Genesis 33

1When Jacob looked up, he saw Esau approaching with four hundred men. So he shared out the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2He placed the female servants with their children at the front, Leah with hers behind them, and Rachel with Joseph at the very back. 3Jacob himself went ahead of them all, and on his way toward his brother he bowed to the ground seven times. 4But Esau ran to meet him and hugged him; he held him close and kissed him, and they wept together. 5Esau looked up, and when he saw the women and children he asked, “Who are all these with you?” “They are the children God has favored your servant with,” Jacob said. 6Then the female servants came forward with their children and bowed low. 7Leah and her children came forward next and bowed, and last of all Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed. 8“And what were all those herds I ran into?” Esau asked. “They were meant to win my lord’s goodwill,” Jacob replied. 9“I have a great deal, my brother,” said Esau. “Let what is yours stay yours.” 10“Please, no,” Jacob said. “If you look on me with favor, take my gift from my hand. Looking on your face has been like looking on the face of God, so graciously have you received me. 11So take, I beg you, the blessing that was brought to you. God has been good to me, and I lack nothing.” Jacob would not take no for an answer, and Esau accepted it. 12Esau said, “Come, let us break camp and move on. I will go alongside you.” 13But Jacob said to him, “As my lord can see, the children are small, and I have to look after sheep, goats and cattle that are suckling their young. If they are pushed too hard for even a single day, the whole flock will die. 14Please, my lord, go on ahead of your servant. I will follow slowly, as fast as the animals in front of me and the children can go, until I reach my lord in Seir.” 15Esau said, “At least let me leave some of the people who are with me to go with you.” “What need is there for that?” Jacob replied. “Only let me keep my lord’s goodwill.” 16That day Esau turned back and took the road to Seir. 17Jacob for his part journeyed on to Succoth. He built a house to live in there and put up booths for his herds, and so the place got the name Succoth.

18Jacob arrived safe and sound at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, on his return from Paddan-aram, and he set up camp just outside the city. 19He bought the piece of ground where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, paying a hundred pieces of silver. 20He erected an altar there and gave it the name El-Elohe-Israel, “God is the God of Israel”.