Genesis 33
Open in the reader1Now Heel-Grabber looked up and saw Hairy coming toward him with four hundred men. So he divided the children among Weary-One, Ewe, and the two maidservants.
2He put the maidservants and their children in front, Weary-One and her children next, and Ewe and May-He-Add at the rear.
3But Heel-Grabber himself went on ahead and bowed to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4Hairy, however, ran to him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.
5When Hairy looked up and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these with you?” Heel-Grabber answered, “These are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
6Then the maidservants and their children approached and bowed down.
7Weary-One and her children also approached and bowed down, and then May-He-Add and Ewe approached and bowed down.
8“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Hairy. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Heel-Grabber answered.
9“I already have plenty, my brother,” Hairy replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”
10But Heel-Grabber insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
11Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Heel-Grabber pressed him until he accepted.
12Then Hairy said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”
13But Heel-Grabber replied, “My lord knows that the children are frail, and I must care for sheep and cattle that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard for even a day, all the animals will die.
14Please let my lord go ahead of his servant. I will continue on slowly, at a comfortable pace for the livestock and children, until I come to my lord at Hairy.”
15“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Hairy said. But Heel-Grabber replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”
16So that day Hairy started on his way back to Hairy,
17but Heel-Grabber went on to Booths, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Booths.
18After Heel-Grabber had come from Plain-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shoulder in the land of Humbled, and he camped just outside the city.
19And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shoulder’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.
20There he set up an altar and called it God-Elohe-Strives-with-God.