< 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:
And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
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.
And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near.
And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.
And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they 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.
And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which Elohim hath graciously given thy servant.
6 Then the handmaids and their children came near, and bowed themselves.
Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 Lia also with her children came near, and bowed down in like manner, and last of all Joseph and Rachel bowed down.
And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favour before my lord.
And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find favour in the sight of my master.
9 But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself.
And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.
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,
And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favour in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of Elohim, and thou wast pleased with me.
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,
Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because Elohim hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
12 And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey.
And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
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.
And he said unto him, My master knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock 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.
Let my master, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my master unto 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.
And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find favour in the sight of my master.
16 So Esau returned, that day, the way that he came, to Seir.
So Esau returned that day on his way unto 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.
And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is 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:
And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-aram; and pitched his tent before 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 he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.
20 And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.
And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.