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32 Jakob aber zog seinen Weg; und es begegneten ihm die Engel Gottes.

Und da er sie sah, sprach er: Es sind Gottes Heere; und hieß die Stätte Mahanaim.

Jakob aber schickte Boten vor sich her zu seinem Bruder Esau ins Land Seir, in die Gegend Edoms,

und befahl ihnen und sprach: Also sagt meinem Herrn Esau: Dein Knecht Jakob läßt dir sagen: Ich bin bis daher bei Laban lange außen gewesen

und habe Rinder und Esel, Schafe, Knechte und Mägde; und habe ausgesandt, dir, meinem Herrn, anzusagen, daß ich Gnade vor deinen Augen fände.

Die Boten kamen wieder zu Jakob und sprachen: Wir kamen zu deinem Bruder Esau; und er zieht dir auch entgegen mit vierhundert Mann.

Da fürchtete sich Jakob sehr, und ihm ward bange; und teilte das Volk, das bei ihm war, und die Schafe und die Rinder und die Kamele in zwei Heere

und sprach: So Esau kommt auf das eine Heer und schlägt es, so wird das übrige entrinnen.

Weiter sprach Jakob: Gott meines Vaters Abraham und Gott meines Vaters Isaak, HERR, der du zu mir gesagt hast: Zieh wieder in dein Land und zu deiner Freundschaft, ich will dir wohltun!

10 ich bin zu gering aller Barmherzigkeit und aller Treue, die du an deinem Knechte getan hast; denn ich hatte nicht mehr als diesen Stab, da ich über den Jordan ging, und nun bin ich zwei Heere geworden.

11 Errette mich von der Hand meines Bruders, von der Hand Esaus; denn ich fürchte mich vor ihm, daß er nicht komme und schlage mich, die Mütter samt den Kindern.

12 Du hast gesagt ich will dir wohltun und deinen Samen machen wie den Sand am Meer, den man nicht zählen kann vor der Menge.

13 Und er blieb die Nacht da und nahm von dem, das er vor Handen hatte, ein Geschenk für seinen Bruder Esau:

14 zweihundert Ziegen, zwanzig Böcke, zweihundert Schafe, zwanzig Widder

15 und dreißig säugende Kamele mit ihren Füllen, vierzig Kühe und zehn Farren, zwanzig Eselinnen mit zehn Füllen,

16 und tat sie unter die Hand seiner Knechte, je eine Herde besonders, und sprach zu ihnen: Gehet vor mir hin und lasset Raum zwischen einer Herde nach der andern;

17 und gebot dem ersten und sprach: Wenn dir mein Bruder Esau begegnet und dich fragt: Wem gehörst du an, und wo willst du hin, und wes ist's, was du vor dir treibst?

18 sollst du sagen: Es gehört deinem Knechte Jakob zu, der sendet Geschenk seinem Herrn Esau und zieht hinter uns her.

19 Also gebot er auch dem andern und dem dritten und allen, die den Herden nachgingen, und sprach: Wie ich euch gesagt habe, so sagt zu Esau, wenn ihr ihm begegnet;

20 und sagt ja auch: Siehe, dein Knecht Jakob ist hinter uns. Denn er gedachte: Ich will ihn versöhnen mit dem Geschenk, das vor mir her geht; darnach will ich ihn sehen, vielleicht wird er mich annehmen.

21 Also ging das Geschenk vor ihm her, aber er blieb dieselbe Nacht beim Heer

22 und stand auf in der Nacht und nahm seine zwei Weiber und die zwei Mägde und seine elf Kinder und zog an die Furt des Jabbok,

23 nahm sie und führte sie über das Wasser, daß hinüberkam, was er hatte,

24 und blieb allein. Da rang ein Mann mit ihm, bis die Morgenröte anbrach.

25 Und da er sah, daß er ihn nicht übermochte, rührte er das Gelenk seiner Hüfte an; und das Gelenk der Hüfte Jakobs ward über dem Ringen mit ihm verrenkt.

26 Und er sprach: Laß mich gehen, denn die Morgenröte bricht an. Aber er antwortete: Ich lasse dich nicht, du segnest mich denn.

27 Er sprach: Wie heißt du? Er antwortete: Jakob.

28 Er sprach: Du sollst nicht mehr Jakob heißen, sondern Israel; denn du hast mit Gott und mit Menschen gekämpft und bist obgelegen.

29 Und Jakob fragte ihn und sprach: Sage doch, wie heißt du? Er aber sprach: Warum fragst du, wie ich heiße? Und er segnete ihn daselbst.

30 Und Jakob hieß die Stätte Pniel; denn ich habe Gott von Angesicht gesehen, und meine Seele ist genesen.

31 Und als er an Pniel vorüberkam, ging ihm die Sonne auf; und er hinkte an seiner Hüfte.

32 Daher essen die Kinder Israel keine Spannader auf dem Gelenk der Hüfte bis auf den heutigen Tag, darum daß die Spannader an dem Gelenk der Hüfte Jakobs angerührt ward.

32 Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of God met him.

And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of God, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps.

And he sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir to the country of Edom:

And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day.

I have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,

Saying: If Esau come to one company and destroy it, the other company that is left shall escape.

And Jacob said: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who saidst to me: Return to thy land and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee,

10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.

11 Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him: lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children.

12 Thou didst say that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

13 And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau.

14 Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she asses, and ten of their foals.

16 And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove.

17 And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

18 Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau: and he cometh after us.

19 In like manner he commanded the second and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.

20 And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us: for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

21 So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

22 And rising early he took his two wives, and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc.

23 And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,

24 He remained alone: and behold a man wrestled with him till morning.

25 And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

26 And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go except thou bless me.

27 And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob.

28 But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?

29 Jacob asked him, Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.

31 And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot.

32 Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 [a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God(A) met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”(B) So he named that place Mahanaim.[b](C)

Jacob sent messengers(D) ahead of him to his brother Esau(E) in the land of Seir,(F) the country of Edom.(G) He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord(H) Esau: ‘Your servant(I) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban(J) and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.(K) Now I am sending this message to my lord,(L) that I may find favor in your eyes.(M)’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(N)

In great fear(O) and distress(P) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[c](Q) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[d] the group[e] that is left may escape.”

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,(R) God of my father Isaac,(S) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’(T) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness(U) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff(V) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.(W) 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid(X) he will come and attack me,(Y) and also the mothers with their children.(Z) 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand(AA) of the sea, which cannot be counted.(AB)’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift(AC) for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,(AD) 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.(AE) 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”(AF)

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant(AG) Jacob. They are a gift(AH) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant(AI) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts(AJ) I am sending on ahead;(AK) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”(AL) 21 So Jacob’s gifts(AM) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons(AN) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(AO) 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.(AP) 24 So Jacob was left alone,(AQ) and a man(AR) wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip(AS) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”(AT)

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”(AU) he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name(AV) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f](AW) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”(AX)

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”(AY)

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”(AZ) Then he blessed(BA) him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face,(BB) and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h](BC) and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,(BD) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:1 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33.
  2. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
  3. Genesis 32:7 Or camps
  4. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  5. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  6. Genesis 32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  7. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
  8. Genesis 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel