Genesis 27:1–29

Jacob Gets Isaac’s Blessing

¹When Isaac was old and going blind, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “Son!” 

Esau answered, “Here I am.” 

²Isaac said, “I’m old. I don’t know when I’m going to die. ³Now take your hunting equipment, your quiver and bow, and go out into the open country and hunt some wild game for me. ⁴Prepare a good-tasting meal for me, just the way I like it. Bring it to me to eat so that I will bless you before I die.” 

⁵Rebekah was listening while Isaac was speaking to his son Esau. When Esau went into the open country to hunt for some wild game to bring back, ⁶Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I’ve just heard your father speaking to your brother Esau. ⁷He said, ‘Bring me some wild game, and prepare a good-tasting meal for me to eat so that I will bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.’ ⁸Now listen to me, Son, and do what I tell you. ⁹Go to the flock, and get me two good young goats. I’ll prepare them as a good-tasting meal for your father, just the way he likes it. ¹⁰Then take it to your father to eat so that he will bless you before he dies.” 

¹¹Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, “My brother Esau is a hairy man, and my skin is smooth.^a12My father will feel ⸤my skin⸥ and think I’m mocking him. Then I’ll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.” 

¹³His mother responded, “Let any curse on you fall on me, Son. Just obey me and go! Get me ⸤the young goats⸥.” 

¹⁴He went and got them and brought them to his mother. She prepared a good-tasting meal, just the way his father liked it. ¹⁵Then Rebekah took her older son Esau’s good clothes, which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶She put the skins from the young goats on his hands and on the back of his neck. ¹⁷Then she gave her son Jacob the good-tasting meal and the bread she had prepared. 

¹⁸He went to his father and said, “Father?” 

“Yes?” he answered. “Who are you, Son?” 

¹⁹Jacob answered his father, “I’m Esau, your firstborn. I’ve done what you told me. Sit up and eat this meat I’ve hunted for you so that you may bless me.” 

²⁰Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, Son?” 

“The Lord your God brought it to me,” he answered. 

²¹Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come over here so that I can feel your skin, Son, ⸤to find out⸥ whether or not you really are my son Esau.” ²²So Jacob went over to his father. Isaac felt ⸤his skin⸥. “The voice is Jacob’s,” he said, “but the hands are Esau’s.” ²³He didn’t recognize Jacob, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands. So he blessed him. ²⁴“Are you really my son Esau?” he asked him. 

“I am,” Jacob answered. 

²⁵Isaac said, “Bring me some of the game, and I will eat it, Son, so that I will bless you.” Jacob brought it to Isaac, and he ate it. Jacob also brought him wine, and he drank it. 

²⁶Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here and give me a kiss, Son.” ²⁷He went over and gave him a kiss. When Isaac smelled his clothes, he blessed him and said, 

“The smell of my son 

is like the smell of open country 

that the Lord has blessed. 

²⁸May God give you dew from the sky, 

fertile fields on the earth, 

and plenty of fresh grain and new wine. 

²⁹May nations serve you. 

May people bow down to you. 

Be the master of your brothers, 

and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. 

May those who curse you be cursed. 

May those who bless you be blessed.”