Genesis 33

¹Genesis 33:1. Now 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.²Genesis 33:2. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.³Genesis 33:3. But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.⁴Genesis 33:4. Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.⁵Genesis 33:5. When 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.”⁶Genesis 33:6. Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.⁷Genesis 33:7. Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

⁸Genesis 33:8. “What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.⁹Genesis 33:9. “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”¹⁰Genesis 33:10. But 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.¹¹Genesis 33:11. Please accept my gift 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.¹²Genesis 33:12. Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”¹³Genesis 33:13. But 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.¹⁴Genesis 33:14. Please 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.”¹⁵Genesis 33:15. “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.”

¹⁶Genesis 33:16. So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,¹⁷Genesis 33:17. but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.¹⁸Genesis 33:18. After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.¹⁹Genesis 33:19. And 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.²⁰Genesis 33:20. There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.