Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 Jacob saw Esau coming with his four hundred men, so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two concubines.
1
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 to the two handmaids.
2 He put the concubines and their children first, then Leah and her children, and finally Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
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He put the handmaids and their children in front, Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear.
3 Jacob went ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
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He himself passed over in front of them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They were both crying.
4
Esau ran to meet him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.
5 When Esau looked around and saw the women and the children, he asked, "Who are these people with you?" "These, sir, are the children whom God has been good enough to give me," Jacob answered.
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He lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, "Who are these with you?" He said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
6 Then the concubines came up with their children and bowed down;
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Then the handmaids came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 then Leah and her children came, and last of all Joseph and Rachel came and bowed down.
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Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 Esau asked, "What about that other group I met? What did that mean?" Jacob answered, "It was to gain your favor."
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Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" Jacob said, "To find favor in the sight of my lord."
9 But Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; keep what you have."
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Esau said, "I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours."
10 Jacob said, "No, please, if I have gained your favor, accept my gift. To see your face is for me like seeing the face of God, now that you have been so friendly to me.
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Jacob said, "Please, no, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present at my hand, because I have seen your face, as one sees the face of God, and you were pleased with me.
11 Please accept this gift which I have brought for you; God has been kind to me and given me everything I need." Jacob kept on urging him until he accepted.
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Please take the gift that I brought to you; because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." He urged him, and he took it.
12 Esau said, "Let's get ready and leave. I will go ahead of you."
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Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you."
13 Jacob answered, "You know that the children are weak, and I must think of the sheep and livestock with their young. If they are driven hard for even one day, the whole herd will die.
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Jacob said to him, "My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young, and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.
14 Please go on ahead of me, and I will follow slowly, going as fast as I can with the livestock and the children until I catch up with you in Edom."
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Please let my lord pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, 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 to Seir."
15 Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you." But Jacob answered, "There is no need for that for I only want to gain your favor."
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Esau said, "Let me now leave with you some of the folk who are with me." He said, "Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord."
16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Edom.
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So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.
17 But Jacob went to Sukkoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Sukkoth.
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Jacob journeyed to Succoth, built himself a house, and made shelters for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 On his return from Mesopotamia Jacob arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and set up his camp in a field near the city.
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Jacob came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city.
19 He bought that part of the field from the descendants of Hamor father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver.
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He bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for one hundred pieces of money.
20 He put up an altar there and named it for El, the God of Israel.
20
He erected an altar there, and called it El-Elohe-Israel.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.