Genesis 32
English Standard Version
Jacob Fears Esau
32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God's (A)camp!” So he called the name of that place (B)Mahanaim.[a]
3 And Jacob sent[b] messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of (C)Seir, the country of Edom, 4 instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that (D)I may find favor in your sight.’”
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and (E)he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” 7 Then Jacob was (F)greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, 8 thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”
9 And Jacob said, (G)“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who (H)said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 (I)I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for (J)I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But (K)you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”
13 So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took (L)a present for his brother Esau, 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.” 17 He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’” 19 He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him[c] with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”[d] 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles with God
22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[e] and crossed the ford of the (M)Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And (N)a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, (O)“I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, (P)“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[f] for (Q)you have striven with God and (R)with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, (S)“Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[g] saying, “For (T)I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed (U)Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh.
Footnotes
- Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps
- Genesis 32:3 Or had sent
- Genesis 32:20 Hebrew appease his face
- Genesis 32:20 Hebrew he will lift my face
- Genesis 32:22 Or sons
- Genesis 32:28 Israel means He strives with God, or God strives
- Genesis 32:30 Peniel means the face of God
Genesis 32
New American Standard Bible
Jacob’s Fear of Esau
32 Now as Jacob went on his way, (A)the angels of God met him. 2 And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s [a]camp.” So he named that place [b](B)Mahanaim.
3 Then Jacob (C)sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau in the land of (D)Seir, the [c]country of (E)Edom. 4 He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says the following: “I have resided with Laban, and (F)stayed until now; 5 and (G)I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent messengers to tell my lord, (H)so that I may find favor in your sight.”’”
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore (I)he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 Then Jacob was (J)greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies; 8 for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and [d]attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”
9 Then Jacob said, “(K)God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Lord, who said to me, ‘(L)Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will [e]make you prosper,’ 10 [f]I am unworthy (M)of all the [g]favor and of all the [h]faithfulness, which You have shown to Your servant; for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. 11 (N)Save me, please, (O)from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and [i]attack me and the (P)mothers with the children. 12 For You said, ‘(Q)I will assuredly [j]make you prosper and (R)make your [k]descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.’”
13 So he spent the night there. Then he [l]selected from what [m]he had with him a (S)gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 Then he placed them in the [n]care of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between flocks.” 17 And he commanded the [o]one in front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a gift sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.’” 19 Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the flocks, saying, “In this way you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’” For he said, “I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the gift passed on ahead of him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.
22 Now he got up that same night and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, and crossed the shallow place of the (T)Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.
Jacob Wrestles
24 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man (U)wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of [p]Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “(V)I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then (W)he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but [q]Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 And (X)Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30 So Jacob named the place [r]Peniel, for he said, “(Y)I have seen God face to face, yet my [s]life has been [t]spared.” 31 Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over (Z)Penuel, and he was limping on his hip. 32 Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip which is on the socket of the hip, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the tendon of the hip.
Footnotes
- Genesis 32:2 Or company
- Genesis 32:2 I.e., Two Camps, or Two Companies
- Genesis 32:3 Lit field
- Genesis 32:8 Lit strikes
- Genesis 32:9 Lit do good with you
- Genesis 32:10 Lit I am less than all
- Genesis 32:10 I.e., generosity
- Genesis 32:10 Or truth
- Genesis 32:11 Lit strike
- Genesis 32:12 Lit do good with you
- Genesis 32:12 Lit seed
- Genesis 32:13 Lit took
- Genesis 32:13 Lit had come to his hand
- Genesis 32:16 Lit hand
- Genesis 32:17 Lit first
- Genesis 32:25 Lit his
- Genesis 32:28 I.e., he who contends with God; or God contends
- Genesis 32:30 I.e., the face of God
- Genesis 32:30 Lit soul
- Genesis 32:30 Lit saved
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
