Chapter 33

Chapter 33

1 Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and look! Esau was coming, and with him were 400 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 behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.

3 He himself went on ahead of them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.

5 He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, 'Who are these with you?' Jacob said, 'The children whom The All-Powerful One has graciously bestowed upon your servant.'

6 Then the maidservants approached, they and their children, and they bowed down.

7 Leah also approached with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph and Rachel approached, and they bowed down.

8 He said, 'What do you mean by all this camp which I met?' And he said, 'To find favor in the eyes of my master.'

9 But Esau said, 'I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be your own.'

10 Jacob said, 'No, please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then accept my tribute from my hand, for I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of The All-Powerful One, and you have received me favorably.

11 Please take my gift of abundance that was brought to you, because The All-Powerful One has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything.' And he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, 'Let us travel on, and I will go alongside you.'

13 But Jacob said to him, 'My master knows that the children are delicate, and the flocks and herds that are nursing are with me; if they drive them hard for one day, all the flocks will die.

14 Please, let my master pass on ahead of his servant; and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that is before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my master in Seir.'

15 Esau said, 'Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.' But he said, 'Why is this? Let me find favor in the eyes of my master.'

16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore, the name of the place was called Succoth (Shelters).

18 Then Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, after he came from Paddan-aram; and he camped in full view of the city.

19 He purchased the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of money.

20 There he erected an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel (The All-Powerful One, the All-Powerful One of Israel).