Genesis 33

Jacob 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.

وَتَطَلَّعَ يَعْقُوبُ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ، فَرَأَى عِيسُو مُقْبِلاً وَمَعَهُ أَرْبَعُ مِئَةِ رَجُلٍ، فَفَرَّق أَوْلادَهُ عَلَى لَيْئَةَ وَرَاحِيلَ وَالْجَارِيَتَيْنِ.

He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear.

فَجَعَلَ الْجَارِيَتَيْنِ وَأَوْلادَهُمَا فِي الطَّلِيعَةِ، ثُمَّ لَيْئَةَ وَأَوْلادَهَا، وَأَخِيراً رَاحِيلَ وَيُوسُفَ.

He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

وَتَقَدَّمَهُمْ، وَسَجَدَ إِلَى الأَرْضِ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ حَتَّى اقْتَرَبَ مِنْ أَخِيهِ.

But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept.

فَأَسْرَعَ عِيسُو لِمُلاقَاتِهِ وَعَانَقَهُ وَقَبَّلَهُ، وَبَكَيَا.

Then 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.”

وَتَلَفَّتَ عِيسُو حَوْلَهُ فَشَاهَدَ النِّسَاءَ وَالأَوْلادَ فَقَالَ: «مَنْ هَؤُلاءِ الَّذِينَ مَعَكَ؟» فَأَجَابَ: «هُمُ الأَوْلادُ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللهُ بِهِمْ عَلَى عَبْدِكَ».

Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down.

ثُمَّ دَنَتِ الْجَارِيَتَانِ مَعَ أَوْلادِهِمَا وَانْحَنَوْا أَمَامَ عِيسُو.

Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.

وَبَعْدَهُمْ اقْتَرَبَتْ لَيْئَةُ وَأَوْلادُهَا وَانْحَنَوْا أَيْضاً، وَأَخِيراً تَقَدَّمَتْ رَاحِيلُ وَيُوسُفُ وَانْحَنَيَا أَمَامَهُ.

Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.

وَسَأَلَ عِيسُو: «مَا هُوَ قَصْدُكَ مِنْ كُلِّ هَذِهِ الْقُطْعَانِ الَّتِي صَادَفْتُهَا؟». فَأَجَابَ يَعْقُوبُ: «هِيَ لِكَيْ أَحْظَى بِرِضَى سَيِّدِي».

But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

فَقَالَ عِيسُو: «إِنَّ لَدَيَّ كَثِيراً يَا أَخِي. فَاحْتَفِظْ لِنَفْسِكَ بِمَا لَكَ».

“No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor 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 favorably.

فَقَالَ يَعْقُوبُ: «لا، إِنْ كُنْتُ قَدْ حَظِيتُ بِرِضَاكَ، فَأَرْجُو مِنْكَ أَنْ تَقْبَلَ مِنِّي هَدِيَّتِي لأَنِّي رَأَيْتُ وَجْهَكَ كَمَا يُرَى وَجْهُ اللهِ، فَرَضِيتَ عَنِّي.

Please 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.

فَأَطْلُبُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تَقْبَلَ بَرَكَتِي الَّتِي حَمَلْتُهَا إِلَيْكَ، فَإِنَّ اللهَ قَدْ أَغْدَقَ عَلَيَّ، وَلَدَيَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ». وَأَلَحَّ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى قَبِلَ.

الافتراق السلمي

Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

وَقَالَ عِيسُو: «لِنَرْتَحِلْ فَأَسِيرَ أَمَامَكَ وَتَتْبَعَنِي».

But 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.

فَأَجَابَهُ يَعْقُوبُ: «يَا سَيِّدِي أَنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الأَوْلادَ مَا بَرِحُوا أَطْرِيَاءَ الْعُودِ، وَغَنَمِي وَبَقَرِي مُرْضِعَةٌ، فَإِنْ أَجْهَدْتُهَا يَوْماً وَاحِداً فَإِنَّ كُلَّ الْغَنَمِ تَمُوتُ.

So 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.”

فَلْيَتَقَدَّمْ مَوْلايَ عَبْدَهُ، وَأَنَا أَسِيرُ مُتَمَهِّلاً فِي إِثْرِ الْمَاشِيَةِ الَّتِي أَمَامِي، وَفِي إِثْرِ الأَوْلادِ أَيْضاً، إِلَى أَنْ أُقْبِلَ عَلَى سَيِّدِي فِي سَعِيرَ».

Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

فَقَالَ لَهُ عِيسُو: «إِذاً أَتْرُكُ مَعَكَ بَعْضَ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ مَعِي». فَأَجَابَهُ: «وَأَيُّ حَاجَةٍ لِذَلِكَ؟ إِنَّ كُلَّ مَا أَطْلُبُهُ هُوَ أَنْ أَحْظَى بِرِضَى سَيِّدِي».

So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.

فَمَضَى عِيسُو فِي طَرِيقِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ رَاجِعاً إِلَى سَعِيرَ.

Jacob, 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.^[a]

أَمَّا يَعْقُوبُ فَارْتَحَلَ إِلَى سُكُّوتَ، وَبَنَى لِنَفْسِهِ بَيْتاً وَصَنَعَ لِمَوَاشِيهِ مِظَلاتٍ. لِذَلِكَ دُعِيَ ذَلِكَ الْمَكَانُ بِاسْمِ سُكُّوتَ (وَمَعْنَاهُ: الْمِظَلاتُ).

After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,^[b] he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city.

ثُمَّ وَصَلَ يَعْقُوبُ سَالِماً مَدِينَةَ شَكِيمَ (وَهِيَ نَابُلْسُ) الَّتِي فِي أَرْضِ كَنْعَانَ، عَلَى طَرِيقِهِ الْمُؤَدِّيَةِ إِلَى سَهْلِ أَرَامَ، وَنَصَبَ خِيَامَهُ مُقَابِلَ الْمَدِينَةِ،

For a hundred pieces of silver,^[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent.

وَاشْتَرَى الأَرْضَ الَّتِي نَصَبَ عَلَيْهَا خَيْمَتَهُ، مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ حَمُورَ أَبِي شَكِيمَ بِمِئَةِ قِطْعَةٍ مِنَ الْفِضَّةِ.

There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.^[d]

وَشَيَّدَ هُنَاكَ مَذْبَحاً دَعَاهُ إِيلَ (وَمَعْنَاهُ إِلَهُ إِسْرَائِيلَ).