Genesis 33
1 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.
Then Jacob, lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming with his four hundred men. So he made a division of the children between Leah and Rachel and the two women-servants.
2 He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph at the back.
3 But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
And he himself, going before them, went down on his face to the earth seven times till he came near his brother.
4 Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
Then Esau came running up to him, and folding him in his arms, gave him a kiss: and the two of them were overcome with weeping.
5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
Then Esau, lifting up his eyes, saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with you? And he said, The children whom God in his mercy has given to your servant.
6 Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
Then the servants and their children came near, and went down on their faces.
7 Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
And Leah came near with her children, and then Joseph and Rachel, and they did the same.
8 “What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.
And he said, What were all those herds which I saw on the way? And Jacob said, They were an offering so that I might have grace in my lord's eyes.
9 “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
But Esau said, I have enough; keep what is yours, my brother, for yourself.
10 But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
And Jacob said, Not so; but if I have grace in your eyes, take them as a sign of my love, for I have seen your face as one may see the face of God, and you have been pleased with me.
11 Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
Take my offering then, with my blessing; for God has been very good to me and I have enough: so at his strong request, he took it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
And he said, Let us go on our journey together, and I will go in front.
13 But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.
But Jacob said, My lord may see that the children are only small, and there are young ones in my flocks and herds: one day's over-driving will be the destruction of all the flock.
14 Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
Do you, my lord, go on before your servant; I will come on slowly, at the rate at which the cattle and the children are able to go, till I come to my lord at Seir.
15 “Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
And Esau said, Then keep some of my men with you. And he said, What need is there for that, if my lord is pleased with me?
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
So Esau, turning back that day, went on his way to Seir.
17 but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.
And Jacob went on to Succoth, where he made a house for himself and put up tents for his cattle: for this reason the place was named Succoth.
18 After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.
So Jacob came safely from Paddan-aram to the town of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and put up his tents near the town.
19 And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
And for a hundred bits of money he got from the children of Hamor, the builder of Shechem, the field in which he had put up his tents.
20 There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
And there he put up an altar, naming it El, the God of Israel.
