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Jacob Meets Esau

33 Then Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, (A)Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children [a]among Leah and Rachel and the two servant-women. And he put the servant-women and their children first, and Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph after them. But he himself passed on ahead of them and (B)bowed down to the ground seven times, until he (C)came near to his brother.

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and (D)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, “[b]Who are these with you?” And he said, “(E)The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the servant-women came near [c]with their children, and they bowed down. Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. And he said, “What do you mean by (F)all [d]these camps which I have met?” And he said, “(G)To find favor in the sight of my lord.” But Esau said, “(H)I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, [e]for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11 Please take my (I)blessing which has been brought to you, (J)because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have [f]everything.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then [g]Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13 But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are [h]a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at (K)Seir.”

15 Then Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why do this? (L)Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to [i](M)Succoth and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

Jacob Camps in Shechem

18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of (N)Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from (O)Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19 (P)Then he bought a portion of a field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred [j]qesitah. 20 Then he set up there an altar and called it [k]El-Elohe-Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 33:1 Or to
  2. Genesis 33:5 Or What relation are these to you?
  3. Genesis 33:6 Lit they and
  4. Genesis 33:8 Lit this camp
  5. Genesis 33:10 Lit for therefore I have seen your face like seeing God’s face
  6. Genesis 33:11 Lit all
  7. Genesis 33:12 Lit he
  8. Genesis 33:13 Lit upon me
  9. Genesis 33:17 Lit booths
  10. Genesis 33:19 Ancient currency, cf. Josh 24:32; Job 42:11
  11. Genesis 33:20 God, the God of Israel

33 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, 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 himself 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 these with thee? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also and 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 company which I met? And he said, To find favor in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; let that which thou hast be thine. 10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; [a]forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. 11 Take, I pray thee, my [b]gift that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have [c]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 that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, 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 favor 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 a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called [d]Succoth.

18 And Jacob came [e]in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred [f]pieces of money. 20 And he erected there an altar, and called it [g]El-Elohe-Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 33:10 Or, for therefore have I seen
  2. Genesis 33:11 Hebrew blessing.
  3. Genesis 33:11 Hebrew all.
  4. Genesis 33:17 That is, Booths.
  5. Genesis 33:18 Or, to Shalem, a city
  6. Genesis 33:19 Hebrew kesitah.
  7. Genesis 33:20 That is, God, the God of Israel.