Jacob saw Esau walking with his 400 men and put his children in order; the concubines and their children, Leah and her children, and Rachel and Joseph at the rear. Jacob went ahead of them to bow to the ground seven times when he approached Esau. But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms, embraced and kissed him, crying. Everyone in order came over and bowed down to Esau. Jacob urged Esau to accept his favor, even though Esau refused and said he had enough. Esau told Jacob to get ready and leave, but Jacob told Esau to go at their own pace without Esau’s men. Esau went to Edom, but Jacob went to Succoth and built a house for himself and shelters for his livestock.
On his way back from Mesopotamia, Jacob was in the city of Shechem in the land of Canaan and he stayed near the city. He bought the field from Hamor, Shechem’s father, put up an altar and named it for El, the God of Israel.