The Book Of Jubilees Chapter 26

Yitschaq called Esau, his elder Son to make savory meat

1 And in the seventh year of this week Yitschaq called Esau, his elder Son, and said to him: ' I am [2114 A.M.] old, my son, and behold my eyes are dim in seeing, and I know not the day of my death.

2 And now take your hunting weapons your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt and catch me (venison), my son, and make me savory meat, such as my soul loves, and bring it to me that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die.'

3 But Rebecca heard Yitschaq speaking to Esau.

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

5 And Rebecca called Yacob, her son, and said to him: 'Behold, I heard Yitschaq, your father, speak unto Esau, your brother, saying: "Hunt for me, and make me savory meat, and bring it to me that I may eat and bless you before YAHWEH before I die."

6 And now, my son, obey my voice in that which I command you: Go to your flock and fetch me two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savory meat for your father, such as he loves, and you shall bring it to your father that he may eat and bless you before YAHWEH before he die, and that you may be blessed.'

7 And Yacob said to Rebecca his mother: 'Mother, I shall not withhold anything which my father would eat, and which would please him: only I fear, my mother, that he will recognise my voice and wish to touch me.

8 And you know that I am smooth, and Esau, my brother, is hairy, and I shall appear before his eyes as an evildoer, and shall do a deed which he had not commanded me, and he will be wroth with me, and I shall bring upon myself a curse, and not a blessing.'

9 And Rebecca, his mother, said to him: 'Upon me be your curse, my son, only obey my voice.'

10 And Yacob obeyed the voice of Rebecca, his mother, and went and fetched two good and fat kids of the goats, and brought them to his mother, and his mother made them savory meat such as he loved.

11 And Rebecca took the goodly raiment of Esau, her elder son, which was with her in the house, and she clothed Yacob, her younger son, with them, and she put the skins of the kids upon his hands and on the exposed parts of his neck.

12 And she gave the meat and the bread which she had prepared into the hand of her son Yacob.

13 And Yacob went in to his father and said: 'I am your son: I have done according as you bade me: arise and sit and eat of that which I have caught, father, that your soul may bless me.'

14 And Yitschaq said to his son: 'How have you found so quickly, my son?'

15 And Yacob said: 'Because (YAHWEH your Sovereign Ruler caused me to find.'

16 And Yitschaq said to him: Come near, that I may feel you, my son, if you are my son Esau or not.'

17 And Yacob went near to Yitschaq, his father, and he felt him and said:

18 'The voice is Yacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau,' and he discerned him not, because it was a dispensation from heaven to remove his power of perception and Yitschaq discerned not, for his hands were hairy as his brother Esau's, so that he blessed him.

19 And he said: 'Are you my son Esau?' and he said: 'I am your son': and he said, 'Bring near to me that I may eat of that which you have caught, my son, that my soul may bless you.'

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

21 And Yitschaq, his father, said to him: 'Come near and kiss me, my son.

22 And he came near and kissed him. And he smelled the smell of his raiment, and he blessed him and said: 'Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a (full) field which YAHWEH has blessed.

23 And may YAHWEH give you of the dew of heaven And of the dew of the earth, and plenty of corn and oil: Let nations serve you, And peoples bow down to you.

24 Be ruler over your brethren, And let your mother's sons bow down to you; And may all the blessings wherewith YAHWEH has blessed me and blessed Abraham, my father; Be imparted to you and to your seed forever: Cursed be he that curses you, And blessed be he that blesses you.'

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

26 And he also made savory meat, and brought it to his father, and said to his father: 'Let my father arise, and eat of my venison that your soul may bless me.'

27 And Yitschaq, his father, said to him: 'Who are you? 'And he said to him: 'I am your first born, your son Esau: I have done as you have commanded me.'

28 And Yitschaq was very greatly astonished, and said: 'Who is he that has hunted and caught and brought it to me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him: (and) he shall be blessed, and all his seed forever.'

29 And it came to pass when Esau heard the words of his father Yitschaq that he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father: 'Bless me, (even) me also, father.'

30 And he said to him: 'Your brother came with guile, and has taken away your blessing.' And he said: 'Now I know why his name is named Yacob: behold, he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birth-right, and now he has taken away my blessing.'

31 And he said: 'Have you not reserved a blessing for me, father?' and Yitschaq answered and said to Esau: 'Behold, I have made him your ruler, 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 you, my son?'

32 And Esau said to Yitschaq, his father: 'Have you but one blessing, O father? Bless me, even me also, father.'

33 And Esau lifted up his voice and wept. And Yitschaq answered and said to him: 'Behold, far from the dew of the earth shall be your dwelling, And far from the dew of heaven from above.

34 And by your sword will you live, And you will serve your brother. And it shall come to pass when you become great, And do shake his yoke from off your neck, You shall sin a complete sin unto death, And your seed shall be rooted out from under heaven.'

35 And Esau kept threatening Yacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him, and he: said in his heart: 'May the days of mourning for my father now come, so that I may slay my brother Yacob.'