1Now 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.[ † ]Genesis 32:6 2He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.[ † ]Genesis 18:2Genesis 42:6
4Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.[ † ]Genesis 32:28Genesis 45:14-15
5When 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.”[ † ]Genesis 48:9Psalms 127:3Isaiah 8:18 6Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down. 7Leah 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.[ † ]Genesis 32:13-16Genesis 32:5
9“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
10But 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.[ † ]Genesis 43:32 Samuel 3:132 Samuel 14:24-28, 32 11Please 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.[ † ]Judges 1:151 Samuel 25:271 Samuel 30:26Genesis 30:43Exodus 33:192 Kings 5:23
12Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
13But 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. 14Please 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.”[ † ]Genesis 32:3Genesis 36:8
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.”[ † ]Genesis 34:11Genesis 47:25Ruth 2:13
16So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir, 17but 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.[ † ]Joshua 13:27Judges 8:5Psalms 60:6
18After 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.[ † ]John 3:23Genesis 12:6Genesis 35:4Joshua 24:1Judges 9:1Psalms 60:6 19And 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.[ † ]Joshua 24:32John 4:5 20There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.[ † ]Genesis 35:7