1 W hen 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 answered him, Here I am.

Isaac was now old, and had become blind. He called to his older son Esau, saying, “My son.” And Esau answered, “Here I am.”

2 H e said, See here now; I am old, I do not know when I may die.

Isaac said, “See, I am old. I do not know when I will die.

3 S o now, I pray you, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out into the open country and hunt game for me,

Take your bow and arrows, and go out to the field to get meat for me.

4 A nd prepare me appetizing meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat of it, to giving you my blessing before I die.

Get some food ready for me that I love. Bring it to me to eat, so that before I die I will pray that good will come to you.”

5 B ut Rebekah heard what Isaac said to Esau his son; and when Esau had gone to the open country to hunt for game that he might bring it,

And Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for meat to bring home,

6 R ebekah said to Jacob her younger son, See here, I heard your father say to Esau your brother,

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father talking to your brother Esau. He said,

7 B ring me game and make me appetizing meat, so that I may eat and declare my blessing upon you before the Lord before my death.

’Bring me some meat. Make good-tasting food for me to eat. And before I die I will pray to the Lord for good to come to you.’

8 S o now, my son, do exactly as I command you.

So now, my son, listen to what I tell you to do.

9 G o now to the flock, and from it bring me two good and suitable kids; and I will make them into appetizing meat for your father, such as he loves.

Go to the flock and bring me two fat young goats. I will cook them into good-tasting food, just what your father loves to eat.

10 A nd you shall bring it to your father, that he may eat and declare his blessing upon you before his death.

Then you will take it to your father for him to eat. So before he dies he will pray for good to come to you.”

11 B ut Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Listen, Esau my brother is a hairy man and I am a smooth man.

Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “But my brother Esau has much hair. And my skin is smooth.

12 S uppose my father feels me; I will seem to him to be a cheat and an imposter, and I will bring curse on me and not blessing.

If my father touches me, he will think of me as one trying to fool him. Then he will bring a curse upon me instead of good.”

13 B ut his mother said to him, On me be your curse, my son; only obey my word and go, fetch them to me.

His mother said to him, “The curse will come upon me instead of you, my son. You do what I say, and go get them for me.”

14 S o went, got, and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared appetizing meat with a delightful odor, such as his father loved.

So Jacob went and got them, and brought them to his mother. And his mother made good-tasting food, just what his father loved to eat.

15 T hen Rebekah took her elder son Esau’s best clothes which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son.

Then Rebekah took the best clothes that belonged to her older son Esau, that were with her in the house. And she put them on her younger son Jacob.

16 A nd she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

17 A nd she gave the savory meat and the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

And she gave her son Jacob the bread and the good-tasting food she had made.

18 S o he went to his father and said, My father. And he said, Here am I; who are you, my son?

Then he went to his father and said, “My father.” Isaac said, “Here I am. Who are you, my son?”

19 A nd Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn; I have done what you told me to do. Now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may proceed to bless me.

Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your first-born. I have done as you told me. Sit up and eat the meat I brought, so you will pray that good will come to me.”

20 A nd Isaac said to his son, How is it that you have found the game so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord your God caused it to come to me.

But Isaac said to his son, “How have you found it so fast, my son?” And Jacob said, “Because the Lord your God made it happen.”

21 B ut Isaac said to Jacob, Come close to me, I beg of you, that I may feel you, my son, and know whether you really are my son Esau or not.

Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you, my son, to know for sure if you are my son Esau or not.”

22 S o Jacob went near to Isaac, and his father felt him and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

So Jacob came near his father Isaac. Isaac touched him, and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice. But the hands are Esau’s hands.”

23 H e could not identify him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him.

He did not know who he was, because his hands were covered with hair like his brother Esau’s hands. So Isaac prayed that good would come to him.

24 B ut he said, Are you really my son Esau? He answered, I am.

Isaac said, “Is it true that you are my son Esau?” Jacob answered, “I am.”

25 T hen said, Bring it to me and I will eat of my son’s game, that I may bless you. He brought it to him and he ate; and he brought him wine and he drank.

So Isaac said, “Bring it to me so I may eat the meat my son has made ready. And I will pray that good will come to you.” He brought it to him, and he ate. He brought him wine also, and he drank.

26 T hen his father Isaac said, Come near and kiss me, my son.

Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come near and kiss me, my son.”

27 S o he came near and kissed him; and smelled his clothing and blessed him and said, The scent of my son is as the odor of a field which the Lord has blessed.

