Jacob Meets Esau
1 Jacob looked up and saw Esau was coming, and with him 400 men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3 He himself crossed over in front of them, and bowed to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him, and they wept. 5 He looked up and saw the women and the children and said, “Who are these with you?”
He said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the servants came near with their children, and they bowed down. 7 Leah also and her children came near and bowed down. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down.
8 Esau said, “What did you mean with all the droves of flocks and herds which I met?”
Jacob said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”
9 Esau said, “I have enough, my brother. Let that which you have be yours.”
10 Jacob said, “Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive the gift from my hand, because, like seeing the face of God, I have seen your face, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have enough.” Jacob urged him, and he took it.
12 Esau said, “Let’s go on our journey together, and I will go on ahead of you.”
13 Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they drive them too hard in a day, all the flocks will die. 14 Please let my lord pass over ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, in pace with the livestock that are in front of me and in pace with the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Let me now leave with you some of the people who are with me.”
He said, “Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock. Therefore the place is called Succoth.
Jacob Settles in Shechem
18 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. 19 He bought the parcel of land where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the descendants of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for 100 coins. 20 He erected an altar there and called it El Elohe Israel.