Jacob Reunites with Esau and Settles in the City of Shechem

33:1-20

33 Then Jacob looked and saw in the distance that Esau was coming toward him, and with him were 400 men! So Jacob quickly divided up his children among Leah, Rachel and his two servant wives. 2 He put his servant wives and their children first in line, then Leah with her children behind them, and Rachel with her son Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob himself went ahead of them all toward his brother. As he got closer to him, he bowed with his face to the ground seven times to show respect.

4 But Esau ran to greet Jacob and hugged him. He held him tightly and kissed him on the cheeks, as they both cried for joy. 5 Then Esau looked ahead and noticed the women and children who were there, so he asked Jacob, “Who are these people? Do they belong to you?” Jacob answered him, “They are the wives and the children whom God has kindly given to me, sir.” 6 Then the two servant wives with their children came forward, and they all bowed to the ground in front of Esau to show respect. 7 Next Leah and her children also came forward and bowed to the ground. Then last of all, Joseph and his mother Rachel came forward, and they also bowed to the ground.

8 Then Esau asked Jacob, “Why did you send all those herds of animals that I encountered?” Jacob answered him, “They are gifts for you so that you will be kind to me, sir.” 9 But Esau replied, “My brother, I already have enough animals, so keep them for yourself.” 10 But Jacob insisted, “Please do not refuse my gifts. Rather, if you want to be kind to me, then please accept these gifts from me. After all, for me to see your face is like seeing God’s face, especially since you have welcomed me so kindly. 11 So please accept my gift of animals that I sent to you, because God has been kind to me, so that I have all that I need.” Jacob kept insisting that Esau accept the animals from him until finally he accepted them.

12 Then Esau suggested to Jacob, “Let’s start traveling home, and I will accompany you.” 13 But Jacob replied to him, “Sir, as you know, my children are fragile, and I need to be careful with all the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If I force the animals to go too far for even one day, all of them will die. 14 So then, sir, please go on home ahead of me, sir. I will travel along slowly at a safe pace for the animals and the children that are with me, until we reach you in the region of Seir.”

15 So Esau responded, “Okay, then please let me leave with you some of my men to escort you.” But Jacob replied, “There is no need for you to do that. Just please continue to be kind to me, sir.” 16 So that same day Esau and his men started on their way back home to the land of Seir. 17 Meanwhile, instead of going to Seir, Jacob and his family traveled to the town of Succoth. There he and his men built houses for himself and his family, and they built some shelters for his animals. That is why the name of that place is Succoth, which means “shelters.”

18 After that, Jacob and his family continued their journey home from Paddan Aram, until they arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the region of Canaan. Then they set up their tents in a field near that city. 19 While he was there, he bought the land where he had set up his tents for a hundred pieces of silver from the descendants of Hamor, who was the father of Shechem. 20 Jacob also built an altar out of stones on that land, and he named it El Elohe Israel, which means “God is the God of Israel.”