1 ARST Then Jacob looked and saw{ in the distance} that Esau was coming{ toward him}, and with him{ were} 400 men! So Jacob{ quickly} divided up{ his} children among Leah, Rachel and{ his} two servant wives. BSB BSB: Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.
2 ARST He put his servant wives and their children first{ in line}, then Leah with her children behind them, and Rachel with{ her son} Joseph last. BSB BSB: He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3 ARST Then Jacob himself went ahead of them{ all}{ toward his brother}. As he got closer to him, he bowed{ with his face} to the ground seven times{ to show respect}. BSB BSB: But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 ARST But Esau ran to greet Jacob and hugged him. He held him tightly and kissed him{ on the cheeks}, as they{ both} cried{ for joy}. BSB BSB: Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
5 ARST Then Esau looked ahead and noticed the women and children{ who were there}, so he asked{ Jacob},“Who{ are} these{ people}?{ Do they belong} to you?” Jacob answered{ him},“{ They are}{ the wives and} the children whom God has kindly given to me, sir.” BSB BSB: When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
6 ARST Then the{ two} servant wives with their children came forward, and they{ all} bowed{ to the ground}{ in front of Esau}{ to show respect}. BSB BSB: Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
7 ARST Next Leah and her children also came forward and bowed{ to the ground}. Then last{ of all}, Joseph and{ his mother} Rachel came forward, and they{ also} bowed{ to the ground}. BSB BSB: Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
8 ARST Then Esau asked{ Jacob},“Why did you send all those herds{ of animals} that I encountered?” Jacob answered{ him},“{ They are gifts for you} so that you will be kind to me, sir.” BSB BSB: “What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.
9 ARST But Esau replied,“My brother, I{ already} have enough{ animals},{ so} keep them for yourself.” BSB BSB: “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
10 ARST But Jacob insisted,“Please do not refuse{ my gifts}.{ Rather,} if you want to be kind to me, then{ please} accept these gifts from me. After all, for me to see your face is like seeing God’ s face, especially since you have welcomed me{ so kindly}. BSB BSB: But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
11 ARST { So} please accept my gift{ of animals} that I sent to you, because God has been kind to me, so that I have all{ that I need}.” Jacob kept insisting{ that Esau accept the animals from him} until{ finally} he accepted{ them}. BSB BSB: Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
12 ARST Then Esau suggested{ to Jacob},“Let’ s start traveling{ home}, and I will accompany you.” BSB BSB: Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
13 ARST But Jacob replied to him,“Sir, as you know,{ my} children{ are} fragile, and I need{ to be careful with}{ all} the sheep and cattle that are nursing{ their young}. If I force the animals to go too far{ for}{ even} one day, all of them will die. BSB BSB: But Jacob replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.
14 ARST { So then,} sir, please go on{ home} ahead of me, sir. I will travel along slowly at a safe pace for the animals and the children that are with me, until we reach you in{ the region of} Seir.” BSB BSB: Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”
15 ARST So Esau responded,“{ Okay, then} please let me leave with you some of my men{ to escort you}.” But Jacob replied,“There is no need{ for you} to do that.{ Just} please{ continue to} be kind to me, sir.” BSB BSB: “Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16 ARST So that{ same} day Esau{ and his men} started on their way back{ home} to{ the land of} Seir. BSB BSB: So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
17 ARST Meanwhile,{ instead of going to Seir,} Jacob{ and his family} traveled to{ the town of} Succoth. There he{ and his men} built houses for himself{ and his family}, and they built{ some} shelters for his animals. That is why the name of that place is Succoth,{ which means“shelters.”} BSB BSB: but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.
18 ARST { After that,} Jacob{ and his family} continued their journey{ home} from Paddan Aram, until they arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the region of Canaan. Then they set up their tents{ in a field} near that city. BSB BSB: After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.
19 ARST { While he was there,} he bought the land where he had set up his tents for a hundred pieces{ of silver} from the descendants of Hamor,{ who was} the father of Shechem. BSB BSB: And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
20 ARST Jacob{ also} built an altar{ out of stones} on that land, and he named it El Elohe Israel,{ which means“God is the God of Israel.”} BSB BSB: There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.