Bereshet (Genesis) - Chapter 27

27:1 It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son?"

He said to him, "Here I am."

27:2 He said, "See now, I am old. I do not know the day of my death. 27:3 Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison. 27:4 Make me savoury food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die."

27:5 Rivkah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. 27:6 Rivkah spoke to Ya'aqub her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying, 27:7 ‘Bring me venison, and make me savoury food, that I may eat, and bless you before Mar-Yah before my death.' 27:8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you. 27:9 Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good young goats. I will make them savoury food for your father, such as he loves. 27:10 You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death."

27:11 Ya'aqub said to Rivkah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man. 27:12 What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing."

27:13 His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me."

27:14 He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savoury food, such as his father loved. 27:15 Rivkah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Ya'aqub, her younger son. 27:16 She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck. 27:17 She gave the savoury food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Ya'aqub.

27:18 He came to his father, and said, "My father?"

He said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"

27:19 Ya'aqub said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me."

27:20 Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?"

He said, "Because Mar-Yah your God gave me success."

27:21 Isaac said to Ya'aqub, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."

27:22 Ya'aqub went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, "The voice is the voice of Ya'aqub, but the hands are the hands of Esau." 27:23 He did not recognise him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau's hands. So he blessed him. 27:24 He said, "Are you really my son Esau?"

He said, "I am."

27:25 He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of the venison of my son, that my soul may bless you."

He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank. 27:26 His father Isaac said to him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son." 27:27 He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said,

"Behold, the smell of my son
is as the smell of a field which Mar-Yah has blessed.
27:28 God give you of the dew of the sky,
of the fatness of the earth,
and plenty of grain and new wine.
27:29 Let peoples serve you,
and nations bow down to you.
Be lord over your brothers.
Let the sons of your mother bow down to you.
Cursed be everyone who curses you.
Blessed be everyone who blesses you."

27:30 It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Ya'aqub, and Ya'aqub had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting. 27:31 He also made savoury food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "Let my father arise, and eat the venison of his son, that your soul may bless me."

27:32 Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?"

He said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."

27:33 Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed."

27:34 When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, my father."

27:35 He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing."

27:36 He said, "Is he not rightly named Ya'aqub? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Have you not reserved a blessing for me?"

27:37 Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?"

27:38 Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.

27:39 Isaac his father answered him,

"Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling,
and of the dew of the sky from above.
27:40 By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother.
It will happen, when you repent,
that his yoke will be removed from off your neck."
27:41 Esau hated Ya'aqub because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Ya'aqub."

27:42 The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rivkah. She sent and called Ya'aqub, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you. 27:43 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran. 27:44 Stay with him a few days, until the fury of your brother turns away; 27:45 until the anger of your brother turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"

27:46 Rivkah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Ya'aqub takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?"