Genesis 33

And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.

1Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with four hundred men. So Jacob split the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two servant women.

2And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.

2He put the servant women and their children in front. Leah and her children came next. Rachel and Joseph came last.

3And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

3Jacob walked ahead of them all. He bowed down to the ground seven times as he came near his brother.

4And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.

4But Esau ran to meet him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him. They both cried.

5And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.

5Esau looked up and saw the women and children. He asked, "Who are these with you?" Jacob said, "These are the children God kindly gave me, your servant."

6Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

6Then the servant women came near with their children, and they bowed down.

7And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.

7Leah and her children came near and bowed down too. Then Joseph and Rachel came near and bowed down.

8And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.

8Esau asked, "Why did you send all those herds of animals to meet me?" Jacob said, "They are a gift, so you will be pleased with me, my lord."

9And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.

9Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what is yours."

10And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

10Jacob said, "Please, no. If you are pleased with me, take my gift. Seeing your face is like seeing the face of God, because you welcomed me so kindly."

11Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.

11"Please take the gift I brought you. God has been very kind to me, and I have all I need." Jacob kept asking, so Esau took it.

12And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.

12Then Esau said, "Let us start out on our way. I will go ahead of you."

13And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

13Jacob said, "My lord, you know the children are small and weak. My sheep and cows have babies that still drink milk. If we push the animals hard for even one day, they will all die."

14Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.

14"Please go on ahead of me, your servant. I will travel slowly. I will keep pace with the animals and the children. Then I will come to you at Seir."

15And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.

15Esau said, "Let me leave some of my men with you." Jacob said, "Why do that? I only want you to be pleased with me, my lord."

16So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

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

17And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.

17But Jacob traveled to Succoth. There he built a house for himself. He made shelters for his animals. That is why the place is called Succoth.

NoteSuccoth means "shelters." Jacob named the place after the shelters he built there.

18And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.

18Jacob had come from Paddan-aram. He arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan. He set up his tent outside the city.

NoteThe KJV says Jacob came "to Shalem, a city of Shechem," which looks like a town name. The old Hebrew word most likely means "safely," so Jacob got to Shechem safe.

19And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for an hundred pieces of money.

19He bought the piece of land where his tent stood. He bought it from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver.

20And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael.

20There he built an altar, a stone place where people gave gifts to God. He named it El-Elohe-Israel.

NoteEl-Elohe-Israel means "God, the God of Israel." Israel was the new name God had given Jacob.