1 And it happened, when Isaac grew old and his eyes became too dim {vatikhena: physically weakened} to see, that he called Esau his older {hagadol: senior in age} son and said to him, “My son.” And he said to him, “Here I am {hineni: immediate willing response}.”
2 And he said, “Look, now I am old {zakanti: advanced in years}; I do not know the day {yom: appointed time} of my death.”
3 And now, take, please, your equipment {kele: hunting tools}, your quiver, and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt for me game {tsayid: wild animal}.
4 And prepare for me tasty dishes as I love {ahavti: deep personal attachment}, and bring them to me, so that I may eat, in order that my soul {nafshi: innermost self} may bless you before I die.
5 And Rebekah {rivqah: perceptive matriarch} was listening as Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Then Esau went out to the field to hunt game {tsayid: hunted animals} to bring.
6 And Rebekah said to Jacob her son, saying, “Behold {hinneh: pay close attention}, I have heard your father speaking {medabber: communicating intentionally} to Esau your brother, saying,”
7 Bring me game and prepare for me delicacies {matamim: especially tasty dishes}, and I will eat, and I will bless you in the presence of the LORD {YHWH, Solemn Blessing Witness} before my death.
8 And now, my son, listen to my voice {qol: personal instruction} concerning what I am commanding you {metsavveh: authoritative directive}.
9 Go, please, to the flock and take for me from there two good young goats {gdayei izzim: kids of goats}, and I will make them into tasty dishes for your father {av: household patriarch}, just as he loves.
10 Then you must bring it to your father {avikha: household head}, so he will eat, in order that he may bless you {yevarekhkha: bestow a spoken favor} before his death.
11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man {sair: thick body hair}, but I am a smooth man {chalak: little body hair}.”
12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I will be in his eyes as a deceiver {kimta'tea: one who misleads}, and I will bring upon myself a curse {kelalah: spoken penalty} and not a blessing.
13 Then his mother said to him, “Upon me {alai: accepting liability} be your curse, my son. Only listen to my voice {bekoli: my expressed will}, and go, take for me.”
14 So he went and took them and brought them to his mother, and his mother prepared delicacies {mat’amim: specially seasoned dishes} just as his father {aviv: household patriarch} loved.
15 And Rebekah took the best garments {hachamudot: most precious clothing} of Esau her older son, which were with her in the house, and she clothed Jacob her younger son {ben: family heir}.
16 And she clothed the skins of the young goats {gedayei: goat kids} upon his hands and upon the smooth part {chelkat: hairless area} of his neck.
17 Then she gave the delicacies {matamim: specially prepared food} and the bread which she had made into the hand of Jacob {yaakov: heel-grabber}, her son.
18 And he came to his father and said, “My father.” And he said, “Here I am {hineni: attentive and ready}. Who are you, my son {beni: household descendant}?”
19 Jacob said to his father, “I am Esau, your firstborn. I have done just as you spoke to me {dibarta: spoken command}. Please arise, sit, and eat from my game, so that your soul {nefesh: deepest self} may bless me.”
20 And Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly {miharta: acted swiftly}, my son?” And he said, “Because the LORD your God {YHWH Eloheicha, Providential Arranger} caused it to happen before me.”
21 And Isaac {Yitschak: Aging Patriarch} said to Jacob, “Come near now, and let me touch you, my son {beni: cherished offspring}, whether you are really my son Esau or not.”
22 So Jacob approached his father Isaac, and he felt him, and he said, “The voice {qol: identifying sound} is the voice of Jacob, but the hands {yadayim: outward evidence} are the hands of Esau.”
23 And he did not recognize him because his hands were like the hands of Esau his brother, hairy {seirot: thick coarse hair}, so he blessed him {vayevarkhehu: imparted spoken blessing}.
24 And he said, “Are you really my son Esau {Esav: elder brother}?” And he said, “I {ani: self-identification} am.”
25 Then he said, “Bring it near to me, and I will eat from the game {tseyd: hunted food}, my son, so that my soul {nefesh: inner life} may bless you.” So he brought it near to him and he ate, and he brought him wine and he drank.
