NIV 2011
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
6 Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. 7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.
9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.
WYC 1382
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Forsooth Jacob raised up his eyes, and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him; and he parted the sons of Leah, and of Rachel, and of both the servantesses. 2 And he put ever either handmaid, and the free children of them, in the beginning; soothly he put Leah, and her sons, in the second place; forsooth he put Rachel and Joseph (at) the last. 3 And Jacob went before (them), and worshipped lowly to the earth seven times, till his brother nighed.
4 And so Esau ran against his brother, and embraced him, and Esau held his neck, and kissed him, and (they) wept (together). 5 And when Esau’s eyes were raised up, he saw the women, and the little children of them, and said, What will these (mean) to themselves? and whether they pertain to thee?
Jacob answered, They be the little children, which God hath given to me, thy servant.
6 And the handmaids and their sons nighed, and were bowed. 7 Also Leah nighed with her free children; and when they had worshipped in like manner, Joseph and Rachel last worshipped.
8 And Esau said, What be these companies, which I met?
And Jacob answered, (So) That I should find grace before my lord.
9 And he said, My brother, I have full many things, thy things be to thee.
10 And Jacob said, I beseech thee, do not thou (say) so, but if I have found grace in thine eyes, take thou a little gift of mine hands; for I saw so thy face as (though) I had seen the cheer of God; be thou merciful to me, 11 and receive the blessing which I have brought to thee, and which blessing God giving all things gave to me. Scarcely (desiring it), while the brother compelled (him), he received (it),
12 and said, Go we together, and I shall be (a) fellow of thy way.
13 And Jacob said, My lord, thou knowest that I have little children tender, and sheep, and kine with calves with me, and if I shall make them for to travail more in going, all the flocks shall die in one day; 14 my lord go (on) before his servant, and I shall follow little and little his steps, as I see that my little children be able (to go), till I come to my lord, into Seir.
15 Esau answered, I pray thee, that (some) of the people which is with me, dwell they namely fellows of thy way.
Jacob said, It is no need; I have need to this one thing only, that I find grace in thy sight, my lord.
16 And so Esau turned again in that day in the way by which he came, into Seir. 17 And Jacob came into Succoth, where when he had builded an house, and had set tents, he called the name of that place Succoth, that is, tabernacles.
18 And Jacob passed into Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, after that he turned again from Mesopotamia of Syria, and he dwelled beside the city. 19 And he bought for an hundred lambs a part of the field, in which he set tabernacles, of the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. 20 And when he had raised an altar there, he inwardly called on it the full strong God of Israel.
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