Jacob's Deception

1And 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. 2And he said, Behold now, I am become old; I know not the day of my death. 3And now, I pray thee, take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and hunt me venison, 4and 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.

5And Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt venison, to bring it. 6And Rebecca spoke to Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak to Esau thy brother, saying, 7Bring me venison, and prepare me a savoury dish, that I may eat, and bless thee before Jehovah, before my death. 8And now, my son, hearken to my voice in that which I command thee. 9Go, 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. 10And thou shalt bring [it] to thy father, that he may eat, in order that he may bless thee before his death. 11And Jacob said to Rebecca his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 12My 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. 13And his mother said to him, On me [be] thy curse, my son! Only hearken to my voice, and go, fetch [them]. 14And he went, and fetched and brought [them] to his mother. And his mother prepared a savoury dish such as his father loved. 15And 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; 16and she put the skins of the kids of the goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck; 17and she gave the savoury dishes and the bread that she had prepared into the hand of her son Jacob.

18And he came to his father, and said, My father! And he said, Here am I: who art thou, my son?

Isaac Blesses Jacob

19And 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. 20And 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. 21And 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. 22And 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. 23And he did not discern him, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; and he blessed him. 24And he said, Art thou really my son Esau? And he said, It is I. 25And 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. 26And his father Isaac said to him, Come near, now, and kiss me, my son.

27And 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.

28And God give thee of the dew of heaven, And of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of corn and new wine.

29Let 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.

The Stolen Blessing

30And it came to pass when Isaac had ended blessing Jacob, and when Jacob was only just gone out from Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came from his hunting. 31And he also had prepared savoury dishes, and he brought [them] in to his father, and said to his father, Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, in order that thy soul may bless me. 32And Isaac his father said to him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau. 33Then Isaac trembled with exceeding great trembling, and said, Who was he, then, that hunted venison and brought [it] to me? And I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him; also blessed he shall be. 34When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said to his father, Bless me -- me also, my father! 35And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and has taken away thy blessing. 36And he said, Is it not therefore he was named Jacob, for he has supplanted me now twice? He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me? 37And Isaac answered and said to Esau, Behold, I have made him lord over thee, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants, and with corn and new wine have I supplied him -- and what can I do now for thee, my son? 38And Esau said to his father, Hast thou then but one blessing, my father? bless me -- me also, my father! And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

39And Isaac his father answered and said to him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above;

40And by thy sword shalt thou live; And thou shalt serve thy brother; And it shall come to pass when thou rovest about, That thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will slay my brother Jacob. 42And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebecca. And she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, comforts himself that he will kill thee. 43And now, my son, hearken to my voice, and arise, flee to Laban my brother, to Haran; 44and abide with him some days, until thy brother's fury turn away -- 45until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget what thou hast done to him; then I will send and fetch thee thence. Why should I be bereaved even of you both in one day?

46And Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good should my life do me?