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

And it came to pass when Isaac had become old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, that he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, My son! And he said to him, Here am I.

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

And he said, Behold now, I am become old; I know not the day of my death.

3 T ake your bow and arrows, and go out to the field to get meat for me.

And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison,

4 G et 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.”

and prepare me a savoury dish such as I love, and bring it to me that I may eat, in order that my soul may bless thee before I die.

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

And Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt venison, to bring it.

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

And Rebecca spoke to Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak to Esau thy brother, saying,

7 ’ 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.’

Bring me venison, and prepare me a savoury dish, that I may eat, and bless thee before Jehovah, before my death.

8 S o now, my son, listen to what I tell you to do.

And now, my son, hearken to my voice in that which I command thee.

9 G o 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.

Go, I pray thee, to the flock, and fetch me thence two good kids of the goats. And I will make of them a savoury dish for thy father, such as he loves.

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

And thou shalt bring to thy father, that he may eat, in order that he may bless thee before his death.

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

And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

12 I f 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.”

My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall be in his sight as one who mocks, and I shall bring a curse on me, and not a blessing.

13 H is 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.”

And his mother said to him, On me thy curse, my son! Only hearken to my voice, and go, fetch.

14 S o 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.

And he went, and fetched and brought to his mother. And his mother prepared a savoury dish such as his father loved.

15 T hen 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.

And Rebecca took the clothes of her elder son Esau, the costly ones which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob her younger son;

16 S he put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck;

17 A nd she gave her son Jacob the bread and the good-tasting food she had made.

and she gave the savoury dishes and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

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

And he came to his father, and said, My father! And he said, Here am I: who art thou, my son?

19 J acob 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.”

And Jacob said to his father, I am Esau, thy firstborn. I have done according as thou didst say to me. Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, in order that thy soul may bless me.

20 B ut 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.”

And Isaac said to his son, How is it that thou hast found so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah thy God put in my way.

21 T hen 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.”

And Isaac said to Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be really my son Esau or not.

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

And Jacob drew 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 H e 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.

And he did not discern him, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; and he blessed him.

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

And he said, Art thou really my son Esau? And he said, It is I.

25 S o 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.

And he said, Bring near to me, that I may eat of my son's venison, in order that my soul may bless thee. And he brought near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

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

And his father Isaac said to him, Come near, now, and kiss me, my son.

27 S o 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.

And he came near, and kissed him. And he smelt the smell of his clothes, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Jehovah hath blessed.

28 M ay 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.

And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and new wine.

29 M ay 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.”

Let peoples serve thee, And races bow down to thee. Be lord over thy brethren, And let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be they that curse thee, And blessed be they that bless thee.

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

And it came to pass when Isaac had ended blessing Jacob, and when Jacob was only just gone out from Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came from his hunting.

31 T hen 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.”

And he also had prepared savoury dishes, and he brought in to his father, and said to his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, in order that thy soul may bless me.

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

And Isaac his father said to him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau.

33 T hen 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!”

Then Isaac trembled with exceeding great trembling, and said, Who was he, then, that hunted venison and brought to me? And I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him; also blessed he shall be.

34 W hen 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!”

When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me—me also, my father!

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

And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and has taken away thy blessing.

36 T hen 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?”

And he said, Is it not therefore he was named Jacob, for he has supplanted me now twice? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

37 I saac 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?”

And Isaac answered and said to Esau, Behold, I have made him lord over thee, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and with corn and new wine have I supplied him—and what can I do now for thee, my son?

38 E sau 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.

And Esau said to his father, Hast thou then but one blessing, my father? bless me—me also, my father! And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39 T hen 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.

And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above;

40 Y ou 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

And by thy sword shalt thou live; And thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou rovest about, That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

41 E sau 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.”

And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will slay my brother Jacob.

42 B ut 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.

And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, comforts himself that he will kill thee.

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

And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran;

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

and abide with him some days, until thy brother's fury turn away—

45 W hen 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?”

until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget what thou hast done to him; then I will send and fetch thee thence. Why should I be bereaved even of you both in one day?

46 T hen 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?”

And Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good should my life do me?