Genesis 33

reviewed Worded for an eighth-grade reader; the reading is the Translation's. Read the Translation with its notes.

1 Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids. 2 He put the maids and their children in front, and behind them Leah and her children, and Rachel and Joseph. 3 He himself went on ahead of them. He bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came up to his brother. 4 Esau ran to meet him. He hugged him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him, and they wept. 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and the children, he asked, "Who are these people of yours?" Jacob answered, "They are the children God has graciously given your servant." 6 Then the maids came near with their children and bowed down. 7 Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. After that, Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down. 8 Esau asked, "What is all this camp of yours that I met?" Jacob answered, "It is to find favor with my lord."

9 Esau said, "I have plenty, my brother. Let what is yours be yours." 10 Jacob said, "No, please! If I have found favor with you, then take my gift from my hand. For indeed I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. 11 Please take my blessing that has been brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and because I have everything." Jacob kept pressing him, and Esau took it. 12 Then Esau said, "Let us set out and be on our way. I will go in front of you." 13 Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are young, and that I must care for the sheep, goats, and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flock will die. 14 Let my lord go on ahead of his servant. I will move along gently, at the pace of the livestock in front of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir." 15 Esau said, "Please let me leave some of my people with you." Jacob said, "Why do that? Let me find favor with my lord." 16 That day Esau went back on his way to Seir.

17 Jacob set out for Succoth. There he built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. That is why he named the place Succoth. 18 When Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safe and sound at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped in front of the city. 19 He bought the piece of the field where he had pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money. 20 There he set up an altar and named it "God, the God of Israel."