One Year Pray for America Bible - Flipbook - Page 69
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33:1 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 ahead. As he approached his
brother, he bowed to the ground seven
times before him. 4 Then Esau ran to
meet him and embraced him, threw
his arms around his neck, and kissed
him. And they both wept.
5 Then Esau looked at the women
and children and asked, “Who are
these people with you?”
“These are the children God has
graciously given to me, your servant,”
Jacob replied. 6 Then the servant wives
came forward with their children and
bowed before him. 7 Next came Leah
with her children, and they bowed
before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel
came forward and bowed before him.
8 “And what were all the flocks and
herds I met as I came?” Esau asked.
Jacob replied, “They are a gift, my
lord, to ensure your friendship.”
9 “My brother, I have plenty,” Esau
answered. “Keep what you have for
yourself.”
10 But Jacob insisted, “No, if I have
found favor with you, please accept
this gift from me. And what a relief to
see your friendly smile. It is like seeing
the face of God! 11 Please take this gift
I have brought you, for God has been
very gracious to me. I have more than
enough.” And because Jacob insisted,
Esau finally accepted the gift.
12 “Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going.
I will lead the way.”
13 But Jacob replied, “You can see,
my lord, that some of the children
are very young, and the flocks and
herds have their young, too. If they
are driven too hard, even for one day,
all the animals could die. 14 Please,
my lord, go ahead of your servant.
We will follow slowly, at a pace that is
comfortable for the livestock and the
children. I will meet you at Seir.”
15 “All right,” Esau said, “but at least
January 16
let me assign some of my men to guide
and protect you.”
Jacob responded, “That’s not necessary. It’s enough that you’ve received
me warmly, my lord!”
16 So Esau turned around and started
back to Seir that same day. 17 Jacob, on
the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house
and made shelters for his livestock.
That is why the place was named Succoth (which means “shelters”).
18 Later, having traveled all the way
from Pad
dan-
aram, Jacob arrived
safely at the town of Shechem, in the
land of Canaan. There he set up camp
outside the town. 19 Jacob bought the
plot of land where he camped from
the family of Hamor, the father of She
chem, for 100 pieces of silver.* 20 And
there he built an altar and named it
El-Elohe-Israel.*
34:1 One
day Dinah, the daughter of
Jacob and Leah, went to visit some
of the young women who lived in
the area. 2 But when the local prince,
Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite,
saw Dinah, he seized her and raped
her. 3 But then he fell in love with her,
and he tried to win her affection with
tender words. 4 He said to his father,
Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want
to marry her.”
5 Soon Jacob heard that She
chem
had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But
since his sons were out in the fields
herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned. 6 Hamor, She
chem’s father, came to discuss the
matter with Jacob. 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the field
as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped.
Shechem had done a disgraceful thing
against Jacob’s fam
i
ly,* something
that should never be done.
8 Hamor tried to speak with Jacob
and his sons. “My son Shechem is
truly in love with your daughter,” he
said. “Please let him marry her. 9 In
fact, let’s arrange other marriages,
too. You give us your daughters for our
