Genesis 33
1 And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia, and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids:
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 both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: 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 And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near.
But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.
Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
5 And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me thy 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 Then the handmaids and their children came near, and bowed themselves.
Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
7 Lia also with her children came near, and bowed down in like manner, and last of all Joseph and Rachel bowed down.
Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
8 And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before 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 But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself.
“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
10 And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favour in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to 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 And take the blessing, which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother’s earnest pressing him,
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 said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
13 And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks 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 May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in 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 Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favour, my lord, in thy sight.
“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 So Esau returned, that day, the way that he came, to Seir.
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
17 And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents.
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 he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town:
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 that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem 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 raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.
There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
