Genesis 33
33
1And Jacob lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, Esau is coming, and with him four hundred men; and he divideth the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two maidservants;
2and he setteth the maid-servants and their children first, and Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last.
3And he himself passed over before them, and boweth himself to the earth seven times, until his drawing nigh unto his brother,
4and Esau runneth to meet him, and embraceth him, and falleth on his neck, and kisseth him, and they weep;
5and he lifteth up his eyes, and seeth the women and the children, and saith, ‘What [are] these to thee?’ And he saith, ‘The children with whom God hath favoured thy servant.’
6And the maid-servants draw nigh, they and their children, and bow themselves;
7and Leah also draweth nigh, and her children, and they bow themselves; and afterwards Joseph hath drawn nigh with Rachel, and they bow themselves.
8And he saith, ‘What to thee [is] all this camp which I have met?’ and he saith, ‘To find grace in the eyes of my lord.’
9And Esau saith, ‘I have abundance, my brother, let it be to thyself that which thou hast.’
10And Jacob saith, ‘Nay, I pray thee, if, I pray thee, I have found grace in thine eyes, then thou hast received my present from my hand, because that I have seen thy face, as the seeing of the face of God, and thou art pleased with me;
11receive, I pray thee, my blessing, which is brought to thee, because God hath favoured me, and because I have all [things];’ and he presseth on him, and he receiveth,
12and saith, ‘Let us journey and go on, and I go on before thee.’
13And he saith unto him, ‘My lord knoweth that the children [are] tender, and the suckling flock and the herd [are] with me; when they have beaten them one day, then hath all the flock died.
14Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant, and I — I lead on gently, according to the foot of the work which [is] before me, and to the foot of the children, until that I come unto my lord, to Seir.’
15And Esau saith, ‘Let me, I pray thee, place with thee some of the people who [are] with me;’ and he said, ‘Why [is] this? I find grace in the eyes of my lord.’
16And turn back on that day doth Esau on his way to Seir;
17and Jacob hath journeyed to Succoth, and buildeth to himself a house, and for his cattle hath made booths, therefore hath he called the name of the place Succoth.
18And Jacob cometh in to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which [is] in the land of Canaan, in his coming from Padan-Aram, and encampeth before the city,
19and he buyeth the portion of the field where he hath stretched out his tent, from the hand of the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for a hundred kesitah;
20and he setteth up there an altar, and proclaimeth at it God — the God of Israel.
maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Genesis 33
33
Jacob and Esau Meet
1Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.
4But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; 7Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. 8Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor with my lord.” 9But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10Jacob said, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God—since you have received me with such favor. 11Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I want.” So he urged him, and he took it.
12Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go alongside you.” 13But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me; and if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die. 14Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, 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 in Seir.”
15So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why should my lord be so kind to me?” 16So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17But Jacob journeyed to Succoth,#33.17 That is Booths and built himself a house, and made booths for his cattle; therefore the place is called Succoth.
Jacob Reaches Shechem
18Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram; and he camped before the city. 19And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, he bought for one hundred pieces of money#33.19 Heb one hundred qesitah the plot of land on which he had pitched his tent. 20There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.#33.20 That is God, the God of Israel
New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.