Isaac Blesses Jacob
Isaac, old and nearly blind, calls Esau to hunt and prepare food so he may give him a final blessing before he dies.
W1hen Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called his older son Esau and said to him, “My son.” 2“Look,” said Isaac, “I am now old, and I do not know the day of my death. 3Take your weapons — your quiver and bow — and go out into the field to hunt some game for me. 4Then prepare a tasty dish that I love and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die.”
Rebekah overhears Isaac and quickly forms a plan for Jacob to receive the blessing instead. Jacob fears exposure and curse, but Rebekah takes the risk on herself and prepares the disguise and meal.
5Now Rebekah was listening to what Isaac told his son Esau. So when Esau went into the field to hunt game and bring it back, 6Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “Behold, I overheard your father saying to your brother Esau, 7‘Bring me some game and prepare me a tasty dish to eat, so that I may bless you in the presence of the LORD before I die.’ 8Now, my son, listen to my voice and do exactly as I tell you. 9Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so that I can make them into a tasty dish for your father— the kind he loves. 10Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.” 11Jacob answered his mother Rebekah, “Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, but I am smooth-skinned. 12What if my father touches me? Then I would be revealed to him as a deceiver, and I would bring upon myself a curse rather than a blessing.” 13His mother replied, “Your curse be on me, my son. Just obey my voice and go get them for me.” 14So Jacob went and got two goats and brought them to his mother, who made the tasty food his father loved. 15And Rebekah took the finest clothes in the house that belonged to her older son Esau, and she put them on her younger son Jacob. 16She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17Then she handed her son Jacob the tasty food and bread she had made.
Jacob presents himself as Esau before Isaac, answering suspicion with lies. Isaac hesitates over the voice, but the touch of hairy skin persuades him, and he proceeds toward the blessing.
18So Jacob went to his father and said, “My father.” 19Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game, so that you may bless me.” 20But Isaac asked his son, “How did you ever find it so quickly, my son?” 21Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Please come closer so I can touch you, my son. Are you really my son Esau, or not?” 22So Jacob came close to his father Isaac, who touched him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” 23Isaac did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau; so he blessed him. 24Again he asked, “Are you really my son Esau?” 25“Serve me,” said Isaac, “and let me eat some of my son’s game, so that I may bless you.”
Isaac draws Jacob near, smells Esau’s clothes, and blesses him. The blessing asks for heaven’s richness, the earth’s plenty, and rule over peoples and kin, with blessing and curse following his name.
26Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come near and kiss me, my son.” 27So he came near and kissed him. When Isaac smelled his clothing, he blessed him and said: 28May God give to you the dew of heaven 29May peoples serve you