So Jacob came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he prayed that good would come to him. He said, “The smell of my son is like the smell of a field that has received good from the Lord.

28 A nd may God give you of the dew of the heavens and of the fatness of the earth and abundance of grain and wine;

May God give you from heaven water on the grass in the early morning, and the riches of the earth, and more than enough grain and new wine.

29 L et peoples serve you and nations bow down to you; be master over your brothers, and let your mother’s sons bow down to you. Let everyone be cursed who curses you and favored with blessings who blesses you.

May nations serve you, and the people bow down in front of you. Be the ruler of your brothers. May your mother’s sons bow down in front of you. Cursed be those who curse you, and may good come to those who honor you.”

30 A s soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob and Jacob was scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

When Isaac had finished praying that good would come to Jacob, Jacob left his father Isaac. Just then his brother Esau came in from hunting.

31 E sau had also prepared savory food and brought it to his father and said to him, Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.

Then Esau made good-tasting food and brought it to his father, and said, “Sit up, my father, and eat the meat your son has made ready, so you will pray that good will come to me.”

32 A nd Isaac his father said to him, Who are you? And he replied, I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.

His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your first-born, Esau.”

33 T hen Isaac trembled and shook violently, and he said, Who? Where is he who has hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate of it all before you came and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.

Then Isaac shook all over, and he said, “Who was it then who killed an animal and brought meat to me? I ate all of it before you came! And I prayed that good would come to him! Yes, and good will come to him!”

34 W hen Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great and bitter cry and said to his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father!

When he heard what his father said, Esau cried out with a loud and sad cry. He said to his father, “Pray that good will come to me also, O my father!”

35 s aid, Your brother came with crafty cunning and treacherous deceit and has taken your blessing.

But Isaac said, “Your brother came in and fooled me. He has taken away the good that was to come to you.”

36 r eplied, Is he not rightly named Jacob ? For he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing! Have you not still a blessing reserved for me?

Then Esau said, “Was it not right that he was given the name Jacob? Two times now he has taken what should have been mine. He took away my right as a first-born. And now he has taken away the good that was to come to me.” Then he said, “Can you not pray that good will come to me also?”

37 A nd Isaac answered Esau, Behold, I have made your lord and master; I have given all his brethren to him for servants, and with corn and wine have I sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?

Isaac answered Esau, “See, I have made him to rule over you. I have given him all his brothers as servants. I have given him grain and new wine to keep him alive and well. What then can I do for you, my son?”

38 E sau said to his father, Have you only one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father! And Esau lifted up his voice and wept aloud.

Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one prayer for good to come, my father? Pray that good will come to me also, O my father.” And Esau gave out a loud cry.

39 T hen Isaac his father answered, Your dwelling shall all come from the fruitfulness of the earth and from the dew of the heavens above;

Then his father Isaac answered him: “See, the place where you live will be away from the riches of the earth, and away from the water on the grass in the early morning.

40 B y your sword you shall live and serve your brother. But when you will grow restive and break loose, and you shall tear his yoke from off your neck.

You will live by your sword and you will serve your brother. But when you break loose, you will throw his load off your back.” Jacob Goes to Laban

41 A nd Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are very near. When I will kill my brother Jacob.

Esau hated Jacob because his father had prayed that good would come to Jacob. Esau said to himself, “The days when I will have sorrow for the loss of my father are soon. Then I will kill my brother Jacob.”

42 T hese words of Esau her elder son were repeated to Rebekah. She sent for Jacob her younger son and said to him, See here, your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you to kill you.

But the words of her older son Esau were told to Rebekah. She called her younger son Jacob, and said to him, “See, your brother Esau comforts himself by planning to kill you.

43 S o now, my son, do what I tell you; arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran;

So now, my son, do what I tell you. Get ready, and go at once to my brother Laban at Haran.

44 L inger and dwell with him for a while until your brother’s fury is spent.

Stay with him for a few days, until your brother’s anger goes away.

45 W hen your brother’s anger is diverted from you, he will forget that you have done him. Then I will send and bring you back from there. Why should I be deprived of both of you in one day?

When your brother’s anger against you is gone and he forgets what you did to him, then I will send for you and have you return from there. Why should I have sorrow for both of you in one day?”

46 T hen 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 Hittite girls around here, what good will my life be to me?

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am tired of living because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob marries one of the daughters of Heth, like these, from the women of the land, what good will my life be to me?”