Genesis 27

Now when Esau was forty years old, he took as a wife Judith, daughter of Be’eri
The Hittite and of Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite, and made life less merry
For Rebekah and Isaac. Now when Isaac grew old and his eyes were too dim to see,
Isaac called Esau, his older son, and said to him, “My son!”– “Here I am,” replied he.
Isaac said, “I am old now, and don’t know the day of my death. So please take up your bow
And your quiver, go out to the field and hunt me down some game, which I love, as you know.
Then prepare me a delicacy such as I like it, bring it to me, I will eat it,
So that I may give to you my blessing before I die and my own life is completed.”

But Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son, so when Esau did run
To the field to hunt down some game to bring home, Rebekah said to Jacob her son,
“Look, I was listening as your father was speaking to your brother Esau, and said,
‘Bring me game and then make me a dish, I’ll eat it and bless you before God ‘ere I’m dead.’
So now, my son, please listen to what I command you: Go to the flock, fetch me two kids,
Some choice ones, and I will make them into a delicacy, the type which he has bid.
You bring it to your father, and he will eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”
Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau has hair on all sides,
While I have smooth skin. If my father should feel my skin, I’ll seem like a trickster, or worse.
I’ll bring a curse, and not a blessing, upon myself.” His mother said to him, “Your curse,
My dear son, shall be on me; just listen to what I say, go now, and fetch them for me.”
He went and took the kids and brought them to his mother, and she made a delicacy,
Such as his father loved. Rebekah then took the garments of Esau her older son,
The best ones in the house, and dressed her younger son Jacob in them. And when she was done,
He was covered in skins of the goat kids, with fur on his hands, and the smooth of his neck,
Then she placed in the hand of her son Jacob the dish she’d made, to complete the effect.
He came to his father and said, “Father!” Isaac replied, “Here I am. Which son are you?”
Jacob said to his father, “I’m Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me to.
Pray, arise and eat from the game I have hunted, so you may give your blessing to me.”
Isaac said to his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?” Jacob said, “You see,
The Lord your God made it go well for me.” Isaac said to Jacob, “My son, please come closer
So that I may feel you and know if you are my son Esau, or if you are a poser.”
Jacob moved close to Isaac his father, who felt him and said, “The voice is Jacob’s voice,
But the hands are Esau’s hands.” He didn’t recognize him (which may have made Jacob rejoice),
For his hands were like the hands of Esau his brother: Hairy. He was just to be blessed,
When Isaac asked once more, “Are you truly my son Esau?” Jacob replied, “I am. Yes.”
So then Isaac said, “Bring it to me, and I will eat my son’s game, so that I may bless you.”
Jacob served him and he ate, brought him wine and he drank, then Isaac his father said, “Yes, you,
Come closer and then kiss me, my son.” He came close and kissed him. Now Isaac smelled his clothes,
And blessed him saying, “The smell of my son smells like the blessed fields of God in my nose.
May God give you from the dew of heaven, the fat of the earth, plenty of wine and grain.
May peoples serve you, and tribes bow down to you, and as lord over your brothers you’ll reign.
Let your mother’s sons bow to you. Cursed be those who curse you, those who bless you will be blessed.”
And as soon as Isaac finished blessing Jacob, and from Isaac’s presence Jacob left,
Esau his brother came back from his hunting, bringing his father a sweet dish of game.
He then said to his father, “Rise and eat this delicacy, and bless me in your name.”
Isaac his father said to him, “Which son are you?” He said, “I am your firstborn, Esau.”
Isaac trembled greatly and said, “Who was it then, that just brought me some game for my maw?
I ate of it before you came, and gave my blessing to him, now he must remain blessed.”
When Esau heard his father’s words, he cried out greatly and bitterly, very distressed.
He said to his father, “Bless me, me too, father!” Isaac said, “Your brother came with guile
And he took away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is that why he was named in such a style?
He is named Jacob, Heel-Sneak, for he has now sneaked against me and cheated me twice,
He took my firstborn birthright, and now he has taken my blessing; that’s really not nice.”
Esau said, “Haven’t you reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered, to Esau spoke,
“Look, I’ve made him your master, and gave him all of his brothers for servants, that’s no joke.
I’ve sustained him with grain and wine. What then, my son, am I still able to do for you?”
Esau said to his father, “Have you but one blessing, father? Bless me, father, me too!”
And Esau raised his voice and wept. Then his father Isaac answered, said to him with love,
“Look, away from the fat of the earth must you dwell, from the dew of the heavens above,
You shall live by the sword, and you shall serve your brother, but one day you’ll brandish your sword,
And will break his yoke from your neck.” Esau hated Jacob due to his unjust reward,
And the blessing which Isaac had given him. So Esau said to himself, “Any day,
The days of mourning for my father will come, and then my brother Jacob I will slay.”
But Rebekah was told of the words of her elder son Esau, so she called and sent
For her younger son Jacob and said to him, “Your brother Esau has a vengeful bent.
He’s consoling himself by planning to kill you. So now, my son, listen to my voice
Flee at once to Haran, to my brother Laban. You don’t really have much of a choice.
Stay with him for a while, until your brother’s anger subsides, and from you turns away,
Until he forgets what you did to him. Then I’ll send and have you brought back on that day–

For why should I lose both of you in the same day?” So Rebekah then said to Isaac,
“I loathe my life because of these Hittite women. If Jacob took a wife from their stock,
A wife from the daughters of Heth, such as these women which are the daughters of the land,
From the native women, then why should I live? Why on earth should I continue to stand?”