Genesis 33 - Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked and saw Esau coming with 400 men. Jacob divided his family into four groups. Leah and her children were in one group, Rachel and Joseph were in one group, and the two maids and their children were in two groups. 2 Jacob put the maids with their children first. Then he put Leah and her children behind them, and he put Rachel and Joseph in the last place.

3 Jacob himself went out before them. While he was walking toward his brother Esau, he bowed down to the ground seven times.

4 When Esau saw Jacob, he ran to meet him. He put his arms around Jacob, hugged his neck, and kissed him. Then they both cried. 5 Esau looked up and saw the women and children. He said, “Who are all these people with you?”

Jacob answered, “These are the children that God gave me. God has been good to me.”

6 Then the two maids and the children with them went to Esau. They bowed down before him. 7 Then Leah and the children with her went to Esau and bowed down. And then Rachel and Joseph went to him and bowed down.

8 Esau said, “Who were all those people I saw while I was coming here? And what were all those animals for?”

Jacob answered, “These are my gifts to you so that you might accept me.”

9 But Esau said, “You don’t have to give me gifts, brother. I have enough for myself.”

10 Jacob said, “No, I beg you! If you really accept me, please accept the gifts I give you. I am very happy to see your face again. It is like seeing the face of God. I am very happy to see that you accept me. 11 So I beg you to also accept the gifts I give you. God has been very good to me. I have more than I need.” Because Jacob begged Esau to take the gifts, he accepted them.

12 Then Esau said, “Now you can continue your journey. I will go with you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “You know that my children are weak. And I must be careful with my flocks and their young animals. If I force them to walk too far in one day, all the animals will die. 14 So you go on ahead. I will follow you slowly. I will go slowly enough for the cattle and other animals to be safe and so that my children will not get too tired. I will meet you in Seir.”

15 So Esau said, “Then I will leave some of my men to help you.”

But Jacob said, “That is very kind of you, but there is no need to do that.” 16 So that day Esau started on his trip back to Seir. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth.[a] There he built a house for himself and small barns for his cattle. That is why the place was named Succoth.

18 Jacob safely ended his trip from Paddan Aram when he came to the town of Shechem in Canaan. He made his camp in a field near the city. 19 He bought the field where he camped from the family of Hamor, father of Shechem. He paid 100 pieces of silver for it. 20 He built an altar there to honor God. He named the place “El,[b] the God of Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 33:17 Succoth A town east of the Jordan River. This name means “temporary shelters.”
  2. Genesis 33:20 El A Hebrew name for God.

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Genesis 33 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

33 And Jacob lifteth up his eyes, and looketh, and lo, Esau is coming, and with him four hundred men; and he divideth the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two maid-servants; 2 and he setteth the maid-servants and their children first, and Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and...
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Genesis 33 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

33 Forsooth Jacob raised up his eyes, and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him; and he parted the sons of Leah, and of Rachel, and of both the servantesses (and he divided the children between Leah, and Rachel, and the two slave-girls). 2 And he put ever either handmaid, and the free child...
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Genesis 33 - World English Bible (WEB)

33 Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. He divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two servants. 2 He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. 3 He himself ...
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Genesis 33 - The Voice (VOICE)

33 Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and 400 men were with him. Jacob quickly divided the children among Leah and Rachel and their two servants. 2 He put the female servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on ahead ...
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Genesis 33 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Jacob Meets Esau33 Then Jacob glanced up and saw, behold, there was Esau coming—and 400 men with him. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children first, then Leah and her children behind them, then Rachel and Joseph behi...
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Genesis 33 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Jacob and Esau Meet33 And Jacob lifted up 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 maids. 2 And he put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last...
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Genesis 33 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Jacob and Esau Meet33 And Jacob lifted up 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 maids. 2 And he put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last...
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Genesis 33 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Jacob and Esau Meet33 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. 2 He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on ah...
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Genesis 33 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Jacob and Esau Meet33 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.(A)2 He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. 3 He himself went on ah...
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Genesis 33 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Jacob and Esau Make Peace33 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives. 2 He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob went on ah...
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Genesis 33 - New Life Version (NLV)

Jacob Meets Esau33 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two women who served him. 2 He put the women who served him and their children in front, and Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them. 3 Th...
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Genesis 33 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Jacob and Esau Meet33 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, (A)Esau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel...
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Genesis 33 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Jacob meets Esau33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself ...
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Genesis 33 - New International Version (NIV)

Jacob Meets Esau33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;(A) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.(B) 2 He put the female servants and their children(C) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph(D) in the rear. 3 H...
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Genesis 33 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Jacob Meets Esau33 Jacob looked and saw Esau coming with his 400 men! So Jacob separated the children. He put them with Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the servants and their children in front. He put Leah and her children next. And he put Rachel and Joseph last. 3 He himself we...
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Genesis 33 - New English Translation (NET)

Jacob Meets Esau33 Jacob looked up[a] and saw that Esau was coming[b] along with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two female servants. 2 He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them.[c] 3 B...
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