Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

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 slave women. ²He put the slaves and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. ³He himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground ^a seven times until he approached his brother.

⁴But Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. Then they wept. ^{b 5}When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you? ”

He answered, “The children God has graciously given your servant.” ^{c 6}Then the slaves and their children approached him and bowed down. ⁷Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

⁸So Esau said, “What do you mean by this whole procession ^d I met? ” ^e

“To find favor with you, my lord,” ^f he answered.

⁹“I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what you have.”

¹⁰But Jacob said, “No, please! If I have found favor with you, take this gift from me. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing God’s face, since you have accepted me. ¹¹Please take my present that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need.” So Jacob urged him until he accepted.

¹²Then Esau said, “Let’s move on, and I’ll go ahead of you.”

¹³Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and I have nursing flocks and herds. If they are driven hard for one day, the whole herd will die. ¹⁴Let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a pace suited to the livestock and the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

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

But he replied, “Why do that? Please indulge me, ^g my lord.” ^h

¹⁶That day Esau started on his way back to Seir, ¹⁷but Jacob went to Succoth. He built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth. ⁱ,^j

¹⁸After Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely ^k at Shechem ^l in the land of Canaan and camped in front of the city. ¹⁹He purchased a section of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. ^m,^{n 20}And he set up an altar there and called it God, the God of Israel. ^o