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Genesis 33 - Good News Bible bible

Genesis 33

¹Jacob saw Esau coming with his four hundred men, so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two concubines.

²He put the concubines and their children first, then Leah and her children, and finally Rachel and Joseph at the rear.

³Jacob went ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

⁴But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They were both crying.

⁵When Esau looked around and saw the women and the children, he asked, "Who are these people with you?" "These, sir, are the children whom God has been good enough to give me,"Jacob answered.

⁶Then the concubines came up with their children and bowed down;

⁷then Leah and her children came, and last of all Joseph and Rachel came and bowed down.

⁸Esau asked, "What about that other group I met? What did that mean?" Jacob answered, "It was to gain your favor."

⁹But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have."

¹⁰Jacob said, "No, please, if I have gained your favor, accept my gift. To see your face is for me like seeing the face of God, now that you have been so friendly to me.

¹¹Please accept this gift which I have brought for you; God has been kind to me and given me everything I need." Jacob kept on urging him until he accepted.

¹²Esau said, "Let's get ready and leave. I will go ahead of you."

¹³Jacob answered, "You know that the children are weak, and I must think of the sheep and livestock with their young. If they are driven hard for even one day, the whole herd will die.

¹⁴Please go on ahead of me, and I will follow slowly, going as fast as I can with the livestock and the children until I catch up with you in Edom."

¹⁵Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." But Jacob answered, "There is no need for that for I only want to gain your favor."

¹⁶So that day Esau started on his way back to Edom.

¹⁷But Jacob went to Sukkoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Sukkoth.

¹⁸On his return from Mesopotamia Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and set up his camp in a field near the city.

¹⁹He bought that part of the field from the descendants of Hamor father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver.

²⁰He put up an altar there and named it for El, the God of Israel.