26 Then Isaac {yitschak: promised heir}, his father, said to him, “Come near, please {geshah-na: respectful approach}, and kiss me, my son.”
27 He approached and kissed him, and he smelled the scent {reach: fragrant smell} of his garments. Then he blessed him and said, “See, the scent of my son is like the scent of a field that the LORD {YHWH, Giver of Blessing} has blessed.”
28 May God {haElohim, Blessing Bestower} grant you from the dew of the heavens and from the fatness {mishmanei: richest abundance} of the earth, and abundance of grain and new wine.
29 May peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be a lord {gevir: ruling authority} over your brothers, and may the sons of your mother bow down to you. May those who curse you be cursed {arur: under judgment}, and those who bless you be blessed.
30 And it happened, when Isaac {yitschak: Covenant Bearer} finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence {penei: immediate proximity} of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31 And he also prepared delicacies {matamim: richly seasoned food} and brought them to his father. Then he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat from his son's game, so that your soul {nefesh: inner life} may bless me.”
32 And Isaac {yitskhaq: family patriarch} his father said to him, “Who are you?” And he said, “I am your son, your firstborn {bechorkha: recognized heir}, Esau.”
33 Then Isaac {Yitschak: covenant son} trembled with a very great trembling and said, “Who then is he who hunted the game and brought it to me, and I ate from all of it {mikkol: entire portion} before you came, and I blessed him? Indeed, he will be blessed.”
34 When Esau {Esav: grieving firstborn} heard the words of his father, he cried out with a great and exceedingly bitter cry {tsaaqah: anguished outcry}, and he said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, my father!”
35 And he said, “Your brother has come with deceit {mirmah: cunning trickery} and he has taken your blessing {birkhatecha: spoken favor}.”
36 And he said, “Is it because his name was called Jacob {Yaakov: supplanter theme} that he has supplanted me these two times? He took my birthright {bekhorati: firstborn rights}, and look, now he has taken my blessing.” And he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?”
37 And Isaac {Yitschaq: promised heir} answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord {gevir: household ruler} over you, and all his brothers I have given to him as servants. And I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So for you, then, what can I do, my son?”
38 And Esau said to his father, “Is it only one blessing {berakhah: spoken favor} you have, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father!” And Esau lifted his voice {kol: anguished cry} and wept.
39 And Isaac his father answered and said to him, “Behold {hinneh: attention marker}, away from the fatness {mishmannei: richest produce} of the earth shall be your dwelling, and away from the dew of the heavens from above.”
40 And you will live by your sword {kherev: life sustained through conflict}, and you will serve your brother; but when you grow restless {tarid: seek to break free}, you will break off his yoke from upon your neck.
41 And Esau {Esav: angered twin} hated Jacob because of the blessing {berakhah: spoken parental favor} with which his father had blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are drawing near; then I will kill Jacob my brother.”
42 And it was reported to Rebekah {Rivqah: covenant matriarch} the words of Esau her elder son, so she sent and called for Jacob her younger son, and she said to him, “Behold, Esau your brother is consoling himself {mitnachem: plotting inwardly} concerning you, to kill you.”
43 And now, my son, listen {shema: attentive obedience} to my voice; arise and flee for yourself {berach-lekha: urgent self-preservation} to Laban, my brother, to Haran.
44 And you will stay {veyashavta: remain for safety} with him for a few days, until the fury {chamat: burning rage} of your brother turns away.
45 Until the anger {af: fierce emotion} of your brother returns from you and he forgets what you did to him, then I will send and bring you from there. Why should I be bereaved {eshkal: lose my children} of both of you in one day?
46 And Rebekah said to Isaac, “I am disgusted {katsti: deeply weary} with my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife from the daughters of Heth, like these, from the daughters of the land, why should life matter to me {chayyim: continued existence}?”