Genesis 27:1–29

Now 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.