Chapter 27 - Chapter 27

Now Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, andhe could not see: and he called Esau, his elderson, and said to him: My son? And he answered:Here I am.2 And his father said to him, Thou seest thatI am old, and know not the day of my death.3 Take thy arms, thy quiver, and bow, and goabroad; and when thou hast taken something byhunting,4 Make me a savoury meat thereof, as thouknowest I like, and bring it that I may eat: andmy soul may bless thee, before I die.5 And when Rebecca had heard this, and hewas gone into the field to fulfil his father's commandment,6 She said to her son Jacob: I heard thy fathertalking with Esau, thy brother, and saying tohim:7 Bring me of thy hunting, and make me meatsthat I may eat, and bless thee in the sight of theLord, before I die.8 Now therefore, my son, follow my counsel:9 And go thy way to the flock, bring me twokids of the best, that I may make of them meatfor thy father, such as he gladly eateth.10 Which when thou hast brought in, and hehath eaten, he may bless thee before he die.11 And he answered her: Thou knowest thatEsau, my brother, is a hairy man, and I amsmooth:12 If my father should feel me, and perceiveit, I fear lest he will think I would have mockedhim, and I shall bring upon me a curse insteadof a blessing.13 And his mother said to him: Upon me bethis curse, my son: only hear thou my voice, andgo, fetch me the things which I have said.14 He went, and brought, and gave them tohis mother. She dressed meats, such as she knewhis father liked.15 And she put on him very good garments ofEsau, which she had at home with her:16 And the little skins of the kids she putabout his hands, and covered the bare of hisneck.17 And she gave him the savoury meat, anddelivered him bread that she had baked.18 Which when he had carried in, he said: Myfather? But he answered: I hear. Who art thou,my son?19 And Jacob said: I am Esau, thy firstborn:I have done as thou didst command me: arise, sit34 Book of Genesisand eat of my venison, that thy soul may blessme.20 And Isaac said to his son: How couldstthou find it so quickly, my son? He answered:It was the will of God, that what I sought camequickly in my way:21 And Isaac said: Come hither, that I mayfeel thee, my son, and may prove whether thoube my son Esau, or no.22 He came near to his father, and when hehad felt him, Isaac said: The voice indeed is thevoice of Jacob; but the hands, are the hands ofEsau.23 And he knew him not, because his hairyhands made him like to the elder. Then blessinghim,24 He said: Art thou my son Esau? He answered: I am.25 Then he said: Bring me the meats of thyhunting, 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 haddrunk,26 He said to him: Come near me, and giveme a kiss, my son.27 He came near, and kissed him. And immediately as he smelled the fragrant smell ofhis garments, blessing him, he said: Behold, thesmell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field,which the Lord hath blessed.28 God give thee of the dew of heaven, and ofthe fatness of the earth, abundance of corn andwine.29 And let peoples serve thee, and tribes worship thee: be thou lord of thy brethren, andlet thy mother's children bow down before thee.Cursed be he that curseth thee: and let him thatblesseth thee be filled with blessings.30 Isaac had scarce ended his words, when,Jacob being now gone out abroad, Esau came,31 And brought in to his father meats, madeof what he had taken in hunting, saying: Arise,my father, and eat of thy son's venison; that thysoul may bless me.32 And Isaac said to him: Why! who artthou? He answered: I am thy firstborn son,Esau.33 Isaac was struck with fear, and astonishedexceedingly; and wondering beyond what can bebelieved, said: Who is he then that even nowbrought me venison that he had taken, and I ateof all before thou camest? and I have blessedhim, and he shall be blessed.34 Esau having heard his father's words,roared out with a great cry; and, being in a consternation, said: Bless me also, my father.35 And he said: Thy brother came deceitfullyand got thy blessing.36 But he said again: Rightly is his namecalled Jacob; for he hath supplanted me lo thissecond time: My birthright he took away before,and now this second time he hath stolen awaymy blessing. And again he said to his father:Hast thou not reserved me also a blessing?37 Isaac answered: I have appointed him thylord, and have made all his brethren his servants:I have established him with corn and wine, andafter this, what shall I do more for thee, my son?38 And Esau said to him: Hast thou only oneblessing, father? I beseech thee bless me also.And when he wept with a loud cry,39 Isaac being moved, said to him: In thefat of the earth, and in the dew of heaven fromabove,40 Shall thy blessing be. Thou shalt live bythe sword, and shalt serve thy brother: and thetime shall come, when thou shalt shake off andloose his yoke from thy neck.41 Esau therefore always hated Jacob, for theblessing wherewith his father had blessed him;Book of Genesis 35and he said in his heart: The days will come ofthe mourning for my father, and I will kill mybrother Jacob.42 These things were told to Rebecca: andshe sent and called Jacob, her son, and said tohim: Behold Esau, thy brother, threateneth tokill thee.43 Now therefore, my son, hear my voice, ariseand flee to Laban, my brother, to Haran:44 And thou shalt dwell with him a few days,till the wrath of thy brother be assuaged,45 And his indignation cease, and he forgetthe things thou hast done to him: afterwardsI will send, and bring thee from thence hither.Why shall I be deprived of both my sons in oneday?46 And Rebecca said to Isaac: I am wearyof my life, because of the daughters of Heth: ifJacob take a wife of the stock of this land, Ichoose not to live.