Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

1 Then Jacob raised his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children *33:1 Or toamong Leah and Rachel, and the two slave women. 2 He put the slave women and their children *33:2 Lit firstin front, and Leah and her children *33:2 Lit behindnext, and Rachel and Joseph *33:2 Lit behindlast. 3 But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 He raised his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "*33:5 Or What relation are these to you?Who are these with you?" So he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." 6 Then the slave women came forward *33:6 Lit they andwith their children, and they bowed down. 7 And Leah likewise came forward with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8 And he said, "What do you mean by all this company which I have met?" And he said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord." 9 But Esau said, "I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own." 10 Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then accept my gift from my hand, *33:10 Lit for therefore I have seen your face like seeing God’s facefor I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept my *33:11 Lit blessinggift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have *33:11 Lit allplenty." So he urged him, and he accepted it.

12 Then *33:12 Lit heEsau said, "Let’s journey on and go, and I will go ahead of you." 13 But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds that are nursing are *33:13 Lit upon mea matter of concern to me. And if they are driven hard just one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, at the pace of the cattle that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir."

15 Then Esau said, "Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "*33:15 Lit Why this?What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord." 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to *33:17 I.e., boothsSuccoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18 Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 19 He bought the plot of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred *33:19 Heb qesitahpieces of money. 20 Then he erected there an altar and called it *33:20 I.e., God, the God of IsraelEl-Elohe-Israel.