Berĕshith (Genesis) 33
33
1And Ya‛aqoḇ lifted his eyes and looked and saw Ěsaw coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children among Lĕ’ah, and Raḥĕl, and the two female servants.
2And he put the female servants and their children in front, and Lĕ’ah and her children behind, and Raḥĕl and Yosĕph last.
3And he himself passed over before them and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4And Ěsaw ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.
5And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children with whom Elohim has favoured your servant.”
6Then the female servants came near, they and their children, and bowed themselves.
7And Lĕ’ah also came near with her children, and they bowed themselves. And Yosĕph and Raḥĕl came near, and they bowed themselves.
8Then Ěsaw said, “What do you mean by all this company which I met?” And he said, “To find favour in the eyes of my master.”
9But Ěsaw said, “I have enough, my brother, let what you have remain yours.”
10And Ya‛aqoḇ said, “No, please, if I have now found favour in your eyes, then receive my present from my hand, because I have seen your face like seeing the face of Elohim, and you were pleased with me.
11Please, take my blessing that is brought to you, because Elohim has favoured me, and because I have all I need.” And he urged him, and he took it.
12And he said, “Let us depart and go, and let me go before you.”
13But he said to him, “My master knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flocks shall die.
14Please let my master go before his servant, and let me lead on slowly according to the pace of the livestock that go before me, and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my master in Sĕ‛ir.
15And Ěsaw said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why this? Let me find favour in the eyes of my master.”
16And Ěsaw returned that day on his way to Sĕ‛ir.
17And Ya‛aqoḇ set out to Sukkoth, and built himself a house, and made booths for his livestock. That is why the name of the place is called Sukkoth.
18And Ya‛aqoḇ came safely to the city of Sheḵem, which is in the land of Kena‛an, when he came from Paddan Aram. And he pitched his tent before the city.
19And he bought the portion of the field where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Ḥamor, Sheḵem’s father, for one hundred qesitah.#A monetary unit of uncertain value, perhaps in the form of a lamb.
20And he set up a slaughter-place there and called it Ěl Elohĕ Yisra’ĕl.
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Genesis 33
33
Jacob Meets Esau
1Jacob looked and saw Esau coming with 400 men. Jacob divided his family into four groups. Leah and her children were in one group, Rachel and Joseph were in one group, and the two maids and their children were in two groups. 2Jacob put the maids with their children first. Then he put Leah and her children behind them, and he put Rachel and Joseph in the last place.
3Jacob himself went out before them. While he was walking toward his brother Esau, he bowed down to the ground seven times.
4When Esau saw Jacob, he ran to meet him. He put his arms around Jacob, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both cried. 5Esau looked up and saw the women and children. He said, “Who are all these people with you?”
Jacob answered, “These are the children that God gave me. God has been good to me.”
6Then the two maids and the children with them went to Esau. They bowed down before him. 7Then Leah and the children with her went to Esau and bowed down. And then Rachel and Joseph went to him and bowed down.
8Esau said, “Who were all those people I saw while I was coming here? And what were all those animals for?”
Jacob answered, “These are my gifts to you so that you might accept me.”
9But Esau said, “You don’t have to give me gifts, brother. I have enough for myself.”
10Jacob said, “No, I beg you! If you really accept me, please accept the gifts I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God. I am very happy to see that you accept me. 11So I beg you to also accept the gifts I give you. God has been very good to me. I have more than I need.” Because Jacob begged Esau to take the gifts, he accepted them.
12Then Esau said, “Now you can continue your journey. I will go with you.”
13But Jacob said to him, “You know that my children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young animals. If I force them to walk too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14So you go on ahead. I will follow you slowly. I will go slowly enough for the cattle and other animals to be safe and so that my children will not get too tired. I will meet you in Seir.”
15So Esau said, “Then I will leave some of my men to help you.”
But Jacob said, “That is very kind of you, but there is no need to do that.” 16So that day Esau started on his trip back to Seir. 17But Jacob went to Succoth.#33:17 Succoth A town east of the Jordan River. This name means “temporary shelters.” There he built a house for himself and small barns for his cattle. That is why the place was named Succoth.
18Jacob safely ended his trip from Paddan Aram when he came to the town of Shechem in Canaan. He made his camp in a field near the city. 19He bought the field where he camped from the family of Hamor, father of Shechem. He paid 100 pieces of silver for it. 20He built an altar there to honor God. He named the place “El,#33:20 El A Hebrew name for God. the God of Israel.”
© 1987, 2004 Bible League International