Genesis 33

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, accompanied by four hundred men. So he divided his children among Leah, Rachel and the two maidservants,	1 Then Jacob, lifting up his eyes, saw Esau arriving, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the sons of Leah and Rachel, and of both the handmaids.
2 putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.	2 And he placed the two handmaids and their children at the beginning. Truly, Leah and her sons were in the second place. Then Rachel and Joseph were last.
3 He himself went on ahead of them, bowing to the ground seven times, until he reached his brother.	3 And advancing, he reverenced prostrate on the ground seven times, until his brother approached.
4 Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, and flinging himself on his neck, kissed him as he wept.	4 And so Esau ran to meet his brother, and he embraced him. And drawing him by his neck and kissing him, he wept.
5 When Esau looked about, he saw the women and children. "Who are these with you?" he asked. Jacob answered, "They are the children whom God has graciously bestowed on your servant."	5 And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their little ones, and he said: “What do these want for themselves?” and “Are they related to you?” He responded, “These are the little ones that God has given as a gift to me, your servant.”
6 Then the maidservants and their children came forward and bowed low;	6 Then the handmaids and their sons approached and bowed down.
7 next, Leah and her children came forward and bowed low; lastly, Rachel and her children came forward and bowed low.	7 Likewise Leah, with her sons, came near. And when they had reverenced similarly, last of all, Joseph and Rachel reverenced.
8 Then Esau asked, "What did you intend with all those droves that I encountered?" Jacob answered, "It was to gain my lord's favor."	8 And Esau said, “What are these companies that I have been meeting?” He responded, “So may I find favor before my lord.”
9 "I have plenty," replied Esau; "you should keep what is yours, brother."	9 But he said, “I have plenty, my brother; let these be for yourself.”
10 "No, I beg you!" said Jacob. "If you will do me the favor, please accept this gift from me, since to come into your presence is for me like coming into the presence of God, now that you have received me so kindly.	10 And Jacob said: “I beg you, let it not be so. But if I have found favor in your eyes, receive a small present from my hands. For I have looked upon your face as I would look upon the countenance of God. Be gracious to me,
11 Do accept the present I have brought you; God has been generous toward me, and I have an abundance." Since he so urged him, Esau accepted.	11 and take the blessing which I have brought to you, and which God, who bestows all things, has given as a gift to me.” Accepting it reluctantly, at the insistence of his brother,
12 Then Esau said, "Let us break camp and be on our way; I will travel alongside you."	12 he said, “Let us go on together, and I will accompany you on your journey.”
13 But Jacob replied: "As my lord can see, the children are frail. Besides, I am encumbered with the flocks and herds, which now have sucklings; if overdriven for a single day, the whole flock will die.	13 And Jacob said: “My lord, you know that I have with me tender little ones, and sheep, and cows with young. If I cause these to labor too much in walking, all the flocks will die in one day.
14 Let my lord, then, go on ahead of me, while I proceed more slowly at the pace of the livestock before me and at the pace of my children, until I join my lord in Seir."	14 May it please my lord to go before his servant. And I will follow gradually in his steps, as much as I see my little ones to be able, until I arrive to my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau replied, "Let me at least put at your disposal some of the men who are with me." But Jacob said, "For what reason? Please indulge me in this, my lord."	15 Esau responded, “I beg you, that at least some of the people who are with me may remain to accompany you on the way.” But he said, “There is no need. I have need of one thing only: to find favor in your sight, my lord.”
16 So on the same day that Esau began his journey back to Seir,	16 And so Esau returned that day, by the way that he had arrived, to Seir.
17 Jacob journeyed to Succoth. There he built a home for himself and made booths for his livestock. That is why the place was called Succoth.	17 And Jacob went to Succoth, where, having built a house and pitched tents, he called the name of that place Succoth, that is, ‘Tents.’
18 Having thus come from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, and he encamped in sight of the city.	18 And he crossed over to Salem, a city of the Shechemites, which is in the land of Canaan, after he returned from Mesopotamia of Syria. And he lived near the town.
19 The plot of ground on which he had pitched his tent he bought for a hundred pieces of bullion from the descendants of Hamor, the founder of Shechem.	19 And he bought the part of the field in which he had pitched his tents from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for one hundred lambs.
20 He set up a memorial stone there and invoked "El, the God of Israel."	20 And erecting an altar there, he invoked upon it the most strong God of Israel.