Various Authors

The Tanakh


Скачать книгу

sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's. 20And Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, in that he told him not that he fled. 21So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over 44the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

      וישלח

      4And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom. 5And he commanded them, saying: 'Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now. 6And I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and men-servants and maid-servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.' 7And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: 'We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.' 8Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. And he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two camps. 9And he said: 'If Esau come to the one camp, and smite it, then the camp which is left shall escape.' 10And Jacob said: 'O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who saidst unto me: Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good; 11I am not worthy of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two camps. 12Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, the mother with the children. 13And Thou saidst: I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.' 14And he lodged there that night; and took of that which he had with him a present for Esau his brother: 15two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 16thirty milch camels and their colts, forty kine and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals. 17And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself; and said unto his servants: 'Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.' 18And he commanded the foremost, saying: 'When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying: Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? 19then thou shalt say: They are thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord, even unto Esau; and, behold, he also is behind us.' 20And he commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: 'In this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him; 21and ye shall say: Moreover, behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us.' For he said: 'I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept me.' 22So the present passed over before him; and he himself lodged that night in the camp.