Jacob Meets Esau

1Now Jacob (he grasps the heel) looked up and saw Esau (hairy) coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah (weary), Rachel (little lamb), and the two maidservants. 2He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah (weary) and her children next, and Rachel (little lamb) and Joseph (YHWH has added) at the rear. 3But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4Esau(hairy), however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

5When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?”

Jacob answered, “These are the children God {Elohim} has graciously given your servant.” 6Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. 7Leah (weary) and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph (YHWH has added) and Rachel (little lamb) approached and bowed down.

8“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“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau (hairy) replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”

10But Jacob (he grasps the heel) 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 {Elohim}, since you have received me favorably. 11Please accept my gift (blessing)a that was brought to you, because God {Elohim} has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.

12Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

13But 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. 14Please 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 (shaggy).”

15“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau (hairy) said.

But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

16So that day Esau (hairy) started on his way back to Seir (shaggy), 17but Jacob (he grasps the heel) went on to Succoth (booths),b where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.

Jacob Settles in Shechem

18After Jacob (he grasps the heel) had come from Paddan-aram (northwest Mesopotamia),c he arrived safely at the city of Shechem (shoulder) in the land of Canaan (lowland), and he camped just outside the city. 19And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor (he donkey), Shechem’s (shoulder) father, for a hundred pieces of silver \a hundred kesitahs/.d 20There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel (God is the God of Israel).e