1Forsooth Jacob raised up his eyes, and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him; and he parted the sons of Leah, and of Rachel, and of both the servantesses.

2And he put ever either handmaid, and the free children of them, in the beginning; soothly he put Leah, and her sons, in the second place; forsooth he put Rachel and Joseph the last.

3And Jacob went before, and worshipped or honoured lowly to the earth seven times, till his brother nighed.

4And so Esau ran against his brother, and embraced him, and Esau held his neck, and kissed him, and wept.

5And when Esau’s eyes were raised up, he saw the women, and the little children of them, and said, What will these mean to themselves? and whether they pertain to thee? Jacob answered, They be the little children, which God hath given to me, thy servant.

6And the handmaids and their sons nighed, and were bowed.

7Also Leah nighed with her free children; and when they had worshipped in like manner, Joseph and Rachel last worshipped.

8And Esau said, What be these companies, which I met? And Jacob answered, That I should find grace before my lord.

9And he said, My brother, I have full many things, thy things be to thee.

10And Jacob said, I beseech thee, do not thou so, but if I have found grace in thine eyes, take thou a little gift of mine hands; for I saw so thy face as if I had seen the cheer of God; be thou merciful to me,

11and receive the blessing which I have brought to thee, and which blessing God giving all things gave to me. Scarcely desiring it, while the brother compelled, he received,

12and said, Go we together, and I shall be a fellow of thy way.

13And Jacob said, My lord, thou knowest that I have little children tender, and sheep, and kine with calves with me, and if I shall make them for to travail more in going, all the flocks shall die in one day;

14my lord go before his servant, and I shall pursue [or follow] little and little his steps, as I see that my little children be able, till I come to my lord, into Seir.

15Esau answered, I pray thee, that of the people which is with me, dwell they namely fellows of thy way. Jacob said, It is no need; I have need to this one thing only, that I find grace in thy sight, my lord.

16And so Esau turned again in that day in the way by which he came, into Seir.

17And Jacob came into Succoth, where when he had builded an house, and had set tents, he called the name of that place Succoth, that is, taber-nacles.

18And Jacob passed into Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, after that he turned again from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he dwelled beside the city.

19And he bought for an hundred lambs a part of the field, in which he set tabernacles, of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

20And when he had raised an altar there, he inwardly called on it the full strong God of Israel.

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B'resheet (Gen) 33

1Ya‘akov raised his eyes and looked out; and there was ‘Esav coming, and four hundred men with him. So Ya‘akov divided the children between Le’ah, Rachel and the two slave-girls, 2putting the slave-girls and their children first, Le’ah and her children second, and Rachel and Yosef last. 3Then he himself passed on ahead of them and prostrated himself on the ground seven times before approaching his brother. 4‘Esav ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him; and they wept. 5Esav looked up; on seeing the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Ya‘akov answered, “The children God has graciously given to your servant.”

(iv) 6Then the slave-girls approached with their children, and they prostrated themselves; 7Le’ah too and her children approached and prostrated themselves; and last came Yosef and Rachel; and they prostrated themselves. 8‘Esav asked, “What was the meaning of this procession of droves I encountered?” and he answered, “It was to win my lord’s favor.” 9‘Esav replied, “I have plenty already; my brother, keep your possessions for yourself.” 10Ya‘akov said, “No, please! If now I have won your favor, then accept my gift. Just seeing your face has been like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me. 11So please accept the gift I have brought you, for God has dealt kindly with me and I have enough.” Thus he urged him, until he accepted it.

12‘Esav said, “Let’s break camp and get going. I’ll go first.” 13Ya‘akov said to him, “My lord knows that the children are small, and the sheep and cattle suckling their young concern me, because if they overdrive them even one day, all the flocks will die. 14Instead, please, let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the cattle ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Se‘ir.” 15‘Esav replied, “Then let me leave with you some of the people I have with me.” But Ya‘akov said, “There’s no need for my lord to be so kind to me.” 16So ‘Esav left that day to return to Se‘ir. 17Ya‘akov went on to Sukkot, where he built himself a house and put up shelters for his cattle. This is why the place is called Sukkot [shelters].

18Having traveled from Paddan-Aram, Ya‘akov arrived safely at the city of Sh’khem, in Kena‘an, and set up camp near the city. 19From the sons of Hamor Sh’khem’s father he bought for one hundred pieces of silver the parcel of land where he had pitched his tent. 20There he put up an altar, which he called El-Elohei-Yisra’el [God, the God of Isra’el].

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Genesis 33

B'resheet (Gen) 33