1Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5Then 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.’

6Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. 7Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.

8Esau asked, ‘What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?’

‘To find favour in your eyes, my lord,’ he said.

9But Esau said, ‘I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.’

10‘No, please!’ said Jacob. ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favourably. 11Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.’ And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

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

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

15Esau said, ‘Then let me leave some of my men with you.’

‘But why do that?’ Jacob asked. ‘Just let me find favour in the eyes of my lord.’

16So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.#33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.

18After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,#33:18 That is, North-west Mesopotamia he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19For a hundred pieces of silver,#33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value. he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.#33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.

The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®

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Genesis 33

1And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he distributed the children to Leah, and to Rachel, and to the two maidservants: 2and he put the maidservants and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost. 3And he passed on before them, and bowed to the earth seven times, until he came near to his brother. 4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.

5And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children that God#GodHebrew: Elohim has graciously given thy servant. 6And the maidservants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed. 7And Leah also, with her children, drew near, and they bowed. And lastly Joseph drew near, and Rachel, and they bowed. 8And he said, What meanest thou by all the drove which I met? And he said, To find favour in the eyes of my lord. 9And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; let what thou hast be thine. 10And Jacob said, No, I pray thee; if now I have found favour in thine eyes, then receive my gift from my hand; for therefore have I seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God#GodHebrew: Elohim and thou hast received me with pleasure. 11Take, I pray thee, my blessing which has been brought to thee; because God#GodHebrew: Elohim has been gracious to me, and because I have everything. And he urged him, and he took it. 12And he said, Let us take our journey, and go on, and I will go before thee. 13And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the suckling sheep and kine are with me; and if they should overdrive them only one day, all the flock would die. 14Let my lord, I pray thee, pass on before his servant, and I will drive on at my ease according to the pace of the cattle that is before me, and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord, to Seir. 15And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the people that are with me. And he said, What need? Let me find favour in the eyes of my lord.

16And Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and for his cattle he made booths. Therefore the name of the place was called Succoth. 18And Jacob came safely to the city Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-Aram; and he encamped before the city. 19And he bought the portion of the field where he had spread his tent, of the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs. 20And there he set up an altar, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.

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Genesis 33

Genesis 33