Genesis 33
1 Now Jacob looked up and saw that Esau approaching, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.
[Then Jacob joined the rest of his family]. [Later that day] Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and there were 400 men with him. [Jacob was worried because of that], so he separated the children. He put Leah’s children with Leah, Rachel’s children with Rachel, and the two female slaves’ children with their mothers.
2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph last.
He put the two female slaves and their children in front. He put Leah and her children next. He put Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3 He himself went on ahead of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he approached his brother.
He himself went ahead of them all, and as he continued to approach his older brother, he prostrated himself with his face on the ground seven times.
4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. And they wept.
But Esau ran to Jacob. He hugged him, put his arms around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek. And they both cried.
5 And he looked up and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are these with you?" He said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Then Esau looked up and saw the women and the children. He asked, “Who are these people who are with you?” Jacob replied, “These are the wives and children that God has graciously/kindly given to me.”
6 Then the female servants came forward with their children, and they bowed themselves.
Then the female slaves and their children came near and bowed in front of Esau.
7 Leah also and her children came forward, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Then Leah and her children came and bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came near and bowed down.
8 Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" Jacob said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
Esau asked, “What is the meaning of all the animals that I saw?” Jacob replied, “I am giving them to you, sir, so that you will feel good toward me.”
9 Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself."
But Esau replied, “My [younger] brother, I have enough animals! Keep for yourself the animals that you have!”
10 Jacob said, "No, please, if I have now found favor in our sight, then accept my present from my hand, because I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, since you have accepted me.
But Jacob said, “No, please, if you feel good toward me, accept these gifts from me. You have greeted me very kindly. Seeing your smiling face assures me [that you have forgiven me]. It is like seeing the face of God!
11 Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and because I have enough." Thus he urged him, and he took it.
Please accept these gifts that I have brought to you, because God has acted kindly toward me, and I still have plenty of animals!” Jacob kept on urging him to accept the animals, and finally he accepted them.
12 Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go ahead of you."
Then Esau said, “Let’s continue traveling together, and I will show the road to you.”
13 Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the sheep and cattle with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, the whole herd will die.
Jacob [had no intention to go with Esau], but he said, “You know, sir, that the children are weak, and that I must take care of the female sheep and cows that are (sucking their mother’s milk/nursing their young). If I force them to walk fast for a long distance in just one day, the animals will all die.
14 Please let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will move along slowly, at the pace of the herds that are before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."
You go ahead of me. I will lead the animals slowly, but I will walk as fast as the children and animals can walk. I will catch up with you in Seir, [in the land where the descendants of Edom live].”
15 Esau said, "Let me now leave with you some of my people who are with me." But he said, "What need is there? Please indulge me, my lord."
Esau said, “Then allow me to leave with you some of the men who came with me, [to protect you].” But Jacob replied, “(Why do that?/There is no need to do that!) [RHQ] The only thing that I want is for you to act friendly toward me.”
16 So Esau returned that day on the road to Seir.
So on that day Esau left to return to Seir.
17 But Jacob traveled to Succoth, and he built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
But [instead of going to Seir], Jacob and his family went to [a place called] Succoth. There he built a house for himself and his family, and built shelters for his livestock. That is the reason they named the place Succoth, [which means ‘shelters’].
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and camped near the city.
[Some time later, ] Jacob and his family left Paddan-Aram [in Mesopotamia], and they traveled safely to the Canaan region. There they set up their tents in a field near Shechem city.
19 He purchased the parcel of land where he had pitched his tent, from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs.
One of the leaders of the people in that area was named Hamor. Hamor had several sons. Jacob paid the sons of Hamor 100 pieces of silver for the piece of ground on which they set up their tents.
20 He erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.
He built a stone altar there, and named it El-Elohe Israel, [which means ‘God, the God of Israel].’
