Isaac’s Intention to Bless Esau
1. And it came to pass, when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see,
he called Esau his elder son, and said to him,
“My son.”
And he said to him, “Here I am.”
2. And he said,
“Behold now, I am old;
I do not know the day of my death.
3. Now therefore take, I pray you, your weapons — your quiver and your bow —
and go out to the field, and hunt game for me;
4. and make me savory food, such as I love,
and bring it to me, that I may eat,
that my soul may bless you before I die.”
Rebekah’s Plan
5. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son.
And Esau went to the field to hunt game, to bring it.
6. And Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying,
“Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
7. ‘Bring me game, and make me savory food,
that I may eat, and bless you before Jehovah before my death.’
8. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.
9. Go now to the flock,
and fetch me from there two good kids of the goats;
and I will make them savory food for your father,
such as he loves.
10. And you shall bring it to your father,
that he may eat,
and that he may bless you before his death.”
Jacob’s Doubt
11. And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother,
“Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man,
and I am a smooth man.
12. Perhaps my father will feel me,
and I shall seem to him as a deceiver;
and I shall bring upon myself a curse, and not a blessing.”
13. And his mother said to him,
“Upon me be your curse, my son;
only obey my voice, and go, fetch them for me.”
14. And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother;
and his mother made savory food, such as his father loved.
Jacob Deceives Isaac
15. And Rebekah took the best garments of Esau her elder son,
which were with her in the house,
and put them on Jacob her younger son.
16. 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 the savory food and the bread,
which she had prepared,
into the hand of her son Jacob.
18. And he came to his father, and said,
“My father.”
And he said, “Here I am; who are you, my son?”
19. And Jacob said to his father,
“I am Esau your firstborn;
I have done according as you spoke to me.
Arise, please, sit and eat of my game,
that your soul may bless me.”
20. And Isaac said to his son,
“How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?”
And he said,
“Because Jehovah your God brought it to me.”
21. And Isaac said to Jacob,
“Come near now, that I may feel you, my son,
whether you are indeed my son Esau or not.”
22. And Jacob went near to 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 hands were hairy,
as his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.
24. And he said, “Are you indeed my son Esau?”
And he said, “I am.”
25. And he said,
“Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s game,
that my soul may bless you.”
And he brought it near to him, and he ate;
and he brought him wine, and he drank.
26. And his father Isaac said to him,
“Come near now, and kiss me, my son.”
27. And he came near, and kissed him;
and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said,
“Behold, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which Jehovah has blessed.
28. Therefore may God give you
of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
29. Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers,
and let your mother’s sons bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone that curses you,
and blessed be everyone that blesses you.”
Esau Returns
30. And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob,
and Jacob had barely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father,
that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31. And he also made savory food, and brought it to his father,
and said to his father,
“Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game,
that your soul may bless me.”
32. And Isaac his father said to him,
“Who are you?”
And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.”
33. And Isaac trembled very greatly, and said,
“Who then was it that hunted game and brought it to me,
and I ate of all before you came, and have blessed him?
Yes, and he shall be blessed.”
34. When Esau heard the words of his father,
he cried with a great and exceedingly bitter cry, and said to his father,
“Bless me, even me also, O my father!”
35. And he said,
“Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing.”
36. And he said,
“Is he not rightly named Jacob?
For he has supplanted me these two times:
he took away my birthright,
and behold, now he has taken away my blessing!”
And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37. And Isaac answered and said to Esau,
“Behold, I have made him your lord,
and all his brothers I have given to him for servants;
and with grain and wine have I sustained him.
And what shall I do now for you, my son?”
38. And Esau said to his father,
“Have you but one blessing, my father?
Bless me, even me also, O my father.”
And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.
Esau’s Blessing
39. And Isaac his father answered and said to him,
“Behold, of the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be,
and of the dew of heaven from above.
40. And by your sword you shall live,
and you shall serve your brother;
and it shall come to pass, when you shall have dominion,
that you shall break his yoke from off your neck.”
Esau’s Hatred and Jacob’s Flight
41. 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. And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah;
and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him,
“Behold, your brother Esau, as concerning you,
comforts himself, purposing to kill you.
43. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice;
arise, flee to Laban my brother in Haran;
44. and stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away;
45. until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him;
then I will send and fetch you from there.
Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?”
Rebekah’s Appeal to Isaac
46. And Rebekah said to Isaac,
“I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth.
If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth,
such as these of the daughters of the land,
what good shall my life be to me?”
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