1Jakob fik nu øje på Esau og de 400 mand et stykke borte.2Straks stillede han sin familie op i en lang række, så slavepigerne og deres børn stod forrest, Lea og hendes børn i midten, og Rakel og Josef bagerst.3Jakob selv gik foran de andre. Alt imens han nærmede sig sin bror, bøjede han sig til jorden for ham syv gange.4Men Esau løb ham i møde, omfavnede ham hjerteligt og kyssede ham på kinden. De græd begge to.5Så fik Esau øje på kvinderne og børnene, og han spurgte: „Hvem er alle de mennesker, du har med?” „Det er den familie, som Gud i sin godhed har givet mig,” svarede Jakob.6Så kom slavepigerne frem sammen med deres børn og bøjede sig til jorden.7Derefter kom Lea med sine børn og bøjede sig til jorden. Til allersidst kom Rakel og Josef, og de bøjede sig også til jorden.8„Men hvad var det for nogle dyreflokke, jeg mødte på vejen?” spurgte Esau. „Det var ment som en gave til dig, fordi jeg ville gøre dig venligt stemt,” svarede Jakob.9Men Esau svarede: „Kære bror, jeg har rigeligt i forvejen. Behold du kun dine gaver.”10„Tag nu imod min gave,” insisterede Jakob. „At se dit ansigt er som at se Guds ansigt, nu da du har taget vel imod mig.11Gør mig den glæde at tage imod gaven som en velsignelse fra mig. Gud har været uendelig god imod mig—og jeg har mere end nok!” Da Jakob blev ved at presse ham, gav Esau til sidst efter og tog imod gaven.12„Lad os nu komme af sted,” sagde Esau. „Jeg følges med jer og viser vej.”13Men Jakob svarede: „Som du kan se, er nogle af børnene små—og der er en del små lam og kalve i hjorden. Hvis vi driver dem for hårdt, overanstrenger vi dem let, og der er risiko for, at de ikke kan klare det.14Det er bedre, at du rider i forvejen. Så kan vi andre tage den med ro og slutte os til dig i Seir.”15„Godt,” sagde Esau, „men lad mig i det mindste efterlade nogle af mine mænd hos dig, så de kan beskytte jer og vise vej.” „Det behøves ikke!” svarede Jakob. „Der er slet ingen grund til, at du skulle vise mig så stor venlighed!”16Så begyndte Esau samme dag hjemturen til Seir.17Men Jakob og hans følge satte kursen mod Sukkot. Der byggede han hytter til sin familie og lavede indhegninger til dyrene. Derfor kaldes stedet Sukkot.[1]18Efter den lange tur fra Paddan-Aram ankom Jakob til sidst i god behold til byen Sikem i Kana’ans land, og han slog lejr på en grund lidt øst for byen,19som han købte for 100 sølvstykker af Hamors sønner. En af sønnerne hed Sikem.20Og han byggede et alter der, som han kaldte El-Elohe-Israel.[2]
1And 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 female servants. (1.Mos 32,6)2And he put the servants with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all.3He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. (1.Mos 18,2; 1.Mos 42,6; 1.Mos 43,26)4But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. (1.Mos 32,28; 1.Mos 45,14)5And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” (1.Mos 48,9; Salm 127,3; Es 8,18)6Then the servants drew near, they and their children, and bowed down.7Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down. And last Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down.8Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company[1] that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.” (1.Mos 32,5; 1.Mos 32,16; 1.Mos 33,15)9But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”10Jacob said, “No, please, if I have found favor in your sight, then accept my present from my hand. For I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of God, and you have accepted me. (1.Mos 18,1; 1.Mos 19,1)11Please accept my blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.” Thus he urged him, and he took it. (2.Sam 13,25; 2.Sam 13,27; 2.Kong 5,15; 2.Kong 5,23)12Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go ahead of[2] you.”13But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and that the nursing flocks and herds are a care to me. If they are driven hard for one day, all the flocks will die.14Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, at the pace of the livestock that are ahead of me and at the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.” (1.Mos 32,3)15So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” (1.Mos 33,8; 1.Mos 34,11; 1.Mos 47,25; Ruth 2,13)16So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. (1.Mos 32,3)17But Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built himself a house and made booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.[3] (Josva 13,27; Dom 8,5; Salm 60,6)18And Jacob came safely[4] to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city. (Josva 24,1; Dom 9,1; Salm 60,6; Ap G 7,16)19And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for a hundred pieces of money[5] the piece of land on which he had pitched his tent. (Josva 24,32; Joh 4,5; Ap G 7,16)20There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.[6]