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33 Jacob looked up, and there was Esau coming with four hundred men. Jacob divided the children into groups with Leah and Rachel and with the two maids. He put the maids and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the end. He himself crossed over the stream ahead of the others and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged him around the neck, and kissed him. They both wept. Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”

Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maids came forward with their children, and they bowed low. Leah and her children also came forward and bowed low. After them, Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed low.

Esau said, “What did you mean by this whole camp that I met?”

Jacob said, “To gain favor in the sight of my lord.”

Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what is yours.”

10 Jacob said, “No, if I have now found favor in your sight, then please accept the gift from my hand, because when I saw your face, it was like seeing the face of God, now that you have accepted me. 11 Please accept the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I need.” He urged him, and he accepted it.

12 Esau said, “Let us get going on our journey, and I will lead the way for you.”

13 Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are still young, and that my flocks and herds are nursing their young, and if the herdsmen drive them too hard for even one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord go ahead of his servant, and I will follow slowly, at the right pace for the livestock and the right pace for the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

15 Esau said, “Please let me leave some of my people with you.”

But he said, “Why? Just let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

16 So Esau set out that day on his way back to Seir. 17 Jacob traveled to Succoth, built a house for himself, and made shelters for his livestock. That is why that place is called Succoth.[a]

18 When he returned from Paddan Aram, Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and he camped in front of the city. 19 He bought the piece of land where he pitched his tent from the descendants of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred pieces of silver.[b] 20 He erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.[c]

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 33:17 Succoth means shelters.
  2. Genesis 33:19 Literally qesitahs, an ancient monetary unit of unknown weight and value
  3. Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel means God, the God of Israel or the God of Israel is mighty.

33 And Ya’akov lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, hinei, Esav came, and with him arba me’ot ish (four hundred men). And he divided the yeladim unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two shefachot.

And he put the shefachot and their yeladim rishonah, and Leah and her yeladim acharonim, and Rachel and Yosef acharonim.

And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground sheva pe’amim, until he came near to achiv (his brother).

And Esav ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his tzavar (neck), and kissed him; and they wept.

And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the nashim and the yeladim; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The yeladim which Elohim hath graciously given thy eved.

Then the shefachot came near, they and their yeladim, and they bowed themselves.

And Leah also with her yeladim came near, and bowed themselves; and after came Yosef near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

And he said, What meanest thou by all this machaneh which I met? And he said, These are to find chen (grace) in the eyes of adoni.

And Esav said, I have enough, achi (my brother); keep that thou hast unto thyself.

10 And Ya’akov said, No, now, if I have found chen (grace) in thy sight, then receive my minchah at my yad inasmuch as I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the p’nei Elohim (the face of G-d) vatirtzeini (and thou wast pleased to accept me, thou wast appeased by me).

11 Accept, now, my brocha that is brought to thee; because Elohim hath dealt graciously with me, and because yesh li khol (there is to me all, my needs are met). And he urged him, and he accepted.

12 And he said, Nise’ah (let us take our journey), and let us go, I will go next to thee.

13 And he said unto him, Adoni knoweth that the yeladim are tender and the nursing tzon and bakar are upon me; and if men should overdrive them yom echad, all the tzon will die.

14 Let now adoni, pass over before his eved; and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the drove that goeth before me and the pace the yeladim are able to endure, until I come unto adoni at Seir.

15 And Esav said, Let me now leave with thee some of HaAm that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? Let me find chen in the sight of adoni.

16 So Esav returned that day on his derech unto Seir.

17 And Ya’akov journeyed to Sukkot, and built him a bais, and made sukkot for his mikneh; therefore the shem of the makom is called Sukkot.

18 And Ya’akov came shalem to Ir Shechem, which is in eretz Kena’an, when he came from Padan Aram; and encamped before the Ir.

19 And he bought a chelkat hasadeh (piece of land), where he had pitched there his ohel, from the yad Bnei Chamor Avi Shechem, for a hundred pieces of kesitah (money).

20 And he erected there a Mizbe’ach, and called it El Elohei Yisroel.