Genesis 27:1–29

Isaac Blesses Jacob

27Isaac was now old and had become blind. He sent for his elder son Esau and said to him, “My son!”

“Yes,” he answered.

²Isaac said, “You see that I am old and may die soon. ³Take your bow and arrows, go out into the country, and kill an animal for me. ⁴Cook me some of that tasty food that I like, and bring it to me. After I have eaten it, I will give you my final blessing before I die.”

⁵While Isaac was talking to Esau, Rebecca was listening. So when Esau went out to hunt, ⁶she said to Jacob, “I have just heard your father say to Esau, ⁷‘Bring me an animal and cook it for me. After I have eaten it, I will give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ ⁸Now, my son,” Rebecca continued, “listen to me and do what I say. ⁹Go to the flock and pick out two fat young goats, so that I can cook them and make some of that food your father likes so much. ¹⁰You can take it to him to eat, and he will give you his blessing before he dies.”

¹¹But Jacob said to his mother, “You know that Esau is a hairy man, but I have smooth skin. ¹²Perhaps my father will touch me and find out that I am deceiving him; in this way I will bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.”

¹³His mother answered, “Let any curse against you fall on me, my son; just do as I say, and go and get the goats for me.” ¹⁴So he went to get them and brought them to her, and she cooked the kind of food that his father liked. ¹⁵Then she took Esau’s best clothes, which she kept in the house, and put them on Jacob. ¹⁶She put the skins of the goats on his arms and on the hairless part of his neck. ¹⁷She handed him the tasty food, together with the bread she had baked.

¹⁸Then Jacob went to his father and said, “Father!”

“Yes,” he answered. “Which of my sons are you?”

¹⁹Jacob answered, “I am your elder son Esau; I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of the meat that I have brought you, so that you can give me your blessing.”

²⁰Isaac said, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

Jacob answered, “The Lord your God helped me to find it.”

²¹Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so that I can touch you. Are you really Esau?” ²²Jacob moved closer to his father, who felt him and said, “Your voice sounds like Jacob’s voice, but your arms feel like Esau’s arms.” ²³He did not recognize Jacob, because his arms were hairy like Esau’s. He was about to give him his blessing, ²⁴but asked again, “Are you really Esau?”

“I am,” he answered.

²⁵Isaac said, “Bring me some of the meat. After I have eaten it, I will give you my blessing.” Jacob brought it to him, and he also brought him some wine to drink. ²⁶Then his father said to him, “Come closer and kiss me, my son.” ^27*As he came up to kiss him, Isaac smelt his clothes—so he gave him his blessing. He said, “The pleasant smell of my son is like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed. ^28*May God give you dew from heaven and make your fields fertile! May he give you plenty of corn and wine! ^29*May nations be your servants, and may peoples bow down before you. May you rule over all your relatives, and may your mother’s descendants bow down before you. May those who curse you be cursed, and may those who bless you be blessed.”