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 to the two handmaids. 2 He put the handmaids 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 handmaids 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 us take our journey, and let us 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
cattle 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 folk 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 cattle. Therefore
the name of the place is called Succoth.*1
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.*2
1 succoth means shelters or
booths.
2 El
Elohe Israel means “God, the God of Israel” or “The God of Israel is
mighty.”
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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