A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Genesis 33
Genesis 33 is the thirty-third chapter of the book of Genesis and the meeting of Jacob and Esau after twenty years apart. The 20-verse chapter follows Jacob bowing repeatedly as Esau approaches, Esau running to embrace him, the giving of gifts, and the parting of the brothers as they go separate ways.
The chapter opens with Jacob looking up and seeing Esau coming with four hundred men. He divides his children between Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants, placing the maidservants and their children first, Leah and hers next, and Rachel and Joseph last. Jacob himself goes ahead of them and bows down to the ground seven times as he approaches his brother.
Esau runs to meet him, embraces him, throws his arms around his neck, kisses him, and they both weep.
Esau then sees the women and children and asks who they are. Jacob answers, "The children God has graciously given your servant." The maidservants and their children come forward and bow. Then Leah and her children. Then Joseph and Rachel.
Esau asks about the droves of livestock he has met on the way. Jacob answers that they were sent to find favor in his sight. Esau says he already has plenty and that Jacob should keep his own. Jacob presses him: "Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me, and I have all I need." He adds, "For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably." Esau accepts.
Esau then proposes that they travel together. Jacob declines, explaining that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds in his charge cannot be driven hard, but that he will follow at the pace of the droves and the children until he reaches Esau in Seir.
Esau returns the same day to Seir. Jacob, instead, travels to Succoth, where he builds a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place is called Succoth. From there he goes on safely to the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and camps outside the city. He buys the plot of ground where he pitches his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of silver. He sets up an altar there and calls it El-Elohe-Israel.
Verse 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.
Verse 2. He put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
Verse 3. But Jacob himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
Verse 4. Esau, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
Verse 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.”
Verse 6. Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
Verse 7. Leah and her children also approached and bowed down, and then Joseph and Rachel approached and bowed down.
Verse 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.
Verse 9. “I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 12. Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
Verse 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.
Verse 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.”
Verse 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.”
Verse 16. So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir,
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 20. There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
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