¶ And it came to pass¹, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim², so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son³, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I.

And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not⁴ the day of my death:

Now therefore take, I⁵ pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me⁶ some venison;

And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat⁷; that my⁸ soul may bless thee before I die.

And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

¶ And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the⁹ LORD before my death.

¹⁰Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two¹¹ good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury¹² meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

¶ And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man¹³, and I am a smooth man:

My father peradventure will feel¹⁴ me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver¹⁵; and I shall¹⁶ bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

And his mother said unto him, Upon¹⁷ me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother¹⁸: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

And Rebekah took goodly raiment¹⁹ of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

And she put the skins²⁰ of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

¶ And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

And Jacob said unto his father, I am²¹ Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy²² soul may bless me.

¶ And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because²³ the LORD thy God brought it to me²⁴.

And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come²⁵ near, I pray thee, that I may feel²⁶ thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice²⁷ is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

And he discerned him not, because his hands²⁸ were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed²⁹ him.

And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am³⁰.

And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my³¹ soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.

And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed³² him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field³³ which³⁴ the LORD hath blessed:

Therefore God give thee of the dew³⁵ of heaven, and the fatness³⁶ of the earth, and plenty³⁷ of corn and wine:

Let people³⁸ serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord³⁹ over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed⁴⁰ be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

¶ And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat⁴¹ of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.

And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

And Isaac trembled very exceedingly⁴², and said, Who? where is he that hath taken⁴³ venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea,⁴⁴ and he shall be blessed.

And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried⁴⁵ with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

⁴⁶And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob⁴⁷? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took⁴⁸ away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have⁴⁹ made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with⁵⁰ corn and wine have I sustained⁵¹ him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

⁵²And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold,⁵³ thy dwelling shall be the fatness⁵⁴ of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

¶ And by thy sword⁵⁵ shalt thou live, and shalt serve⁵⁶ thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou⁵⁷ shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

¶ And Esau hated⁵⁸ Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days⁵⁹ of mourning for my father are at hand; then⁶⁰ will I slay my brother Jacob.

And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself,⁶¹ purposing to kill thee.

Now therefore, my son, obey⁶² my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran⁶³;

And tarry with him a few days⁶⁴, until thy brother's fury turn away;

Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I⁶⁵ will send, and fetch thee from thence: why⁶⁶ should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am⁶⁷ weary of my life because⁶⁸ of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob⁶⁹ take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?