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looked up, and he saw Esau coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 He put the maidservants and their children in front, then Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob, and he embraced him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him, and they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up, and he saw the women and children and asked, “Who are these with you?”
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
6 Then the maidservants and their children approached him and bowed down. 7 Likewise, Leah and her children also approached and bowed down. Last of all Joseph and Rachel approached him and bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What do you mean by all these droves I met?”
“To find favour in your eyes, my lord,” Jacob answered,
9 But Esau said, “I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 But Jacob said, “No, please! If I have now found favour in your eyes, accept this gift from my hand. For seeing your face is truly like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favourably. 11 Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have everything I need.” So Jacob urged Esau until he accepted.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be our way, and I will accompany you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, and I will continue on slowly, at the pace of the livestock before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my people with you.”
“What need is there?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favour in the eyes of my lord.”
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, where he built a house for himself, and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Succoth.
18 After Jacob came from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and camped outside the city. 19 He purchased the plot of land where he pitched his tent from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver. 20 There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.