Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

1Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, 1Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children 2among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2He put the maids and their children 3in front, and Leah and her children 4next, and Rachel and Joseph 5last. 3But he himself passed on ahead of them and 6bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and 7fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “8Who are these with you?” So he said, “9The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maids came near 10with their children, and they bowed down. 7Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. 8And he said, “What do you mean by 11all this company which I have met?” And he said, “12To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9But Esau said, “13I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, 14for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11Please take my 1516gift which has been brought to you, 17because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have 18plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it.

12Then 19Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” 13But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are 20a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. 14Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, 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 at 21Seir.”

15Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “22What need is there? 23Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17Jacob journeyed to 2425Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18Now Jacob came safely to the city of 26Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from 27Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. 1928He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred 29pieces of money. 20Then he erected there an altar and called it 30El-Elohe-Israel.