Years later, Isaac lays dying and blind from old age. He calls Esau to his side and asks him to hunt some game and with it prepare a meal for him with the promise that when he returns, he will give him his final blessing before he dies. Rebekah is listening in the next room and as Esau goes to hunt, she begins plotting with Jacob.
Over Jacob’s objection that they’ll get caught, the two devise a plan by which Jacob can steal Esau’s final blessing from his father. Jacob dresses in Esau’s clothing and fetches a goat for the meal. His mother prepares the goats for the meal while Jacob dresses in their skin to mimic the hairiness of his brother. Their preparations made, Jacob enters his father’s room with the meal. Immediately suspicious, Isaac feels his son’s arms and smells him to confirm his identity. Though the voice is not right, Isaac is apparently assured that he is the correct son and gives Jacob his blessing. In it, Jacob is made master over his brothers. Based on the law of the day, a deathbed blessing such as this was looked upon as legally binding. So despite the deception, it could not be reversed.
Not longer after the deed was done, Esau returns from his hunting and finds quickly that his blessing has been given to his deceitful brother. After much bewailing, Esau is offered a lesser blessing. Esau is doomed to serve his brother but promised that eventually he will break free from his servitude. Furious, Esau vows to kill Jacob. Rebekah overhears this as well and sends Jacob off to stay with his uncle Laban in
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