Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

“What do you mean by sending this whole company to meet me?” asked Esau. “To find favor in your sight, my lord,” Jacob answered.

“I already have plenty, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what belongs to you.”

But Jacob 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.

Please accept my gift that was brought to you, because God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” So Jacob pressed him until he accepted.

Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way, and I will go ahead of you.”

But Jacob 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.

Please 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 Seir.”

“Let me leave some of my people with you,” Esau said. But Jacob replied, “Why do that? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

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

but Jacob went on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock; that is why the place was called Succoth.

After Jacob had come from Paddan-aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan, and he camped just outside the city.

And the plot of ground where he pitched his tent, he purchased from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred pieces of silver.

There he set up an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land.

When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

And his soul was drawn to Dinah, the daughter of Jacob. He loved the young girl and spoke to her tenderly.

So Shechem told his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.”

Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter Dinah, but since his sons were with his livestock in the field, he remained silent about it until they returned.

Meanwhile, Shechem’s father Hamor came to speak with Jacob.

When Jacob’s sons heard what had happened, they returned from the field. They were filled with grief and fury, because Shechem had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.

Intermarry with us; give us your daughters, and take our daughters for yourselves.

You may settle among us, and the land will be open to you. Live here, move about freely, and acquire your own property.”

Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Grant me this favor, and I will give you whatever you ask.

Demand a high dowry and an expensive gift, and I will give you whatever you ask. Only give me the girl as my wife!”