1Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming. With him were 400 men. So Jacob divided his children among Leah, Rachel and the two slave girls. 2Jacob put the slave girls with their children first. Then he put Leah and her children behind them. And he put Rachel and Joseph last. 3Jacob himself went out in front of them. He bowed down flat on the ground seven times as he was walking toward his brother.

4But Esau ran to meet Jacob. Esau put his arms around him and hugged him. Then Esau kissed him, and they both cried. 5Esau looked up and saw the women and children. He asked, “Who are these people with you?”

Jacob answered, “These are the children God has given me. God has been good to me, your servant.”

6Then the two slave girls and their children came up to Esau. They bowed down flat on the earth before him. 7Then Leah and her children came up to Esau. They also bowed down flat on the earth. Last of all, Joseph and Rachel came up to Esau. And they, too, bowed down flat before him.

8Esau said, “I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them?”

Jacob answered, “They were to please you, my master.”

9But Esau said, “I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have.”

10Jacob said, “No! Please! If I have pleased you, then please accept the gift I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God because you have accepted me. 11So I beg you to accept the gift I give you. God has been very good to me. And I have more than I need.” And because Jacob begged, Esau accepted the gift.

12Then Esau said, “Let us get going. I will travel with you.”

13But Jacob said to him, “My master, you know that the children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young ones. If I force them to go too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14So, my master, you go on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly. I will let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my master, in Edom.”

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

“No, thank you,” said Jacob. “I only want to please you, my master.” 16So that day Esau started back to Edom. 17But Jacob went to Succoth. There he built a house for himself. And he made shelters for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth.# This name means “shelters.”

18Jacob left Northwest Mesopotamia. And he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. He camped east of the city. 19He bought a part of the field where he had camped. He bought it from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for 100 pieces of silver. 20He built an altar there and named it after God, the God of Israel.

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Genesis 33

1And as Iaakob lift vp his eyes, and looked, behold, Esau came, and with him foure hundreth men: and he deuided the children to Leah, and to Rahel, and to the two maides. 2And he put the maides, and their children formost, and Leah, and her children after, and Rahel, and Ioseph hindermost. 3So he went before them and bowed him selfe to the ground seuen times, vntill he came neere to his brother. 4Then Esau ranne to meete him, and embraced him, and fell on his necke, and kissed him, and they wept. 5And he lift vp his eyes, and sawe the women, and the children, and saide, Who are these with thee? And he answered, They are ye childre whome God of his grace hath giuen thy seruant. 6Then came the maides neere, they, and their children, and bowed themselues. 7Leah also with her children came neere and made obeysance: and after Ioseph and Rahel drew neere, and did reuerence. 8Then he said, What meanest thou by all this droue, which I met? Who answered, I haue sent it, that I may finde fauour in the sight of my lorde: 9And Esau said, I haue ynough, my brother: keepe that thou hast to thy selfe. 10But Iaakob answered, Nay, I pray thee: if I haue found grace nowe in thy sight, then receiue my present at mine hande: for I haue seene thy face, as though I had seene the face of God, because thou hast accepted me. 11I pray thee take my blessing, that is brought thee: for God hath had mercie on me, and therefore I haue all things: so he compelled him, and he tooke it. 12And he saide, Let vs take our iourney and go, and I will goe before thee. 13Then he answered him, My lord knoweth, that the children are tender, and the ewes and kine with yong vnder mine hande: and if they should ouerdriue them one day, all the flocke would die. 14Let now my lord go before his seruant, and I will driue softly, according to ye pase of ye cattel, which is before me, and as the children be able to endure, vntill I come to my lord vnto Seir. 15Then Esau said, I will leaue then some of my folke with thee. And he answered, what needeth this? let me finde grace in the sight of my lorde. 16So Esau returned, and went his way that same day vnto Seir. 17And Iaakob went forwarde towarde Succoth, and built him an house, and made boothes for his cattell: therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. 18Afterward, Iaakob came safe to Sheche a citie, which is in the lande of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram, and pitched before the citie. 19And there he bought a parcell of ground, where hee pitched his tent, at the hande of the sonnes of Hamor Shechems father, for an hundreth pieces of money. 20And he set vp there an altar, and called it, The mightie God of Israel.

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Genesis 33

Genesis 33