1 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his 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 in the rear. |
3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother. |
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. |
5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." |
6 Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. |
7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down. |
8 Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?" "To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said. |
9 But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself." |
10 "No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. |
11 Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it. |
12 Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you." |
13 But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. |
14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." |
15 Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." "But why do that?" Jacob asked. "Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord." |
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. |
17 Jacob, however, went to Succoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth. |
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. |
19 For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. |
20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel. |