1   Ysaac forsothe was olde, and his eyen wexen derk, and he my&yogh;te not se. And he clepide Esau, his moor sone, and seide to hym, My sone! The which answeryde, I am ny&yogh;. 2   To whom the fader, Thow seest, he seith, that Y am wexun olde, and vnknowe the day of my deeth. 3   Take

thin armes, quyuer and bowe, and go forth oute; and whan thow hast with huntyng eny thing takun, 4   make to me therof sowil, as thow knowe me to wiln, and brynge to me that I ete, that my soule blis to thee or I dye. 5   The which whan Rebecca hadde herd, and he was goon a wey in to the feeld, that he fulfille the heest of the fader, 6   she seide to hir sone Jacob, I herde thi fader spekynge with Esau, thi brother, and seiynge to hym, 7   Brynge to me of thin huntyng, and maak metis, that I ete, and Y shal blisse to thee bifore the Lord or I dye. 8   Now thanne assente to my counseyls, my sone, and goynge to the flok, 9   brynge to me two the best kyddis, that I make of hem meet to thi fader, the which he eet gladly; 10   the whiche whan thow bryngist yn, and he etith, he blisse to thee or than he die. 11   To whom he answeride, Thow hast know that Esau my brother is a man ful of heer, and I soft; 12   if my fader groop and fele, Y drede lest he wene me wiln to bigile hym, and brynge on me malysoun for benysoun. 13   To whom the moder, In me be, she seith, this malisoun, my sone; oonli here my vois, and goynge forth brynge to that Y seide. 14   He &yogh;ede a wey, and brou&yogh;te to, and &yogh;aue to his modir. She greithide meetis, as she knewe the fader of hym wiln, 15   and with the clothis of Esau ful good, the whiche anentis hyr she hadde at hoom, she clothid hym. 16   And she dide about his hondis litel skynnes of kiddis, and she forcoueride the nakid of the nak; 17   and &yogh;aue sowil, and took the looues that she hadde sothun. 18   The whiche thingis brou&yogh;t to, seide, Fader myn! And he answeryde, I here; who art thow, sone myn? 19   And Jacob seide, Y am Esau, thi first getun.

Y haue do to thee as thow hast comaundide me; aryse, sit, and eet of myn huntyng, that thi soule blisse to me. 20   Eft Ysaac to his sone, How, he seith, so soone fynde thow my&yogh;tist, sone myne? The which answeride, The wil of God was, that soone it shulde com to me that I wolde. 21   And Ysaac seide, Come nerre hider, that I towche thee, sone myn, and proue whethir thow be my sone Esau, or noon. 22   He com nerre to the fader; and, hym gropid, seide Ysaac, The vois forsothe is the vois of Jacob, but the hondis ben the hondis of Esau. 23   And he knewe hym not, for the heery hondis expressiden the liknes of the moor. Thanne blyssynge to hym, 24   seide, Thow art my sone Esau? 25   He answeride, I am. And he, Brynge forth, he seide, to me meetis of thin hunting, sone myn, that my soule blisse to thee. The which offryd, whan he hadde eet, also and wyyn he offride, the which drunkun, 26   seide to hym, Come nerre to me, and &yogh;yue to me a cosse, sone myn. 27   He com nerre, and cossyde hym; and anoon that he felide the good smel of his clothis, blissynge to hym seith, Loo! the smel of my sone as the smel of a ful feeld, to the which the Lord blisside. 28   God &yogh;yue to thee of the dew of heuen, and of fatnes of the erthe, plente of wheet, and of wyyn, and of oyle; 29   and to thee seruen puplis, and lowten thee lynagis; be thow the lord of thi britheren, and the sonys of thi moder be thei bowid bifore thee; who shal curse to thee, be he cursid, and who shal blis to thee, with blissyngis be he fulfillid. 30   Vnneth Ysaac had fulfillid the word, and Jacob goon out, 31   Esau com, and sothen meetis of the huntyng broute yn to the fader, seiynge, Aryse, fader myn, and eet of the huntyng of thi sone, that thi soule

blisse to me. 32   And Ysaac seide, Who forsothe art thow? The which answeride, Y am thi first getun sone Esau. 33   Isaac wexe adred in a hidows stonying, and more than it may be leuyd wondrynge, seith, Who is thanne he that now ri&yogh;t brou&yogh;te to me huntyng takun, and Y ete of al bifore that thow com, and Y blisside hym? and he shal be blissid. 34   Esau, the wordis of the fader herd, roride with a greet crye, and stonyed seide, Also blis and to me, fader myn. 35   The which seide, Thi brothir com gilyngliche, and took thi blissyng. 36   And he ekyde to, Justli is the name of hym clepid Jacob; he forsothe hath subplauntid me loo! anothir sithe; the ri&yogh;tis of my fyrst geting biforn he took a wey, and now secounde he hath vnder rauyshide my benysoun. And eftsonys to the fader, And whethir thow hast not reseruyd, he seith, to me thi blissyng? 37   Ysaac answeryde, Thi lord I haue ordeynyde him, and alle his britheren I haue vndir &yogh;ockid to the seruyce of hym; with wheet, and wyne, and oyle I haue stablid hym; and to thee, sone myn, after these ouer what shal Y doon? 38   To whom Esau seide, Whether oonlich o blissyng thow hast fader? And to me Y preie thee that thow blis; and with a greet &yogh;owlyng he wepte. 39   Ysaac moued, seide to hym, In the fatnes of the erthe, 40   and in the dewe of heuene fro aboue shal be thi blissyng; thow shalt lyue in swerd, and to thi brother thow shalt serue, and tyme shal come whanne thow shalt shaak out, and lowse the &yogh;ok of hym of thi nollys. 41   Than Esau euermore hatide Jacob for the blissyng that the fader blisside to hym, and seide in his herte, The dayes of weilyng of my fader shal come, and I shal slee Jacob, my brother. 42   Thes thingis weren tolde to Rebecca, the which sendynge and clepynge hire sone Jacob, seide to hym, Loo! Esau, thi brother, thretith

that he slee thee; 43   now thanne, sone, here my vois, and arysynge fle to Laban, my brother, in Aran; 44   and thow shalt dwelle with hym a fewe dayes, to the tyme that the woodnes of thi brother reste, 45   and the indignacioun of hym ceesse, and he for&yogh;eete the thingis that thow hast doon to hym. Afterward Y shal sende and lede thee fro thens hydir. Whi shal Y be priued of eithir sone in o day? 46   And Rebecca seide to Ysaac, It noieth me of my lijf for the dow&yogh;trys of Heth; if Jacob shal taak a wijf of the lynage of this loond, Y nyl not lyue.

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