can eat it, and then, before he dies, he will give his blessing to you, [and not to your older brother].”
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,
But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “But my brother Esau’s skin has hair all over it, and my skin is not like that! My skin is smooth!
12 Y drede lest he gesse that Y wolde scorne him, and lest he brynge in cursyng on me for blessyng.
What will happen if my father touches me? He will realize that I am tricking him, and as a result (I will be cursed/he will say that God will do bad things to) me, not 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.
His mother replied, “If that happens, let the curse be on me. You do what I am telling you. Go and get the goats for me!”
14 He yede, and brouyte, and yaf to his modir. Sche made redi metis, as sche knewe that his fadir wolde,
So Jacob went and killed two goats and brought them to his mother. Then [with the meat] his mother prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked.
15 and sche clothide Jacob in ful goode clothis of Esau, whiche sche hadde at home anentis hir silf.
Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s clothes that were with her in the tent, and she put them on her younger son Jacob.
16 And sche `compasside the hondis with litle skynnys of kiddis, and kyuerede the `nakide thingis of the necke;
She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck.
17 and sche yaf seew, and bitook the loouys whiche sche hadde bake.
Then she handed him some bread and the tasty food that she had prepared.
18 And whanne these weren brouyt in, he seide, My fadir! And he answerde, Y here; who art thou, my sone?
Jacob took it to his father and said, “My father!” Isaac replied, “I’m here; which of my sons are you?”
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.
Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn son. I did what you told me to do. Sit up and eat some of the meat so that you can then 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.
But Isaac asked his son, “My son, how is it that you were able to find and kill an animal so quickly?” Jacob replied, “Because Yahweh, whom you worship, enabled me to be successful.”
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.
Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near to me, my son, so that I can touch you and determine whether you are really my son Esau.”
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.
So Jacob went close to him. Isaac. Isaac touched him and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob, but your hands feel hairy, like the hands of your older brother, Esau.”
23 And Isaac knew not Jacob, for the heery hondis expressiden the licnesse of the more sone.
Isaac did not recognize Jacob, [because he was blind] and because Jacob’s hands were now hairy, like those of his older brother, Esau. So Isaac prepared to bless Jacob.
24 Therfor Isaac blesside him, and seide, Art thou my sone Esau? Jacob answerde, Y am.
But first Isaac asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” Jacob replied, “Yes, 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,
Isaac said, “My son, bring me some of the meat that you have cooked, so that I may eat it and then give you my blessing.” So Jacob brought him some, and he ate it. Jacob also brought him some wine, and he drank it.
26 Isaac seide to him, My sone, come thou hidir, and yyue to me a cos.
Then Isaac said to him, “My son, come here and kiss me.”
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.
So Jacob came close to him, and his father kissed him on the cheek. Isaac smelled the clothes Jacob was wearing. They smelled like Esau’s clothes. So he said, “Truly, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that Yahweh 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;
I ask that God will send down to you dew from heaven [to water your fields], and cause you to have abundant crops, good harvests of grain, and grapes for 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.
I ask that people of many nations will serve you and bow down to you. I ask that you will rule over your brothers, and that your mother’s descendants will also bow down to you. I ask that God will curse/punish those who (curse you/ask God to do bad things to you), and bless those who bless you.”
30 Vnnethis Isaac hadde fillid the word, and whanne Jacob was gon out,
After Isaac finished blessing Jacob, Jacob was just leaving the room where his father was, when his older brother, Esau, returned from hunting.
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.
Esau cooked some tasty meat and brought it to his father. He said to his father, “My father, please sit up and eat some of the meat that I have cooked, so that you can then give me your blessing!”
32 And Isaac seide, Who forsothe art thou? Which answerde, Y am Esau, thi firste gendrid sone.
His father, Isaac, said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am Esau, your firstborn son!”
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.
Then Isaac, realizing that it was not Esau who had come earlier, trembled very violently. He said, “Then who is it that brought me some meat from an animal that he had hunted and killed, and I ate it all? He was here just before you came. I blessed him, and I cannot (take back that blessing/declare that those things will not happen to him).”
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.
When Esau heard those words of his father, he cried loudly. He was very disappointed. He said to his father, “My father, bless me, too!”
35 Which seide, Thy brother cam prudentli, and took thi blessyng.
But his father said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took 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?
Esau said, “It is right [RHQ] that his name is Jacob, which means ‘cheat,’ because he deceived me two times. The first time he took my rights from being his firstborn son, and this time he took my blessing!” Then he asked, “Do you not have any blessing left for me?”
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 and said to Esau, “I have declared that your younger brother will rule over you, and declared that all his relatives will serve him. And I have said that God will give him plenty of grain and grapes for wine. So, my son, (what can I do for you?/There is nothing more that I can do for you!)” [RHQ]
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,
Esau said to his father, “My father, do you have only one blessing? My father, bless me, too!” Then Esau cried very loudly.
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;
His father Isaac answered and said to him, “The place where you will live will be far from the fertile soil and from the dew that God sends from heaven [to water the fields].
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.
You will [rob and] kill people [MTY] in order to [get what you need to] live, and you will be as though you are your brother’s slave. But when you decide to rebel against him, you will (free yourself from/no longer be under) his control.”
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.
So, because his father had given a blessing to Jacob, and not to him, Esau hated his younger brother. Esau thought to himself, “After my father dies and we finish mourning for him, I will kill 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;
But Rebekah found out what her older son, Esau, was thinking. So she summoned her younger son, Jacob, and said to him, “Listen to me. Your older brother, Esau, is [comforting himself by] planning to kill you, to get revenge because of your deceiving your father.
43 now therfor, my sone, here thou my vois, and rise thou, and fle to Laban, my brother, in Aran;
So now, my son, listen carefully to what I am telling you. Escape quickly and go and stay with my brother Laban, in Haran [town].
44 and thou schalt dwelle with hym a fewe daies, til the woodnesse of thi brother reste,
Stay with him a while, until your older brother is no longer angry.
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?
When he forgets what you did to him, I will send a message to you, to tell you to return from there. If Esau kills you, [others will kill him, and] then both my sons would die at the same time!” [RHQ]
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.
Rebekah also said to Isaac, “These [foreign] women whom Esau has married, who are descendants of Heth, are making my life miserable. I would prefer to die than to see Jacob marry a woman from the descendants of Heth in this area!”
