Jubilees 26

In the seventh year of this week, Isaac called Esau his firstborn son and said to him: I am old, my son, and my eyes have grown dim so that I cannot see. I do not know the day of my death.

REF And in the seventh year of this week Isaac called Esau, his elder son, and said unto him: 'I am old, my son, and behold my eyes are dim in seeing, and I know not the day of my death.

So take your hunting gear — your quiver and your bow — and go out to the open field. Hunt for me and bring back game, my son,

REF Now therefore take thy hunting weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and hunt and catch me venison, my son,

and prepare for me a savory dish, the kind I love. Bring it to me so I may eat and my soul may bless you before I die.

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

Now Rebekah overheard Isaac speaking to Esau.

REF And Rebecca heard Isaac speaking to Esau.

And Esau went out early into the field to hunt and bring back game for his father.

REF And Esau went forth early to the field to hunt and catch and bring home to his father.

Then Rebekah called her son Jacob and said to him: Listen — I heard your father Isaac speaking to your brother Esau, saying:

REF And Rebecca called Jacob, her son, and said unto him: 'Behold, I heard Isaac, thy father, speak unto Esau, thy brother, saying:

Bring me game and prepare a savory dish for me, so I may eat and bless you before the Lord before I die.

REF 'Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the Lord before I die.'

Now, my son, listen to me and do what I tell you. Go to the flock and bring me two fine young goats. I will prepare them as a savory dish for your father — the kind he loves — and you will bring it to him so he may eat and bless you before the Lord before he dies, so that you may be blessed.

REF And now, my son, obey my voice in that which I command thee: Go to the flock and fetch me two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth, and thou shalt bring it to thy father that he may eat and bless thee before the Lord before he dieth, and that thou mayest be blessed.'

Jacob said to his mother Rebekah: But my brother Esau is hairy, and I am smooth-skinned.

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

If my father touches me, I will seem to him like a mocker, and I will bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing.

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

His mother Rebekah said to him: Let your curse fall on me, my son. Just do as I say.

REF And Rebecca his mother said unto him: 'Upon me be thy curse, my son; only obey my voice.'

So Jacob obeyed his mother Rebekah. He went and fetched two fine young goats and brought them to her, and his mother prepared a savory dish — the kind his father loved.

REF And Jacob obeyed the voice of Rebecca, his mother, and went and fetched two good kids of the goats, and brought them to his mother, and his mother made them savoury meat, such as he loved.

Then Rebekah took the fine garments of her elder son Esau — the ones she kept in the house — and dressed Jacob, her younger son, in them.

REF And Rebecca took the goodly raiment of Esau, her elder son, which was with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob, her younger son,

She placed the goat skins on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck.

REF and she put the skins of the kids upon his hands and on the exposed parts of his neck.

And she placed the savory dish and the bread she had prepared into the hands of her son Jacob.

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

Jacob went in to his father and said: I am your son. I have done as you asked me. Sit up and eat what I have brought for you, and bless me, my father.

REF And Jacob went in to his father and said: 'I am thy son: I have done according as thou badest me: arise and sit and eat of that which I have caught for thee, and bless me, my father.'

Isaac said to his son: How did you find it so quickly, my son?

REF And Isaac said to his son: 'How hast thou found so quickly, my son?'

Jacob answered: Because the Lord your God brought it to me.

REF And Jacob said: 'Because the Lord thy God caused me to find.'

Isaac said to him: Come closer so I can touch you, my son — to know whether you are truly my son Esau or not.

REF And Isaac said unto him: 'Come near, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou art my son Esau or not.'

Jacob drew near to his father Isaac, who touched him and said: The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.

REF And Jacob went near to Isaac, his father, and he felt him and said: 'The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau,'

He did not recognize him, because it was an act ordained from heaven to cloud his perception. Isaac could not tell, for Jacob's hands were hairy like the hands of Esau. So he blessed him.

