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Genesis 33
Living Bible
Genesis 33
Living Bible
33 Then, far in the distance, Jacob saw Esau coming with his 400 men. 2 Jacob now arranged his family into a column, with his two concubines and their children at the head, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother he bowed low seven times before him. 4 And then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him affectionately and kissed him; and both of them were in tears!
5 Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, “Who are these people with you?”
“My children,” Jacob replied. 6 Then the concubines came forward with their children, and bowed low before him. 7 Next came Leah with her children, and bowed, and finally Rachel and Joseph came and made their bows.
8 “And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.
And Jacob replied, “They are my gifts, to curry your favor!”
9 “Brother, I have plenty,” Esau laughed. “Keep what you have.”
10 “No, but please accept them,” Jacob said, “for what a relief it is to see your friendly smile! I was as frightened of you as though approaching God![a] 11 Please take my gifts. For God has been very generous to me and I have enough.” So Jacob insisted, and finally Esau accepted them.
12 “Well, let’s be going,” Esau said. “My men and I will stay with you and lead the way.”
13 But Jacob replied, “As you can see,[b] some of the children are small, and the flocks and herds have their young, and if they are driven too hard, they will die. 14 So you go on ahead of us and we’ll follow at our own pace and meet you at Seir.”
15 “Well,” Esau said, “at least let me leave you some of my men to assist you and be your guides.”
“No,” Jacob insisted, “we’ll get along just fine. Please do as I suggest.”
16 So Esau started back to Seir that same day. 17 Meanwhile Jacob and his household went as far as Succoth. There he built himself a camp, with pens for his flocks and herds. (That is why the place is called Succoth, meaning “huts.”) 18 Then they arrived safely at Shechem, in Canaan, and camped outside the city. 19 (He bought the land he camped on from the family of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for 100 pieces of silver. 20 And there he erected an altar and called it “El-Elohe-Israel,” “The Altar to the God of Israel.”)
Footnotes
- Genesis 33:10 I was as frightened of you as though approaching God, literally, “forasmuch as I have seen your face as one sees the face of God.”
- Genesis 33:13 as you can see, implied.
Genesis 33
New International Version
Genesis 33
New International Version
Jacob Meets Esau
33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;(A) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.(B) 2 He put the female servants and their children(C) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph(D) in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground(E) seven times(F) as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau(G) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.(H) And they wept.(I) 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.(J)”
6 Then the female servants and their children(K) approached and bowed down.(L) 7 Next, Leah and her children(M) came and bowed down.(N) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,(O) and they too bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”(P)
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”(Q) he said.
9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty,(R) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,(S) accept this gift(T) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,(U) now that you have received me favorably.(V) 11 Please accept the present(W) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me(X) and I have all I need.”(Y) And because Jacob insisted,(Z) Esau accepted it.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord(AA) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.(AB) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds(AC) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.(AD)”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”
“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”(AE)
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.(AF) 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,(AG) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[a]
18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[b](AH) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem(AI) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor,(AJ) the father of Shechem,(AK) the plot of ground(AL) where he pitched his tent.(AM) 20 There he set up an altar(AN) and called it El Elohe Israel.[d]
Footnotes
- Genesis 33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.
- Genesis 33:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value.
- Genesis 33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.