Genesis 33
1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and saw, and behold! Esau his brother coming, and four hundred men with him; and Jacob divided the children to Lea and to Rachel, and the two handmaidens.
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.
2 And he put the two handmaidens and their children with the first, and Lea and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.
He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3 But he advanced himself before them, and did reverence to the ground seven times, until he drew near to his brother.
But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 And Esau ran on to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they both wept.
Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
5 And Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, What are these to you? And he said, The children with which God has mercifully blessed your servant.
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.”
6 And the maidservants and their children drew near and did reverence.
Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
7 And Lea and her children drew near and did reverence; and after this drew near Rachel and Joseph, and did reverence.
Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
8 And he said, What are these things to you, all these companies that I have met? And he said, That your servant might find grace in your sight, my lord.
“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.
9 And Esau said, I have much, my brother; keep your own.
“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
10 And Jacob said, If I have found grace in your sight, receive the gifts through my hands; therefore have I seen your face, as if any one should see the face of God, and you shall be well-pleased with me.
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.
11 Receive my blessings, which I have brought you, because God has had mercy on me, and I have all things; and he constrained him, and he took [them].
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.
12 And he said, Let us depart, and proceed right onward.
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
13 And he said to him, My lord knows, that the children are very tender, and the flocks and the herds with me are with young; if then I shall drive them hard one day, all the cattle will die.
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.
14 Let my lord go on before his servant, and I shall have strength on the road according to the ease of the journey before me, and according to the strength of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.
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.”
15 And Esau said, I will leave with you some of the people who are with me. And he said, Why so? it is enough that I have found favour before you, [my] lord.
“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.”
16 And Esau returned on that day on his journey to Seir.
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
17 And Jacob departs to his tents; and he made for himself there habitations, and for his cattle he made booths; therefore he called the name of that place, Booths.
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.
18 And Jacob came to Salem, a city of Secima, which is in the land of Chanaan, when he departed out of Mesopotamia of Syria, and took up a position in front of the city.
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.
19 And he bought the portion of the field, where he pitched his tent, of Emmor the father of Sychem, for a hundred lambs.
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.
20 And he set up there an altar, and called on the God of Israel.
There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
