Genesis 27

¹Now 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.”

²His father said to him: “You see that I am old, and I do not know the day of my death.

³Take your weapons, the quiver and the bow, and go out. And when you have taken something by hunting,

⁴make 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.”

⁵And when Rebekah had heard this, and he had gone out into the field to fulfill his father’s order,

⁶she said to her son Jacob: “I heard your father speaking with your brother Esau, and saying to him,

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.’

⁸Therefore, now my son, agree to my counsel,

⁹and 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.

¹⁰Then, when you have brought these in and he has eaten, he may bless you before he dies.”

¹¹He answered her: “You know that my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am smooth.

¹²If 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.”

¹³And 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.”

¹⁴He went out, and he brought, and he gave to his mother. She prepared the meats, just as she knew his father liked.

¹⁵And she clothed him with the very fine garments of Esau, which she had at home with her.

¹⁶And she encircled his hands with little pelts from the young goats, and she covered his bare neck.

¹⁷And she gave him the small meal, and she handed him the bread that she had baked.

¹⁸When he had carried these in, he said, “My father?” And he answered, “I’m listening. Who are you, my son?”

¹⁹And 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.”

²⁰And 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.”

²¹And Isaac said, “Come here, so that I may touch you, my son, and may prove whether you are my son Esau, or not.”

²²He 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.”

²³And he did not recognize him, because his hairy hands made him seem similar to the elder one. Therefore, blessing him,

²⁴he said, “Are you my son Esau?” He answered, “I am.”

²⁵Then 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,

²⁶he said to him, “Come to me and give me a kiss, my son.”

²⁷He 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.

²⁸May God give to you, from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, an abundance of grain and wine.

²⁹And 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.”

³⁰Scarcely had Isaac completed his words, and Jacob departed, when Esau arrived.

³¹And 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.”

³²And Isaac said to him, “But who are you?” And he answered, “I am your firstborn son, Esau.”

³³Isaac 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.”

³⁴Esau, having heard his father’s words, roared out with a great outcry. And, being confounded, he said, “But bless me also, my father.”

³⁵And he said, “Your twin came deceitfully, and he received your blessing.”

³⁶But 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?”

³⁷Isaac 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?”

³⁸And Esau said to him: “Have you only one blessing, father? I beg you, bless me also.” And when he wept with a loud wail,

³⁹Isaac was moved, and he said to him: “In the fatness of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,

⁴⁰will 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.”

⁴¹Therefore, 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.”

⁴²These 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.

⁴³Therefore, now my son, listen to my voice. Rise up and flee to my brother Laban, in Haran.

⁴⁴And you will dwell with him for a few days, until the fury of your brother subsides,

⁴⁵and 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?”

⁴⁶And 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.”

Genesis 27

¹Now 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.

²And his father said to him, Thou seest that I am old, and know not the day of my death.

³Take thy arms, thy quiver, and bow, and go abroad; and when thou hast taken something by hunting,

⁴Make me a savoury meat thereof, as thou knowest I like, and bring it that I may eat: and my soul may bless thee, before I die.

⁵And when Rebecca had heard this, and he was gone into the field to fulfil his father's commandment,

⁶She said to her son Jacob: I heard thy father talking with Esau, thy brother, and saying to him:

⁷Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meats that I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of the Lord, before I die.

⁸Now therefore, my son, follow my counsel:

⁹And 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.

¹⁰Which when thou hast brought in, and he hath eaten, he may bless thee before he die.

¹¹And he answered her: Thou knowest that Esau, my brother, is a hairy man, and I am smooth:

¹²If my father should 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.

¹³And 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.

¹⁴He went, and brought, and gave them to his mother. She dressed meats, such as she knew his father liked.

¹⁵And she put on him very good garments of Esau, which she had at home with her:

¹⁶And the little skins of the kids she put about his hands, and covered the bare of his neck.

¹⁷And she gave him the savoury meat, and delivered him bread that she had baked.

¹⁸Which when he had carried in, he said: My father? But he answered: I hear. Who art thou, my son?

¹⁹And 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.

²⁰And 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:

²¹And Isaac said: Come hither, that I may feel thee, my son, and may prove whether thou be my son Esau, or no.

²²He 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.

²³And he knew him not, because his hairy hands made him like to the elder. Then blessing him,

²⁴He said: Art thou my son Esau? He answered: I am.

²⁵Then 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,

²⁶He said to him: Come near me, and give me a kiss, my son.

²⁷He 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.

²⁸God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, abundance of corn and wine.

²⁹And 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.

³⁰Isaac had scarce ended his words, when, Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came,

³¹And 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.

³²And Isaac said to him: Why! who art thou? He answered: I am thy firstborn son, Esau.

³³Isaac 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.

³⁴Esau having heard his father's words, roared out with a great cry; and, being in a consternation, said: Bless me also, my father.

³⁵And he said: Thy brother came deceitfully and got thy blessing.

³⁶But he said again: Rightly is his name called Jacob; for he hath supplanted me lo this second time: My 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?

³⁷Isaac 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?

³⁸And Esau said to him: Hast thou only one blessing, father? I beseech thee bless me also. And when he wept with a loud cry,

³⁹Isaac being moved, said to him: In the fat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven from above,

⁴⁰Shall 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.

⁴¹Esau 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 for my father, and I will kill my brother Jacob.

⁴²These 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.

⁴³Now therefore, my son, hear my voice, arise and flee to Laban, my brother, to Haran:

⁴⁴And thou shalt dwell with him a few days, till the wrath of thy brother be assuaged,

⁴⁵And 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?

⁴⁶And 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.