- And it came to pass after Isaac was old,
that his eyes were dimmed so that he could
not see; and he called Esau, his elder son,
and said to him, My son; and he said, Be-
hold, I am here.
- And he said, Behold, I am
grown old, and know not the day of my
death.
- Now then take thy weapons, both
thy quiver and thy bow, and go into the
plain, and get me venison,
- and make me
meats, as I like them, and bring them to me
that I may eat, that my soul may bless thee,
before I die.
- And Rebecca heard Isaac
speaking to Esau his son; and Esau went to
the plain to procure venison for his father.
- And Rebecca said to Jacob her younger
son, Behold, I heard thy father speaking to
Esau thy brother, saying,
- Bring me venison,
and prepare me meats, that I may eat and
bless thee before the Lord before I die.
- Now then my son, hearken to me, as I
command thee.
- And go to the cattle and
take for me thence two kids, tender and
good, and I will make them meats for thy
father, as he likes.
- And thou shalt bring
them in to thy father, and he shall eat, that
thy father may bless thee before he dies.
- And Jacob said to his mother Rebecca,
Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I a
smooth man.
- Peradventure my father
may feel me, and I shall be before him as
one ill-intentioned, and I shall bring upon
me a curse, and not a blessing.
- And his
mother said to him, On me be thy curse,
son; only hearken to my voice, and go and
bring them me.
- So he went and took and
brought them to his mother; and his mother
made meats, as his father liked them.
- And Rebecca having taken the fine
raiment of her elder son Esau which was
with her in the house, put it on Jacob her
younger son.
- And she put on his arms
the skins of the kids, and on the bare parts
of his neck.
- And she gave the meats, and
the loaves which she had prepared, into
the hands of Jacob her son.
- And he
brought them to his father, and said, Father;
and he said, Behold I am here; who art
thou, son?.
- And Jacob said to his father,
I, Esau thy first-born, have done as thou
toldest me; rise, sit, and eat of my venison,
that thy soul may bless me.
- And Isaac
said to his son, What is this which thou
hast quickly found? And he said, That
which the Lord thy God presented before
me.
- And Isaac said to Jacob, Draw nigh
to me, and I will feel thee, son, if thou art
my son Esau or not.
- And Jacob drew
nigh to his father Isaac, and he felt him,
and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but
the hands are the hands of Esau.
- And
he knew him not, for his hands were as the
hands of his brother Esau, hairy; and he
blessed him,
- and he said, Art thou my
son Esau? and he said, I am.
- And he
said, Bring hither, and I will eat of thy
venison, son, that my soul may bless thee;
and he brought it near to him, and he ate,
and he brought him wine, and he drank.
- And Isaac his father said to him, Draw
nigh to me, and kiss me, son.
- And he
drew nigh and kissed him, and smelled the
smell of his garments, and blessed him, and
said, Behold, the smell of my son is as the
smell of an abundant field, which the Lord
has blessed.
- And may God give thee of
the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the
earth and abundance of corn and wine.
- And let nations serve thee, and princes
bow down to thee, and be thou lord of thy
brother, and the sons of thy father shall
do thee reverence; accursed is he that
curses thee, and blessed is he that blesses
thee.
- And it came to pass after Isaac had
ceased blessing his son Jacob, it even came
to pass, just when Jacob had gone out from
the presence of Isaac his father, that Fsau
his brother came in from his hunting.
- And he also had made meats and brought
them to his father; and he said to his father,
Let my father arise and eat of his son's
venison, that thy soul may bless me.
- And
Isaac his father said to him, Who art thou?
And he said, I am thy first-born son Esau.
- And Isaac was amazed with very great
amazement, and said, Who then is it that has
procured venison for me and brought it to
me? and I have eaten of all before thou
camest, and I have blessed him, and he shall
be blessed.
- And it came to pass when
Esau heard the words of his father Isaac,
he cried out with a great and very bitter
cry, and said, Bless, I pray thee, me also,
father.
- And he said to him, Thy brother
has come with subtlety, and taken thy
blessing.
- And he said, Rightly was his
name called Jacob, for lo! this second time
has he supplanted me; he has both taken
my birthright and now he has taken my
blessing; and Esau said to his father, Hast
thou not left a blessing for me, father?
- And Isaac answered and said to Esau, If
I have made him thy lord, and have made
all his brethren his servants, and have
strengthened him with corn and wine, what
then shall I do for thee, son?
- And Esau
said to his father, Hast thou only one
blessing father? Bless, I pray thee, me also,
father. And [a] Isaac being troubled, Esau
cried aloud and wept.
- And 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.
- And thou shalt live by thy sword, and
shalt serve thy brother; and there shall be
a time when thou shalt break and loosen his
yoke from off thy neck.
- And Esau was angry with Jacob because
of the blessing, with which his father blessed
him; and Esau said in his mind, Let the
days of my father's mourning draw nigh,
that I may slay my brother Jacob.
- And
the words of Esau her elder son were
reported to Rebecca, and she sent and called
Jacob her younger son, and said to him,
Behold, Esau thy brother threatens thee to
kill thee.
- Now then, my son, hear my
voice, and rise and depart quickly into
Mesopotamia to Laban my brother into
Charran.
- And dwell with him certain
days until thy brother's anger
- and rage
depart from thee, and he forget what thou
hast done to him; and I will send and fetch
thee thence, lest at any time I should be
bereaved of you both in one day.
- And
Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my
life, because of the daughters of the sons of
Chet; if Jacob shall take a wife of the
daughters of this land, wherefore should
I live?
[a] Heb. -- Isaac being troubled.
[English translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee
Brenton (1807-1862) originally published by Samuel Bagster & Sons,
Ltd., London, 1851]