New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Jacob and Esau Make Peace

Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives.

1

Jacob Meets Esau

And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he distributed the children to Leah, and to Rachel, and to the two maidservants:

2

He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.

2

and he put the maidservants and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost.

3

Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.

3

And he passed on before them, and bowed to the earth seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.

4

And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; and they wept.

5

Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”
“These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,” Jacob replied.

5

And he lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children that God has graciously given thy servant.

6

Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him.

6

And the maidservants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed.

7

Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him.

7

And Leah also, with her children, drew near, and they bowed. And lastly Joseph drew near, and Rachel, and they bowed.

8

“And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.
Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.”

8

And he said, What [meanest] thou by all the drove which I met? And he said, To find favour in the eyes of my lord.

9

“My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered. “Keep what you have for yourself.”

9

And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; let what thou hast be thine.

10

But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!

10

And Jacob said, No, I pray thee; if now I have found favour in thine eyes, then receive my gift from my hand; for therefore have I seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou hast received me with pleasure.

11

Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.

11

Take, I pray thee, my blessing which has been brought to thee; because God has been gracious to me, and because I have everything. And he urged him, and he took [it].

12

“Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead the way.”

12

And he said, Let us take our journey, and go on, and I will go before thee.

13

But Jacob replied, “You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die.

13

And he said to him, My lord knows that the children are tender, and the suckling sheep and kine are with me; and if they should overdrive them only one day, all the flock would die.

14

Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir.”

14

Let my lord, I pray thee, pass on before his servant, and I will drive on at my ease according to the pace of the cattle that is before me, and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord, to Seir.

15

“All right,” Esau said, “but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you.”
Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve received me warmly, my lord!”

15

And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee [some] of the people that are with me. And he said, What need? Let me find favour in the eyes of my lord.

16

So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day.

16

And Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

17

Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”).

17

And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house, and for his cattle he made booths. Therefore the name of the place was called Succoth.

18

Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town.

18

Jacob Settles in Shechem

And Jacob came safely [to the] city Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan-Aram; and he encamped before the city.

19

Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver.a

19

And he bought the portion of the field where he had spread his tent, of the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred kesitahs.

20

And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.b

20

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

Parallel

New Living Translation

Darby Bible Translation

Genesis 33

Genesis 33