Genesis 33
1 [Then Jacob joined the rest of his family]. [Later that day] Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and there were 400 men with him. [Jacob was worried because of that], so he separated the children. He put Leah’s children with Leah, Rachel’s children with Rachel, and the two female slaves’ children with their mothers.
Jacob looked up and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. Jacob divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants.
2 He put the two female slaves and their children in front. He put Leah and her children next. He put Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
Then he put the female servants and their children in front, followed by Leah and her children, and followed by Rachel and Joseph last of all.
3 He himself went ahead of them all, and as he continued to approach his older brother, he prostrated himself with his face on the ground seven times.
He himself went on ahead of them. He bowed toward the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to Jacob. He hugged him, put his arms around his neck, and kissed him on the cheek. And they both cried.
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they wept.
5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and the children. He asked, “Who are these people who are with you?” Jacob replied, “These are the wives and children that God has graciously/kindly given to me.”
When Esau looked up, he saw the women and the children. He said, “Who are these people with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
6 Then the female slaves and their children came near and bowed in front of Esau.
Then the female servants came forward with their children, and they bowed down.
7 Then Leah and her children came and bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came near and bowed down.
Next Leah also and her children came forward and bowed down. Finally Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What is the meaning of all the animals that I saw?” Jacob replied, “I am giving them to you, sir, so that you will feel good toward me.”
Esau said, “What do you mean by all these groups that I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my master.”
9 But Esau replied, “My [younger] brother, I have enough animals! Keep for yourself the animals that you have!”
Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 But Jacob said, “No, please, if you feel good toward me, accept these gifts from me. You have greeted me very kindly. Seeing your smiling face assures me [that you have forgiven me]. It is like seeing the face of God!
Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then accept my gift from my hand, for indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me.
11 Please accept these gifts that I have brought to you, because God has acted kindly toward me, and I still have plenty of animals!” Jacob kept on urging him to accept the animals, and finally he accepted them.
Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus Jacob urged him, and Esau accepted it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let’s continue traveling together, and I will show the road to you.”
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way. I will go before you.”
13 Jacob [had no intention to go with Esau], but he said, “You know, sir, that the children are weak, and that I must take care of the female sheep and cows that are (sucking their mother’s milk/nursing their young). If I force them to walk fast for a long distance in just one day, the animals will all die.
Jacob said to him, “My master knows that the children are young, and that the sheep and the cattle are nursing their young. If they are driven hard even one day, all the animals will die.
14 You go ahead of me. I will lead the animals slowly, but I will walk as fast as the children and animals can walk. I will catch up with you in Seir, [in the land where the descendants of Edom live].”
Please let my master go on ahead of his servant. I will travel more slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are before me, and at the pace of the children, until I come to my master in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Then allow me to leave with you some of the men who came with me, [to protect you].” But Jacob replied, “(Why do that?/There is no need to do that!) [RHQ] The only thing that I want is for you to act friendly toward me.”
Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of my men who are with me.” But Jacob said, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16 So on that day Esau left to return to Seir.
So Esau that day started on his way back to Seir.
17 But [instead of going to Seir], Jacob and his family went to [a place called] Succoth. There he built a house for himself and his family, and built shelters for his livestock. That is the reason they named the place Succoth, [which means ‘shelters’].
Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 [Some time later, ] Jacob and his family left Paddan-Aram [in Mesopotamia], and they traveled safely to the Canaan region. There they set up their tents in a field near Shechem city.
When Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan. He camped near the city.
19 One of the leaders of the people in that area was named Hamor. Hamor had several sons. Jacob paid the sons of Hamor 100 pieces of silver for the piece of ground on which they set up their tents.
Then he bought the piece of ground where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
20 He built a stone altar there, and named it El-Elohe Israel, [which means ‘God, the God of Israel].’
There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.
