1  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  And he said, Behold now, I am become old; I know not the day of my death. 3  And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison, 4  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  And Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt venison, to bring it.

6  And Rebecca spoke to Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak to Esau thy brother, saying, 7  Bring me venison, and prepare me a savoury dish, that I may eat, and bless thee before Jehovah, before my death. 8  And now, my son, hearken to my voice in that which I command thee. 9  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  And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, in order that he may bless thee before his death. 11  And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12  My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall be in his sight as one who mocks him, and I shall bring a curse on me, and not a blessing. 13  And his mother said to him, On me be thy curse, my son! Only hearken to my voice, and go, fetch them. 14  And he went, and fetched and brought them to his mother. And his mother prepared a savoury dish such as his father loved. 15  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  and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck; 17  and she gave the savoury dishes and the bread that 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 am I: who art thou, my son? 19  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  And Isaac said to his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because Jehovah thy God put it in my way. 21  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  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  And he did not discern him, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands; and he blessed him. 24  And he said, Art thou really my son Esau? And he said, It is I. 25  And he said, Bring it near to me, that I may eat of my son’s venison, in order that my soul may bless thee. 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 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  And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and new wine. 29  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.