Study Desk

and he drove away all his livestock, all the property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods.

So he fled with all that he had; starting out he crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

So he took his kinsfolk with him and pursued him for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsfolk camped in the hill country of Gilead.

And Jacob said to his kinsfolk, "Gather stones," and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there by the heap.

May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor"—the God of their father—"judge between us." So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac,

and Jacob offered a sacrifice on the height and called his kinsfolk to eat bread; and they ate bread and tarried all night in the hill country.

Early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them; then he departed and returned home.

Jacob went on his way and the angels of God met him;

Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,

So he spent that night there, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,

These he delivered into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between drove and drove."

and you shall say, ‘Moreover your servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he thought, "I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterwards I shall see his face; perhaps he will accept me."

The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.

But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir."

So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.