Genesis 33

¹ Looking up Jacob saw Esau arriving with four hundred men. Accordingly he divided the children between Leah, Rachel and the two slave-girls.

² He put the slave-girls and their children in front, with Leah and her children following, and Rachel and Joseph behind.

³ He himself went ahead of them and bowed to the ground seven times before going up to his brother.

⁴ But Esau ran to meet him, took him in his arms and held him close and wept.

⁵ Then looking up he saw the women and children. ‘Who are these with you?’ he asked. Jacob answered, ‘The children whom God has bestowed on your servant’.

⁶ The slave-girls then came up with their children, and they all bowed low.

⁷ Leah also came up along with her children, and they all bowed low. Finally Rachel and Joseph came up and bowed low.

⁸ Esau asked, ‘What was the meaning of all the company that I have met?’ ‘It is to win my lord’s favour’ he replied.

⁹ ‘Brother, I have plenty,’ Esau answered ‘keep what is yours.’

¹⁰ Jacob protested, ‘Please, if I have found favour with you, accept the gift I offer. To speak truly, I came into your presence as into the presence of God, but you have received me kindly.

¹¹ So accept the gift I have brought for you; since God has been generous to me, I have all I need.’ And he urged him, and Esau accepted.

¹² Esau said, ‘Let us break camp and move off; I will lead you’.

¹³ But Jacob replied, ‘My lord is aware that the children are weak, and that I must consider the sheep and the cows that have calved. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, the whole drove will die.

¹⁴ May it please my lord to go on ahead of his servant. For my part, I will move at a slower pace, to suit the flock I am driving and the children, until I join my lord in Seir.’

¹⁵ Then Esau said, ‘But I must at least leave you some of the people accompanying me’. ‘Why?’ Jacob asked ‘All I desire is to win your favour.’

¹⁶ So that day Esau resumed his journey to Seir.

¹⁷ But Jacob left for Succoth, where he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was given the name of Succoth[*a].

¹⁸ Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem in Canaanite territory, on his return from Paddan-aram.

¹⁹ He encamped opposite the town and for one hundred pieces of silver he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent.

²⁰ Here he erected an altar which he called, ‘El, God of Israel’.