Study Desk

Then Jacob raised his eyes and looked, and behold, ^(C1)Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children ^(F1)among Leah and Rachel, and the two slave women.

He put the slave women and their children ^(F1)in front, and Leah and her children ^(F2)next, and Rachel and Joseph ^(F2)last.

But he himself passed on ahead of them and ^(C1)bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and ^(C1)fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

He raised his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "^(F1)Who are these with you?" So he said, "^(C1)The children whom God has graciously given your servant."

Then the slave women came forward ^(F1)with their children, and they bowed down.

And Leah likewise came forward with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came forward with Rachel, and they bowed down.

And he said, "What do you mean by ^(C1)all this company which I have met?" And he said, "^(C2)To find favor in the sight of my lord."

But Esau said, "^(C1)I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own."

Jacob said, "No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then accept my gift from my hand, ^(F1)for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.

"Please accept my ^(F1)(C1)gift which has been brought to you, ^(C2)because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have ^(F2)plenty." So he urged him, and he accepted it.

Then ^(F1)Esau said, "Let's journey on and go, and I will go ahead of you."

But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds that are nursing are ^(F1)a matter of concern to me. And if they are driven hard just one day, all the flocks will die.

"Please let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, at the pace of the cattle that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at ^(C1)Seir."

Then Esau said, "Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me." But he said, "^(F1)What need is there? ^(C1)Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."

So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.