Genesis

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

1Isaac was old. His eyes were weak, so he could not see. He called his older son Esau. He said, "My son." Esau said, "Here I am."

2And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death:

2Isaac said, "Look, I am old now. I do not know when I will die."

3Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison;

3"So take your hunting things, your arrow bag and your bow. Go out to the field and hunt an animal for me."

NoteThe KJV says "venison." That means meat from any wild animal a hunter catches, not just deer.

4And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.

4"Then cook me the tasty food I love. Bring it to me so I can eat. Then I will bless you before I die."

5And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

5Rebekah heard what Isaac said to his son Esau. So Esau went out to the field to hunt.

6And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

6Rebekah spoke to her son Jacob. She said, "Listen. I heard your father talking to your brother Esau."

7Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the LORD before my death.

7"He said, 'Bring me an animal and cook me tasty food. Then I will bless you before the LORD before I die.'"

8Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

8"So now, my son, listen to me. Do exactly what I tell you."

9Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth:

9"Go out to the animals and bring me two good young goats. I will cook the tasty food your father loves."

10And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.

10"Then you will take it to your father to eat. And he will bless you before he dies."

11And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man:

11Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "But my brother Esau is a hairy man. My skin is smooth."

12My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.

12"What if my father touches me? He will know I am tricking him. Then he will say bad words over me instead of good ones."

13And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.

13His mother said, "If that happens, let the bad words fall on me, my son. Just listen to me and go get the goats."

14And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.

14So Jacob went and got them and brought them to his mother. She cooked the tasty food his father loved.

15And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son:

15Rebekah took the best clothes of her older son Esau, which were in the house. She put them on her younger son Jacob.

16And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:

16She put the goat skins on his hands. She also put them on the smooth part of his neck.

17And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

17Then she handed the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

18And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?

18Jacob went to his father and said, "My father." Isaac said, "Here I am. Which son are you?"

19And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy first born; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.

19Jacob said, "I am Esau, your oldest son. I did what you asked. Please sit up and eat. Then bless me."

20And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the LORD thy God brought it to me.

20Isaac asked, "How did you find it so fast, my son?" Jacob said, "The LORD your God helped me find it."

21And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.

21Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come close so I can touch you. I want to know if you are really Esau."

22And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

22Jacob came close to his father Isaac. Isaac touched him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice. But the hands are Esau's hands."

23And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.

23Isaac did not know it was Jacob. His hands felt hairy, like his brother Esau's hands. So Isaac blessed him.

24And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.

24Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob said, "I am."

25And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son’s venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank.

25Isaac said, "Bring me the food. I will eat what my son hunted, and then I will bless you." Jacob brought it, and Isaac ate. Jacob brought wine, and Isaac drank.

26And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son.

26Then his father Isaac said to him, "Come close now and kiss me, my son."

27And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed:

27Jacob came close and kissed him. Isaac smelled his clothes and blessed him. He said, "My son smells like a field the LORD has blessed."

28Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:

28"May God give you dew from the sky and rich soil. May he give you plenty of grain and new wine."

NoteThe KJV says "corn." In 1611 that word meant grain of any kind, like wheat or barley.

29Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother’s sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.

29"May people serve you and nations bow to you. Be the leader over your brothers. May your mother's sons bow to you. May anyone who curses you be cursed. May anyone who blesses you be blessed."

30And 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.

30Isaac finished blessing Jacob. Jacob had barely left the room. Then his brother Esau came in from hunting.

31And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison, that thy soul may bless me.

31Esau had also cooked tasty food. He brought it to his father and said, "Father, sit up and eat what I hunted. Then bless me."

32And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.

32His father Isaac said, "Who are you?" Esau said, "I am your son, your oldest son, Esau."

33And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.

33Isaac began to shake hard. He said, "Then who was it? Someone hunted and brought me food. I ate it all before you came. I blessed him. And yes, he will stay blessed."

34And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.

34When Esau heard his father's words, he cried out loud with a bitter cry. He said, "Bless me too, my father!"

35And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing.

35Isaac said, "Your brother came and tricked me. He took your blessing."

36And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?

36Esau said, "He is named Jacob for a good reason. He has pushed me aside two times. He took my rights as the oldest son. Now he has taken my blessing." Then he asked, "Have you saved any blessing for me?"

37And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?

37Isaac answered Esau, "I have made him your leader. I have made all his family his servants. I gave him grain and new wine to live on. So what can I do for you, my son?"

38And 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.

38Esau said, "Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too!" And Esau cried out loud.

39And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;

39His father Isaac answered him, "Your home will be far from rich soil. It will be far from the dew of the sky."

NoteThe KJV wording here sounds like Isaac is giving Esau rich land. The Hebrew means the opposite: Esau's home will be away from the rich land.

40And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck.

40"You will live by your sword, and you will serve your brother. But one day you will pull free. You will break his heavy wooden bar off your neck."

41And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

41Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing his father gave him. Esau said to himself, "Soon my father will die and we will cry for him. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."

42And 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, purposing to kill thee.

42Someone told Rebekah what her older son Esau said. She sent for her younger son Jacob. She said, "Your brother Esau is making himself feel better by planning to kill you."

43Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

43"So now, my son, listen to me. Get up and run to my brother Laban in Haran."

44And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother’s fury turn away;

44"Stay with him for a while, until your brother is not so angry."

45Until thy brother’s anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?

45"Wait until he is not angry at you and forgets what you did. Then I will send for you. Why should I lose both of you in one day?"

46And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob 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?

46Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am tired of living because of these Hittite women. What if Jacob marries one of them? Then what good is my life?"