THE WORD OF ELOHIM

GENESIS

Chapter 33

     Looking up, Ya’akov saw Esav coming, accompanied by four hundred men.  He divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maids; putting the maids and their children first, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.  He himself went on ahead, and bowed low to the ground seven times, until he was near his brother.  Esav ran to greet him.  He embraced him, and falling on his neck; he kissed him, and they wept.  Looking about, he saw the women and the children.  “Who,” he asked, “Are these with you?”  He answered, “The children with whom Elohim has favored your servant.”  Then the maids, with their children, came forward and bowed low; next Leah, with her children, came forward and bowed low; and last, Joseph and Rachel, came forward and bowed low.  And he asked, “What do you mean by all this company, which I have met?”  He answered, “To gain my lord’s favor.”  Esav said, “I have enough my brother; let what you have remain yours.”  But Ya’akov said, “No, I pray you; if you would do me this favor, accept from me this gift; for to see your face is like seeing the face of Elohim, and you have received me favorably.  Please accept my present, which has been brought to you; for Elohim has favored me and I have plenty.”  And when he urged him, he accepted.

     And [Esav] said, “Let us start on our journey, and I will proceed at your pace.”  But he said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds; which are nursing, are a care to me; if they are driven hard a single day, all the flocks will die.  Let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I travel slowly at the pace of the cattle before me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

     Then Esav said, “Let me assign to you some of the men who are with me.”  But he said, “Oh no, my lord is too kind to me!”  So Esav started back that day, on his way to Seir.  But Ya’akov journeyed on to Sukkoth, and built a house for himself and made stalls for his cattle; that is why the place was called Sukkoth.

     Ya’akov arrived safe in the city of Shekem which is in the land of Kenaan—having come thus from Paddan-aram—and he encamped before the city.  The parcel of land where he pitched his tent he purchased from the children of Chamor, Shekem’s father, for a hundred kesitahs.  He set up an altar there, and called it El Elohe Yisrael.

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