Genesis 33
1 Then Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! Esau, coming in, —and with him, four hundred men. So he divided the children—unto Leah and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids;
Then Jacob, lifting up his eyes, saw Esau arriving, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the sons of Leah and Rachel, and of both the handmaids.
2 and put the handmaids and their children first, —and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph next;
And he placed the two handmaids and their children at the beginning. Truly, Leah and her sons were in the second place. Then Rachel and Joseph were last.
3 but he himself, passed over before them, and bowed himself to the earth seven times, until he had come near unto his brother.
And advancing, he reverenced prostrate on the ground seven times, until his brother approached.
4 Then ran Esau to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, —and they wept.
And so Esau ran to meet his brother, and he embraced him. And drawing him by his neck and kissing him, he wept.
5 Then lifted he up his eyes, and beheld the women and the children, and said What are these to thee? And he said—The children wherewith God hath favoured thy servant,
And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their little ones, and he said: “What do these want for themselves?” and “Are they related to you?” He responded, “These are the little ones that God has given as a gift to me, your servant.”
6 Then came near the handmaids, they—and their children, —and bowed themselves.
Then the handmaids and their sons approached and bowed down.
7 Then came near Leah also with her children, —and they bowed themselves. And afterwards, came near Joseph with Rachel, and they bowed themselves,
Likewise Leah, with her sons, came near. And when they had reverenced similarly, last of all, Joseph and Rachel reverenced.
8 Then said he, What to thee is all this camp, which I have fallen in with? And he said, —To find favour in the eyes of my lord.
And Esau said, “What are these companies that I have been meeting?” He responded, “So may I find favor before my lord.”
9 Then said Esau, I have an abundance, —my brother, be thine what thou hast!
But he said, “I have plenty, my brother; let these be for yourself.”
10 Then said Jacob, Nay, I pray thee, if, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, then thou wilt take my present at my hand, —For on this account, hath my seeing thy face been like seeing the face of God in that thou wast well-pleased with me.
And Jacob said: “I beg you, let it not be so. But if I have found favor in your eyes, receive a small present from my hands. For I have looked upon your face as I would look upon the countenance of God. Be gracious to me,
11 Take, I pray thee my blessing which hath been brought in to thee, because God hath shewed me favour and because I have everything. So he was urgent with him and he took it.
and take the blessing which I have brought to you, and which God, who bestows all things, has given as a gift to me.” Accepting it reluctantly, at the insistence of his brother,
12 Then he said, Let us break up and go, and let me go on before thee.
he said, “Let us go on together, and I will accompany you on your journey.”
13 And he said unto him, My lord, is taking note, that, the children are tender, —and the flocks and the herds are giving suck with me, —and, should I overdrive them a single day, then would all the flocks die.
And Jacob said: “My lord, you know that I have with me tender little ones, and sheep, and cows with young. If I cause these to labor too much in walking, all the flocks will die in one day.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee pass over before his servant, and let, me, lead on in my own easy way, at the pace of the cattle that are before me, and at the pace of the children, until that I come in unto my lord, towards Seir.
May it please my lord to go before his servant. And I will follow gradually in his steps, as much as I see my little ones to be able, until I arrive to my lord in Seir.”
15 Then said Esau: Let me leave, I pray thee, along with thee, some of the people who are with me! And he said—Why so? let me find favour in the eyes of my lord!
Esau responded, “I beg you, that at least some of the people who are with me may remain to accompany you on the way.” But he said, “There is no need. I have need of one thing only: to find favor in your sight, my lord.”
16 So Esau returned, that day, to his journey towards Mount Seir.
And so Esau returned that day, by the way that he had arrived, to Seir.
17 But, Jacob, brake up towards Succoth, and built for himself a house, for his cattle, made he places of shelter, for which cause, the name of the place was called, Succoth.
And Jacob went to Succoth, where, having built a house and pitched tents, he called the name of that place Succoth, that is, ‘Tents.’
18 And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, —when he came in from Padan-aram, —and he encamped before the city.
And he crossed over to Salem, a city of the Shechemites, which is in the land of Canaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria. And he lived near the town.
19 And he bought the portion of the field where he had spread out his tent, at the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, —for a hundred kesitahs.
And he bought the part of the field in which he had pitched his tents from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred lambs.
20 And he set up there an altar, —and called it, El-elohe-Israel.
And erecting an altar there, he invoked upon it the most strong God of Israel.
