Jakob möter Esau

33 Jakob lyfte blicken och fick se Esau komma med fyrahundra man. Då fördelade han sina barn på Lea och Rakel och de båda slavinnorna. Han lät slavinnorna med deras barn gå främst, Lea med hennes barn efter dem och Rakel med Josef sist. Själv gick han framför dem och bugade sig sju gånger[a] ner till jorden innan han kom fram till sin bror. Men Esau sprang emot honom och tog honom i famn, föll honom om halsen och kysste honom. Och de grät.

(A) När Esau fick se kvinnorna och barnen sade han: ”Vilka är de här som du har med dig?” Han svarade: ”Det är barnen som Gud har gett din tjänare.” Då kom slavinnorna fram med sina barn och bugade sig. Efter dem kom Lea fram med sina barn och bugade sig. Till sist kom Josef och Rakel fram och bugade sig.

Esau frågade: ”Vad menade du med hela den skaran som jag mötte?” Han svarade: ”Jag ville finna nåd för min herres ögon.” Men Esau sade: ”Jag har nog. Behåll det du har, min bror.” 10 ”Nej, jag ber dig”, svarade Jakob ”om jag har funnit nåd för dina ögon så ta emot gåvan av mig, eftersom jag har fått se ditt ansikte. Det är som om jag såg Guds eget ansikte när du tar emot mig så vänligt. 11 Ta emot gåvan som skickades till dig, för Gud har varit nådig mot mig och jag har allt.” Och han bad honom så enträget att Esau tog emot den.

12 Och Esau sade: ”Nu bryter vi upp och drar vidare. Jag går framför dig.” 13 Men Jakob svarade honom: ”Min herre ser själv att barnen är små och att jag har får och kor med mig som ger di. Om man driver dem för hårt en enda dag så dör hela hjorden. 14 Därför ber jag min herre att gå före sin tjänare, så kommer jag efter i den takt som boskapen framför mig klarar av och som barnen orkar med, tills jag kommer till min herre i Seir.” 15 Då sade Esau: ”Låt mig lämna kvar en del av mitt folk hos dig.” Men Jakob svarade: ”Varför det? Låt mig bara finna nåd för min herres ögon.”

16 Samma dag vände Esau tillbaka och tog vägen till Seir. 17 Men Jakob begav sig till Suckot[b] och byggde sig där ett hus. Åt sin boskap gjorde han hyddor, och därför fick platsen namnet Suckot.

18 Och Jakob kom på sin färd från Paddan-Aram välbehållen till staden Shekem[c] i Kanaans land och slog läger utanför staden. 19 (B) Den mark där han slog upp sitt tält köpte han för hundra kesitor[d] av sönerna till Hamor, Shekems far. 20 Och han byggde där ett altare och kallade det El-Elohe-Israel[e].

Footnotes

  1. 33:3 bugade sig sju gånger   En extraordinär ödmjukhet, t ex inför farao i Amarnabreven från 1300-talet f Kr.
  2. 33:17 Suckot   Betyder ”hyddor”, en ort där floden Jabbok möter Jordan (jfr Dom 8:5f).
  3. 33:18 Shekem   Abrahams första lägerplats i Kanaan (12:6), drygt 3 mil väster om Suckot.
  4. 33:19 kesitor   En okänd, urgammal värdeenhet. Septuaginta: ”lamm”.
  5. 33:20 El-Elohe-Israel   Betyder ”Israels Gud är Gud”.

33 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.

And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

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 God hath graciously given thy servant.

Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.

And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace 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 God, and thou wast pleased with me.

11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

13 And he said unto him, My lord 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 Let my lord, 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 lord unto Seir.

15 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 grace in the sight of my lord.

16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

17 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 Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

19 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 he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;(A) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.(B) He put the female servants and their children(C) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph(D) in the rear. He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground(E) seven times(F) as he approached his brother.

But Esau(G) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.(H) And they wept.(I) Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.(J)

Then the female servants and their children(K) approached and bowed down.(L) Next, Leah and her children(M) came and bowed down.(N) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,(O) and they too bowed down.

Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”(P)

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”(Q) he said.

But Esau said, “I already have plenty,(R) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,(S) accept this gift(T) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,(U) now that you have received me favorably.(V) 11 Please accept the present(W) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me(X) and I have all I need.”(Y) And because Jacob insisted,(Z) Esau accepted it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord(AA) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.(AB) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds(AC) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.(AD)

15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”(AE)

16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.(AF) 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,(AG) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[a]

18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[b](AH) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem(AI) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor,(AJ) the father of Shechem,(AK) the plot of ground(AL) where he pitched his tent.(AM) 20 There he set up an altar(AN) and called it El Elohe Israel.[d]

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.
  2. Genesis 33:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  3. Genesis 33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.
  4. Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.