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32 Now Jacob went forth on his journey, and the angels of God met him.

And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s army.” And he called the name of the same place, Mahanaim.

Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, into the country of Edom.

To whom he gave commandment, saying, “You shall speak to my lord, Esau, like this: ‘Your servant Jacob says this, “I have been a stranger with Laban and remained until this time.

“I have cattle also and asses, sheep, and men servants, and women servants; and I have sent to show my lord, so that I may find grace in your sight.”’”

So, the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, Esau; and he also comes against you, and four hundred men with him.”

Then Jacob was greatly afraid, and was very troubled, and divided the people that were with him, and the sheep, and the cattle, and the camels into two companies.

For he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and strikes it, the other company shall escape.”

Moreover, Jacob said, “O God of my father, Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac, Lord, Who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your kindred, and I will do you good’,

10 “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and all the Truth, which You have shown to Your servant. For with my staff, I came over 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 I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mother with children.

12 “For You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

13 And he stayed there that same night and took what he received as a present for Esau, his brother:

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

15 thirty milch camels (with their colts), forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals.

16 So he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass before me and put a space between each flock.”

17 And he commanded the first, saying, “If my brother, Esau, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose servant are you? And where are you going? And whose are these before you?’

18 “Then you shall say, ‘They are your servant, Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. And behold, he himself also is behind us.’”

19 So, likewise, he commanded the second and the third, and all that followed the flocks, saying, “After this manner you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.

20 “And you shall say, moreover, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob comes after us.’ For he thought, “I will appease his wrath with the present that goes before me; and afterward, I will see his face. It may be that he will accept me.”

21 So they went, with the present, before him. But he remained that night with the company.

22 And he rose up the same night and took his two wives, and his two maids, and his eleven children, and went over the ford, Jabbok.

23 And he took them, and sent them over the river, and sent over what he had.

24 Now, when Jacob was left by himself, a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

25 And he saw that he could not prevail against him. