Genesis 33 (JPS)

1And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.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.

2And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

3And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

5And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said: 'Who are these with thee?' And he said: 'The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant.'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.”

6Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed down.Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.

7And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed down; and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed down.Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.

8And he said: 'What meanest thou by all this camp which I met?' And he said: 'To find favour in the sight of my lord.'“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.

9And Esau said: 'I have enough; my brother, let that which thou hast be thine.'“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”

10And Jacob said: 'Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favour in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.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.

11Take, I pray thee, my gift that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.' And he urged him, and he took it.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.

12And he said: 'Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.'Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

13And he said unto him: 'My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds giving suck are a care to me; and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.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.

14Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant; and I will journey on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.'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.”

15And Esau said: 'Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me.' And he said: 'What needeth it? let me find favour in the sight of my lord.'“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.”

16So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,

17And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.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.

18And Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city.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.

19And he bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.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.

20And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel.There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Jacob Meets Esau

Jacob Settles in Shechem

You’ve read Genesis 33

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Jacob Meets Esau

Jacob Settles in Shechem

You’ve read Genesis 33

Go deeper