Study Desk

Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, ^(a)Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children ^[a]among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.

He put the maids and their children ^[b]in front, and Leah and her children ^[c]next, and Rachel and Joseph ^[d]last.

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

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

He lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, "^[e]Who are these with you?" So he said, "^(d)The children whom God has graciously given your servant."

Then the maids came near ^[f]with their children, and they bowed down.

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

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

But Esau said, "^(g)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 take my present from my hand, ^[g]for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.

Please take my ^[h](h)gift which has been brought to you, ⁽ⁱ⁾because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have ^[i]plenty." Thus he urged him and he took it.

Then ^[j]Esau said, "Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you."

But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are ^[k]a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die.

Please let my lord pass on before his servant, and I will proceed at my leisure, 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 at ^(j)Seir."

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

So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

Jacob journeyed to ^[m](l)Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth.