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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

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.