Jacob Takes Esau’s Blessing

³⁴ When Esau was forty years old,^(A) he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite.^{(B) 35} They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.^(C)

27 When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see,^(D) he called for Esau his older son^(E) and said to him, “My son.”

“Here I am,” he answered.

² Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.^{(F) 3} Now then, get your equipment—your quiver and bow—and go out to the open country^(G) to hunt some wild game for me. ⁴ Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like^(H) and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing^(I) before I die.”^(J)

¹⁹ Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau your firstborn.^(A) I have done as you told me. Please sit up and eat some of my game,^(B) so that you may give me your blessing.”^(C)

²⁰ Isaac asked his son, “How did you find it so quickly, my son?”

“The Lord your God gave me success,^(D)” he replied.

²¹ Then Isaac said to Jacob, “Come near so I can touch you,^(E) my son, to know whether you really are my son Esau or not.”

²² Jacob went close to his father Isaac,^(F) who touched^(G) him and said, “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” ²³ He did not recognize him, for his hands were hairy like those of his brother Esau;^(H) so he proceeded to bless him. ²⁴ “Are you really my son Esau?” he asked.

“I am,” he replied.

²⁵ Then he said, “My son, bring me some of your game to eat, so that I may give you my blessing.”^(I)

Jacob brought it to him and he ate; and he brought some wine and he drank. ²⁶ Then his father Isaac said to him, “Come here, my son, and kiss me.”

²⁷ So he went to him and kissed^(J) him^(K). When Isaac caught the smell of his clothes,^(L) he blessed him and said,

³⁶ Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob^[a]?^(A) This is the second time he has taken advantage of^(B) me: He took my birthright,^(C) and now he’s taken my blessing!”^(D) Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?”

³⁷ Isaac answered Esau, “I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine.^(E) So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”

³⁸ Esau said to his father, “Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me too, my father!” Then Esau wept aloud.^(F)

³⁹ His father Isaac answered him,^(G)

⁴¹ Esau held a grudge^(M) against Jacob^(N) because of the blessing his father had given him. He said to himself, “The days of mourning^(O) for my father are near; then I will kill^(P) my brother Jacob.”^(Q)