Genesis 33

33 ¹Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with 400 men. So he divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. ²He put the maidservants and their children first, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last. ³He himself went ahead of them, bowing to the ground seven times, until he reached his brother.

⁴Esau ran to meet him, hugged him, threw his arms around his neck, kissed him—and they wept. ⁵When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, "Who are these with you?" Jacob said, "The children our Father has graciously given your servant."

⁶Then the female servants drew near with their children, and they bowed down. ⁷Leah also came forward with her children, and they bowed down; then Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.

⁸Esau said, "Why all this company I met?" "To find favor with my lord," Jacob said.

⁹But Esau said, "I have plenty, my brother; keep what is yours for yourself."

¹⁰Jacob said, "No, please—if I've found favor in your eyes, accept my gift from my hand, for I have seen your face like seeing the face of our Father, and you've accepted me. ¹¹Please take my blessing, brought to you, since our Father has favored me and I have everything." So he insisted, and he took it.

¹²Then Esau said, "Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of you."

¹³But Jacob said to him, "My lord knows the children are frail, and the flocks and herds, nursing, are in my care. If driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. ¹⁴Let my lord pass ahead of his servant; I will move slowly, at the pace of the livestock ahead of me and the pace of the children, until I reach my lord at Seir."

¹⁵Esau said, "Let me leave some of my people with you." Jacob replied, "Why do that? Let me find favor in my lord's eyes."

¹⁶So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. ¹⁷But Jacob traveled to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his livestock—that's why the place is called Succoth.

¹⁸Jacob arrived safely at Shechem, a city in Canaan, coming from Paddan-aram, and camped facing the city. ¹⁹He bought the plot where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of silver. ^a a v19 A qesitah was an ancient unit of payment, possibly weighed silver, of uncertain modern equivalent. ²⁰There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel—the Father of Israel. ^b b v20 Jacob set up this altar after our Father gave him the new name Israel — claiming Jacob and his children as his own family forever.