1Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

5When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?”

Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. 7Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

8“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau.

“To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.

9“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”

10But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably. 11Please accept my gift #33:11 Or blessing or treaty of peace that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.

12Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

13But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die. 14Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

15“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said.

But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

16So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir, 17but Jacob went on to Succoth,#33:17 Succoth means booths or shelters or tabernacles; twice in this verse. where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram,#33:18 That is, northwest Mesopotamia he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city. 19And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.#33:19 Hebrew a hundred kesitahs; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known 20There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.#33:20 El-Elohe-Israel means God is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.

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Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau and Settles at Shechem

1And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked. And behold, Esau was coming and four hundred men were with him. And he#That is, Jacob divided the children among Leah and among Rachel, and among the two of his female servants. 2And he put the female slaves and their children first, then Leah and her children next, then Rachel with Joseph last. 3And he himself passed on before them and bowed down to the ground seven times until he came to his brother. 4But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the female servants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed down. 7Then Leah and her children drew near and bowed down, and afterward Joseph and Rachel drew near and they bowed down. 8And he#That is, Esau said, “What do you mean by#Literally “What to you?” all this company that I have met?” Then he said, “To find favor in the eyes of my lord.” 9Then Esau said, “I have enough#Literally “There is to me abundance” my brother; keep what you have.”#Literally “let what is to you be to you” 10And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, you must take my gift from my hand, for then I have seen your face which is like seeing the face of God, and you have received me. 11Please take my gift which has been brought to you, for God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.”#Literally “There is to me abundance” And he urged him, so he took it. 12Then he#That is, Esau said, “Let us journey and go on, and I will go ahead of you.” 13But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and the flocks and the cattle which are nursing are a concern to me. Now if they drove them hard for a day all the flocks would die. 14Let my lord pass on before his servant and I will move along slowly at the pace#Or “foot” of the livestock that are ahead of me, and at the pace#Or “foot” of the children until I come to my lord in Seir.” 15And Esau said, “Let me leave some of my people with you.” But he said, “What need is there?#Literally “What is this?” Let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.” 16So Esau turned that day on his way to Seir. 17But Jacob traveled on to Succoth, and he built for himself a house, and he made shelters for his livestock. Therefore he called the name of the place Succoth. 18And Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, on his way#Literally “at his coming” from Paddan-Aram. And he camped before the city. 19And he bought a piece of land where he pitched his tent for one hundred pieces of money#Hebrew kesitah from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem. 20And there he erected an altar and called it “El Elohe Israel.”#That is, “El the God of Israel”

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Genesis 33

Genesis 33