Genesis 33
1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. And he divided the children to Leah, and to Rachel, and to the two handmaids.
Jacob saw Esau in the distance, coming towards him with four hundred men. So he split up the children between Leah, Rachel and the two personal maids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost.
He placed the two personal maids with their children first, then Leah and her children, and Rachel and Joseph last.
3 And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
Then Jacob went ahead of them and bowed low to the ground seven times before approaching his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him, and they wept.
Esau ran over to him and hugged him. He put his arms around his neck and kissed him. The two of them wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children whom God has graciously given thy servant.
Then Esau looked around at the women and children. “Who are these people with you?” he asked. “They are the children God graciously gave your servant,” Jacob replied.
6 Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
The personal maids and their children came over and bowed down.
7 And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. And afterward Joseph came near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Then Leah and her children came over and bowed down. Lastly Joseph and Rachel came over and bowed down.
8 And he said, What do thou mean by all this company which I met? And he said, To find favor in the sight of my lord.
“What were all the livestock for that I met on the way?” Esau asked. “They're a gift to you my lord so you'd treat me well,” Jacob answered.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother, let that which thou have be thine.
“I have more than enough, my brother! You keep what you have,” said Esau.
10 And Jacob said, No, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand, inasmuch as I have seen thy face, as any man would see the face of God, and thou were pleased with me.
“No, please!” Jacob insisted. “If you're happy with me, then please accept the gift I'm giving you. Now I've seen your face again it's like seeing the face of God, and you have welcomed me so kindly!
11 Take, I pray thee, my gift that is brought to thee, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
Please take the gift I've brought to you because God has treated me so well and I have so much.” So Esau accepted it.
12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
“Let's get on our way,” Esau said. “I'll go ahead of you.”
13 And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
“My lord can see that the children are weak,” Jacob responded. “Also, the goats, sheep, and cattle are nursing their young, and if I push them too hard, they'll all die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.
You go on, my lord, and your servant will come along slowly, walking with the children, and I'll meet you at Seir.”
15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folks that are with me. And he said, What need is it? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.
“Fine, but let me leave some of my men with you,” said Esau. “You're very kind, but there's no need to do that,” Jacob replied.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
So Esau started on his way back to Seir that day.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for him a house, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
But Jacob headed to Succoth, where he built himself a house and shelters for the livestock. That's why the place is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and encamped before the city.
Later Jacob continued his journey from Paddan-aram. He arrived safely at Shechem in the country of Canaan where he camped outside the town.
19 And he bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred lambs.
He bought the plot of ground where he was camping from the sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem, for 100 pieces of money.
20 And he erected an altar there, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
He built an altar there and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
