< Genesis 33 >

1 Then Jacob, lifting up his eyes, saw Esau arriving, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the sons of Leah and Rachel, and of both the handmaids.
Now Jacob looked up and saw that Esau approaching, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.
2 And he placed the two handmaids and their children at the beginning. Truly, Leah and her sons were in the second place. Then Rachel and Joseph were last.
He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last.
3 And advancing, he reverenced prostrate on the ground seven times, until his brother approached.
He himself went on ahead of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he approached his brother.
4 And so Esau ran to meet his brother, and he embraced him. And drawing him by his neck and kissing him, he wept.
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. And they wept.
5 And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their little ones, and he said: “What do these want for themselves?” and “Are they related to you?” He responded, “These are the little ones that God has given as a gift to me, your servant.”
And he looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are these with you?" He said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
6 Then the handmaids and their sons approached and bowed down.
Then the female servants came forward with their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 Likewise Leah, with her sons, came near. And when they had reverenced similarly, last of all, Joseph and Rachel reverenced.
Leah also and her children came forward, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And Esau said, “What are these companies that I have been meeting?” He responded, “So may I find favor before my lord.”
Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" Jacob said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
9 But he said, “I have plenty, my brother; let these be for yourself.”
Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself."
10 And Jacob said: “I beg you, let it not be so. But if I have found favor in your eyes, receive a small present from my hands. For I have looked upon your face as I would look upon the countenance of God. Be gracious to me,
Jacob said, "No, please, if I have now found favor in our sight, then accept my present from my hand, because I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, since you have accepted me.
11 and take the blessing which I have brought to you, and which God, who bestows all things, has given as a gift to me.” Accepting it reluctantly, at the insistence of his brother,
Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and because I have enough." Thus he urged him, and he took it.
12 he said, “Let us go on together, and I will accompany you on your journey.”
Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go ahead of you."
13 And Jacob said: “My lord, you know that I have with me tender little ones, and sheep, and cows with young. If I cause these to labor too much in walking, all the flocks will die in one day.
Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the sheep and cattle with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, the whole herd will die.
14 May it please my lord to go before his servant. And I will follow gradually in his steps, as much as I see my little ones to be able, until I arrive to my lord in Seir.”
Please let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will move along slowly, at the pace of the herds that are before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."
15 Esau responded, “I beg you, that at least some of the people who are with me may remain to accompany you on the way.” But he said, “There is no need. I have need of one thing only: to find favor in your sight, my lord.”
Esau said, "Let me now leave with you some of my people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Please indulge me, my lord."
16 And so Esau returned that day, by the way that he had arrived, to Seir.
So Esau returned that day on the road to Seir.
17 And Jacob went to Succoth, where, having built a house and pitched tents, he called the name of that place Succoth, that is, ‘Tents.’
But Jacob traveled to Succoth, and he built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 And he crossed over to Salem, a city of the Shechemites, which is in the land of Canaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria. And he lived near the town.
After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and camped near the city.
19 And he bought the part of the field in which he had pitched his tents from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred lambs.
He purchased the parcel of land where he had pitched his tent, from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs.
20 And erecting an altar there, he invoked upon it the most strong God of Israel.
He erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.

< Genesis 33 >