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The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 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.
2
He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3
But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4
Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
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.”
6
Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
7
Leah 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.”
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.
11
Please accept my gift (a) 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.
12
Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
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.
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.”
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.”
16
So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
17
but Jacob went on to Succoth,(b) where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18
After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram,(c) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.
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.(d)
20
There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.(e)

Footnotes

(a)33:11 Or blessing or treaty of peace
(b)33:17 Succoth means booths or shelters or tabernacles; twice in this verse.
(c)33:18 That is, northwest Mesopotamia
(d)33:19 Hebrew a hundred kesitahs; the value or weight of the kesitah is no longer known
(e)33:20 El-Elohe-Israel means God is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
1
Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants.
2
He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3
He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.
5
He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, “Who are these with you?” He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”
6
Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.
7
Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8
Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
9
Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.”
10
Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me.
11
Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” He urged him, and he took it.
12
Esau said, “Let’s take our journey, and let’s go, and I will go before you.”
13
Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
14
Please let my lord pass over before his servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord to Seir.”
15
Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.” He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16
So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
17
Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.(a)

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18
Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.
19
He bought the parcel of ground where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.
20
He erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.(b)

Footnotes

(a)33:17 succoth means shelters or booths.
(b)33:20 El Elohe Israel means “God, the God of Israel” or “The God of Israel is mighty”.
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