REF and he discerned him not, because it was a dispensation from heaven to remove his power of perception; and Isaac discerned not, for his hands were hairy as the hands of Esau: so he blessed him.

He said: Are you really my son Esau? And Jacob said: I am your son. Then Isaac said: Bring the food near so I may eat what my son has caught, and my soul will bless you.

REF And he said: 'Art thou my son Esau?' and he said: 'I am thy son': and he said, 'Bring near to me, and I will eat of that which my son hath caught for me, that my soul may bless thee.'

So Jacob brought the food to him and he ate, and he brought him wine and he drank.

REF And he brought near to him, and he did eat, and he brought him wine, and he drank.

His father Isaac said to him: Come near and kiss me, my son. So he came near and kissed him.

REF And Isaac, his father, said unto him: 'Come near and kiss me, my son.' And he came near and kissed him.

He smelled the scent of his garments and blessed him, saying: See, the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field that the Lord has blessed.

REF And he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him and said: 'Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a (full) field which the Lord hath blessed.

May the Lord give you the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth — abundance of grain and oil. Let nations serve you and peoples bow before you.

REF May the Lord give thee of the dew of heaven and of the dew of the earth, and plenty of corn and oil; let nations serve thee, and peoples bow down to thee.

Be master over your brothers, and let your mother's sons bow down to you. May all the blessings with which the Lord blessed me and blessed my father Abraham be given to you and to your offspring forever. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you.

REF Be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee; and may all the blessings wherewith the Lord hath blessed me and hath blessed Abraham, my father, be imparted to thee and to thy seed for ever. Cursed be he that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee.'

As soon as Isaac finished blessing his son Jacob, and Jacob had gone out from his father's presence, he concealed himself. Then Esau his brother came in from his hunt.

REF And it came to pass as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing his son Jacob, and Jacob had gone forth from Isaac his father he hid himself and Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting.

He too prepared a savory dish and brought it to his father, saying: Let my father sit up and eat what his son has caught for him, and bless me.

REF And he also made savoury meat, and brought it to his father, and said to his father: 'Let my father arise, and eat of that which his son hath caught for him, and bless me.'

His father Isaac said to him: Who are you? He answered: I am your firstborn, your son Esau. I have done what you told me.

REF And Isaac, his father, said unto him: 'Who art thou?' And he said, 'I am thy firstborn, thy son Esau: I have done as thou hast commanded me.'

Isaac trembled violently and said: Then who was it that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it all before you came and I blessed him — and blessed he will remain, he and all his offspring forever.

REF And Isaac was very greatly astonished, and said: 'Who is he that hath hunted and caught and brought to me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him — and blessed he shall be, and all his seed for ever.'

When Esau heard his father's words, he cried out with a loud and bitter cry and said to his father: Bless me too — me also, my father!

REF And when Esau heard the words of his father Isaac he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said unto his father: 'Bless me, even me also, O my father.'

Isaac said: Your brother came with cunning and took your blessing. Esau replied: Is he not rightly named Jacob? He has cheated me twice now — he took my birthright, and now he has taken my blessing.

REF And he said unto him: 'Thy brother came with guile, and hath taken away thy blessing.' And he said: 'Is he not rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and now he hath taken away my blessing.'

Esau said: Have you not kept even one blessing for me, father? Isaac answered: I have made him your master, and I have given him all his brothers as servants. I have enriched him with grain and wine and oil. What then can I do for you, my son?

REF And he said: 'Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me, O my father?' And 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 plenty of corn and wine and oil have I strengthened him: and what now shall I do for thee, my son?'

Esau said to his father Isaac: Do you have only one blessing, my father? Bless me — me too, father! And Esau lifted his voice and wept. Then Isaac answered him: Your dwelling will be away from the richness of the earth and away from the dew of heaven above.

REF And Esau said to Isaac, his father: 'Hast thou but one blessing, O my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father.' And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Isaac answered and said unto him: 'Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling, and away from the dew of the heaven from above.'