Jacob Meets Esau

1Then Jacob lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children [†]among Leah and Rachel and the two servant-women. 2And he put the servant-women and their children first, and Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph after them. 3But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, “[†]Who are these with you?” And he said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the servant-women came near [†]with 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 all [†]these camps which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” 9But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.” 10And Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, [†]for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably. 11Please take my blessing which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have [†]everything.” Thus he urged him, and he took it.

12Then [†]Esau 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 weak and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are [†]a 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 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 at Seir.”

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

Jacob Camps in Shechem

18Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. 19Then he bought a portion of a field where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred [†]qesitah. 20Then he set up there an altar and called it [†]El-Elohe-Israel.