Berean Standard Bible
- 1 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants.
- 2 He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
- 3 But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
- 4 Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
- 5 When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, "Who are these with you?" Jacob answered, "These are the children God has graciously given your servant."
- 6 Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
- 7 Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
- 8 "What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?" asked Esau. "To find favor in your sight, my lord," Jacob answered.
- 9 "I already have plenty, my brother," Esau replied. "Keep what belongs to you."
- 10 But Jacob insisted, "No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
- 11 Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.
- 12 Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you."
- 13 But Jacob replied, "My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.
- 14 Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Seir."
- 15 "Let me leave some of my people with you," Esau said. But Jacob replied, "Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."
- 16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
- 17 but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.
- 18 After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.
- 19 And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
- 20 There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
