And 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?
Jacob arranges his approaching encounter with Esau by instructing the lead servants of his divided camp.
King James Version (public domain)
Traditionally attributed to Moses · c. 13th century BC · The Pentateuch — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy — is traditionally attributed to him
15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17And 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?
18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.