Chapter 33

¹And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia, and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids: ²And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last. ³And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times until his brother came near. ⁴Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept. ⁵And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me thy servant. ⁶Then the handmaids and their children came near, and bowed themselves. ⁷Lia also with her children came near, and bowed down in like manner, and last of all Joseph and Rachel bowed down. ⁸And Esau said: What are the droves that I met? He answered: That I might find favor before my lord. ⁹But he said: I have plenty, my brother, keep what is thine for thyself. ¹⁰And Jacob said: Do not so I beseech thee, but if I have found favor in thy eyes, receive a little present at my hands: for I have seen thy face, as if I should have seen the countenance of God: be gracious to me, ¹¹And take the blessing, which I have brought thee, and which God hath given me, who giveth all things. He took it with much ado at his brother's earnest pressing him, ¹²And said: Let us go on together, and I will accompany thee in thy journey. ¹³And Jacob said: My lord, thou knowest that I have with me tender children, and sheep, and kine with young: which if I should cause to be overdriven, in one day all the flocks will die. ¹⁴May it please my lord to go before his servant: and I will follow softly after him, as I shall see my children to be able, until I come to my lord in Seir. ¹⁵Esau answered: I beseech thee, that some of the people at least, who are with me, may stay to accompany thee in the way. And he said: There is no necessity: I want nothing else but only to find favor, my lord, in thy sight. ¹⁶So Esau returned, that day, the way that he came, to Seir. ¹⁷And Jacob came to Socoth: where having built a house, and pitched tents, he called the name of the place Socoth, that is, Tents. ¹⁸And he passed over to Salem, a city of the Sichemites, which is in the land of Chanaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria: and he dwelt by the town: ¹⁹And he bought that part of the field, in which he pitched his tents, of the children of Hemor, the father of Sichem for a hundred lambs. ²⁰And raising an altar there, he invoked upon it the most mighty God of Israel.