Isaac Blesses Jacob
(Hebrews 11:20)

1And it came to passe when Isaac was olde, his eyes waxed dymme of sight, and he called Esau his greater sonne, and sayde vnto him: My sonne. He answered him: Here am I. 2And he sayde: Beholde, I am olde, and knowe not whan I shal dye. 3Now therfore take thy geer, thy quyuer and thy bowe, and get the forth to the felde, and take me some venyson, 4and make me meate (soch as I loue) and brynge it me herein, that I may eate, yt my soule maye blesse the, before I dye.

5But Rebecca herde these wordes, that Isaac sayde vnto his sonne. And Esau wente his waye in to the felde, to hunte venyson, and to brynge it home. 6Then sayde Rebecca vnto Iacob hir sonne: beholde, I haue herde thy father talkinge with Esau thy brother, and sayenge: 7Brynge me venyson, and make me meate, that I maye eate, and blesse the before ye LORDE, yer I dye. 8Now therfore my sonne, heare my voyce, what I commaunde the: 9Go thy waye to the flocke, and fetch me two good kyddes, that I maye make meate of them for thy father, soch as he loueth: 10this shalt thou brynge in vnto thy father, that he maye eate, that he maye blesse the before his death. 11Neuertheles Iacob sayde vnto Rebecca his mother: Beholde, my brother Esau is tough, and I am smooth: 12then might my father peraduenture fele me, and I shulde seme vnto him as though I begyled him, and so brynge a curse vpon me and not a blessynge. 13Then sayde his mother vnto him: That curse be vpon me my sonne, folowe thou my voyce: go thy waye and fetch it me. 14So he wente his waye, and fetched it, and brought it vnto his mother. Then his mother made meate, acordinge as his father loued, 15and toke Esaus hir elder sonnes costly rayment (which she had with her in ye house) and put them vpon Iacob hir yonger sonne. 16But the kyddes skynnes put she aboute his handes, and where he was smooth aboute the neck: 17and so she put the meate with bred (as she had made it) in hir sonne Iacobs hande.

18And he brought it in vnto his father, and sayde: My father. He answered: here am I, who art thou my sonne?

19Iacob sayde: I am Esau thy firstborne sonne, I haue done as thou saydest vnto me: aryse, syt vp, and eate of my venyson, that thy soule maye blesse me. 20But Isaac sayde vnto his sonne? My sonne, how hast thou founde it so soone? He answered: The LORDE yi God brought it to my hande. 21The sayde Isaac vnto Iacob: Come neare my sonne, that I maye fele the, whether thou be my sonne Esau or not. 22So Iacob wete vnto Isaac his father. And whan he had felt him, he sayde: The voyce is Iacobs voyce, but the handes are the handes of Esau. 23And he knew him not, for his handes were rough like as ye handes of his brother Esau. And he blessed him. 24And he sayde vnto him: art thou my sonsonne Esau? He answered: Yee I am. 25Then sayde he: Bringe me here then to eate of thy venyson my sonne, that my soule maye blesse the. Then he brought it him, and he ate: and he brought him wyne also, and he dranke. 26And Isaac his father sayde vnto him: Come nye, and kysse me my sonne.

27So he came nye, and he kyssed him. Then smelled he the sauoure of his clothes, and blessed him, and sayde: Beholde, the smell of my sonne is as ye smell of the felde, which ye LORDE hath blessed.

28God geue the of the dew of heauen, and of the fatnesse of the earth, and plenteousnes of corne and wyne.

29Nacions be thy seruauntes, and people fall downe at yi fote. Be thou lorde ouer thy brethren, and thy mothers children fall downe at thy fote. Cursed be he, that curseth the: and blessed be he, that blesseth the.

Esau’s Lost Hope

30Now whan Isaac had made an ende of blessynge, and Iacob was scace gone out from his father Isaac, his brother Esau came from his huntinge, 31and made meate also, and brought it vnto his father, and sayde vnto him: Aryse my father, and eate of yi sonnes venyson, that thy soule maye blesse me. 32Then answered him Isaac his father: Who art thou? He sayde: I am Esau thy firstborne sonne. 33Then was Isaac exceadingly amased aboue measure, and saide: Who? Where is then the hunter that brought me, and I haue eaten of all afore thou camest, and haue blessed him? And he shall be blessed still. 34Whan Esau herde these wordes of his father, he cried loude, and was exceadynge sory, and sayde vnto his father: O blesse me also my father. 35But he sayde: Thy brother came with sotyltie, and hath taken thy blessinge awaye. 36Then sayde he: He maye well be called Iacob, for he hath vndermined me now two tymes. My byrth right hath he awaye, and beholde, now taketh he awaye my blessynge also. And he sayde: Hast thou not kepte one blessynge for me? 37Isaac answered, and sayde vnto him: I haue made him lorde ouer ye, and all his brethren haue I made his seruautes. With corne & wine haue I prouyded him. What shal I do vnto the now my sonne? 38Esau sayde vnto his father? Hast thou not one blessynge more my father? O blesse me also my father. And he lift vp his voyce, & wepte.

39Then Isaac his father answered and sayde vnto him: Beholde, thou shalt haue a fat dwellinge vpon earth, & of ye dew of heauen from aboue:

40with thy swerde shalt thou get thy lyuynge, and shalt serue thy brother. And it shall come to passe, yt thou shalt put of his yock, and plucke it from thy neck.

41And Esau bare euell wyll vnto Iacob, because of the blessynge that his father had blessed him withall, and sayde in his herte: The tyme wyll come shortly, that my father shal mourne, for I wil slaye my brother Iacob. 42The was it tolde Rebecca of these wordes of hir elder sonne, and she sent, and bad call for Iacob hir yonger sonne, and saide vnto him: Beholde, thy brother Esau threateneth the, that he wil slaye the. 43And now my sonne heare my voyce: Get the vp, and flye vnto my brother Laban in Haran, 44and tary there with him a whyle, tyll the furiousnes of thy brother be swaged, and 45till his wrath agaynst ye be turned from the, and he forget what thou hast done vnto him. So wyll I then sende for the, and cause the be fetched from thece. Why shulde I be robbed of you both in one daye?

46And Rebecca sayde vnto Isaac: I am weery of my life, because of the doughters of Heth: Yf Iacob take a wife of the doughters of Heth, which are as the doughters of this londe, what shall this life then profit me?