1 Jacob Meets Esau Then Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children 33:1Or to among Leah and Rachel and the two servant-women.
2 And he put the servant-women and their children first, and Leah and her children afterthem, and Rachel and Joseph afterthem.
3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, “ 33:5Or What relation are these to you? Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
6 Then the servant-women came near 33:6Lit they and with their children, and they bowed down.
7 Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down.
8 And he said, “What do you mean by all 33:8Lit this camp these camps which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
9 But Esau said, “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, 33:10Lit for therefore I have seen your face like seeing God’s face for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.
11 Please take my blessing which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have 33:11Lit all everything.” Thus he urged him, and he tookit.
12 Then 33:12Lit he 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 33:13Lit upon me 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 Seir.”
15 Then Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Whydothis? 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 33:17 Lit booths 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 Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city.
19 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 33:19Ancient currency, cf. Josh 24:32;Job 42:11 qesitah.
20 Then he set up there an altar and called it 33:20God, the God of Israel El-Elohe-Israel.