Genesis 27:1–29

When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,^e he called for Esau his older son^f and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

²Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.^{g 3}Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country^h to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴Prepare me the kind of tasty food I likeⁱ and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing^j before I die.”^k

⁵Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau. When Esau left for the open country^l to hunt game and bring it back, ⁶Rebekah said to her son Jacob,^m “Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, ⁷‘Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.’^{n 8}Now, my son, listen carefully and do what I tell you:^{o 9}Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats,^p so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.^{q 10}Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing^r before he dies.”

¹¹Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man^s while I have smooth skin. ¹²What if my father touches me?^t I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse^u on myself rather than a blessing.”

¹³His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.^v Just do what I say;^w go and get them for me.”

¹⁴So he went and got them and brought them to his mother, and she prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked it.^{x 15}Then Rebekah took the best clothes^y of Esau her older son,^z which she had in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. ¹⁶She also covered his hands and the smooth part of his neck with the goatskins.^{a 17}Then she handed to her son Jacob the tasty food and the bread she had made.

¹⁸He went to his father and said, “My father.”

“Yes, my son,” he answered. “Who is it?”^b

¹⁹Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn.^c I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game,^d so that you may give me your blessing.”^e

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

“The Lord your God gave me success,^f” he replied.

²¹Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you,^g my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

²²Jacob went close to his father Isaac,^h who touchedⁱ him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;^j so he proceeded to bless him. ²⁴“Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

²⁵Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”^k

Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. ²⁶Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

²⁷So he went to him and kissed^l him^m. When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,ⁿ he blessed him and said,

“Ah, the smell of my son

is like the smell of a field

that the Lord has blessed.^o

²⁸May God give you heaven’s dew^p

and earth’s richness^q—

an abundance of grain^r and new wine.^s

²⁹May nations serve you

and peoples bow down to you.^t

Be lord over your brothers,

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

May those who curse you be cursed

and those who bless you be blessed.^v”