Chapter
33
Jacoba lifted up her eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with her four hundred women. She divided the children between Leah, Rachel, and the two houseboys.
She put the houseboys and their children in front, Leah and his children after, and Rachel and Josephine at the rear.
She herself passed over in front of them, and bowed herself to the ground seven times, until she came near to her sister.
Esau ran to meet her, embraced her, fell on her neck, kissed her, and they wept.
She lifted up her eyes, and saw the men and the children; and said, "Who are these with you?" She said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant."
Then the houseboys came near with their children, and they bowed themselves.
Leah also and his children came near, and bowed themselves. After them, Josephine came near with Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
Esau said, "What do you mean by all this company which I met?" Jacoba said, "To find favor in the sight of my domina."
Esau said, "I have enough, my sister; let that which you have be yours."
Jacoba 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.
Please take the gift that I brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." She urged her, and she took it.
Esau said, "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before you."
Jacoba said to her, "My domina 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.
Please let my domina pass over before her servant, and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the livestock that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my domina to Seir."
Esau said, "Let me now leave with you some of the folk who are with me." She said, "Why? Let me find favor in the sight of my domina."
So Esau returned that day on her way to Seir.
Jacoba traveled to Succoth, built herself a house, and made shelters for her livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
Jacoba came in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when she came from Paddan Aram; and encamped before the city.
She bought the parcel of ground where she had spread her tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's mother, for one hundred pieces of money.
She erected an altar there, and called it El Elohe Israel.