Study Desk

Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a gift for his brother Esau:

Then he placed them in the care of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between flocks."

and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."

Now he got up that same night and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, and crossed the shallow place of the Jabbok.

Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his hip.

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

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

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

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

"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 Seir."

So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.

He bought the plot of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.

So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this young woman as a wife."

Now Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob said nothing until they came in.

But Jacob's sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, because he had defiled their sister Dinah.

The young man did not delay to do this, because he was delighted with Jacob's daughter. Now he was more respected than all the household of his father.

So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the people of their city, saying,

All who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.