Jacob meets Esau
1Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. ‘Who are these with you?’ he asked.
Jacob answered, ‘They are the children God has graciously given your servant.’
6Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. 7Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
8Esau asked, ‘What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?’
‘To find favour in your eyes, my lord,’ he said.
9But Esau said, ‘I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.’
10‘No, please!’ said Jacob. ‘If I have found favour in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favourably. 11Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.’ And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.
12Then Esau said, ‘Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.’
13But Jacob said to him, ‘My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.’
15Esau said, ‘Then let me leave some of my men with you.’
‘But why do that?’ Jacob asked. ‘Just let me find favour in the eyes of my lord.’
16So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.33:17 Sukkoth means shelters.
18After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,33:18 That is, North-west Mesopotamia he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19For a hundred pieces of silver,33:19 Hebrew hundred kesitahs; a kesitah was a unit of money of unknown weight and value. he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.33:20 El Elohe Israel can mean El is the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel.
Yakobo Akutana Na Esau
133:1 Mwa 32:6Yakobo akainua macho akamwona Esau akija na watu wake 400, kwa hiyo akawagawanya watoto kati ya Lea, Raheli na wale watumishi wake wawili wa kike. 2Akawaweka wale watumishi wa kike na watoto wao mbele, Lea na watoto wake wakafuata, Raheli na Yosefu wakaja nyuma. 333:3 Mwa 42:6Yeye mwenyewe akatangulia mbele na kusujudu mara saba alipomkaribia ndugu yake.
4Lakini Esau akamkimbilia Yakobo kumlaki na kumkumbatia, akamwangukia shingoni na kumbusu. Nao wakalia. 533:5 Za 127:3; Isa 8:18Esau akainua macho akawaona wale wanawake na watoto. Akauliza, “Hawa uliofuatana nao ni nani?”
Yakobo akamjibu, “Ni watoto ambao Mungu amempa mtumishi wako kwa neema.”
6Kisha wale watumishi wa kike na watoto wao wakakaribia na kusujudu. 7Kisha Lea na watoto wake wakaja na kusujudu. Mwisho wa wote wakaja Yosefu na Raheli, nao pia wakasujudu.
833:8 Mwa 24:9; 32:14-16Esau akauliza, “Una maana gani kuhusu makundi hayo yote niliyokutana nayo?”
Akasema, “Ni ili kupata kibali machoni pako, bwana wangu.”
933:9 Mwa 13:6Lakini Esau akamwambia, “Ndugu yangu, tayari nina wingi wa mali. Ulivyo navyo viwe vyako mwenyewe.”
1033:10 Mwa 16:13Yakobo akasema, “La hasha! Tafadhali, kama nimepata kibali machoni pako, upokee zawadi hii kutoka kwangu. Kwa maana kuuona uso wako, ni kama kuuona uso wa Mungu, kwa kuwa umenipokea kwa takabali kubwa. 1133:11 1Sam 25:27Tafadhali ukubali zawadi iliyoletwa kwako, kwa kuwa Mungu amenineemesha na ninavyo vyote ninavyohitaji.” Kwa sababu Yakobo alisisitiza, Esau akapokea.
12Ndipo Esau akasema, “Na tuendelee na safari, nitakuwa pamoja nawe.”
1333:13 Isa 40:11Lakini Yakobo akamwambia, “Bwana wangu unajua kwamba watoto ni wachanga na kwamba ni lazima nitunze hawa kondoo wake na ngʼombe wanaonyonyesha. Wakipelekwa kwa haraka hata kama ni kwa siku moja tu, wanyama wote watakufa. 1433:14 Kut 12:38Hivyo bwana wangu umtangulie mtumishi wako, wakati mimi nikija polepole kwa mwendo wa makundi yaliyo mbele yangu na mwendo wa watoto, mpaka nifike kwa bwana wangu huko Seiri.”
1533:15 Mwa 32:5Esau akamwambia, “Basi na niwaache baadhi ya watu wangu pamoja nawe.”
Yakobo akauliza, “Lakini kwa nini ufanye hivyo, niache tu nipate kibali machoni pa bwana wangu.”
1633:16 Mwa 14:6Hivyo siku hiyo Esau akashika njia akarudi Seiri. 1733:17 Amu 8:5, 6, 8, 14-16Pamoja na hayo, Yakobo akaenda Sukothi,33:17 Sukothi maana yake Vibanda. mahali alipojijengea makazi kwa ajili yake na mabanda kwa ajili ya mifugo yake. Hii ndiyo sababu sehemu ile inaitwa Sukothi.
1833:18 Mwa 12:6Baada ya Yakobo kutoka Padan-Aramu, alifika salama katika mji wa Shekemu huko Kanaani na kuweka kambi yake karibu na mji. 1933:19 Yos 24:32; Yn 4:5Akanunua kiwanja kutoka kwa wana wa Hamori, baba wa Shekemu, kwa bei ya vipande mia vya fedha, ambapo alipiga hema lake. 20Pale akajenga madhabahu na kupaita El-Elohe-Israeli.33:20 El-Elohe-Israeli maana yake Mungu, Mungu wa Israeli au Mwenye Nguvu ni Mungu wa Israeli.
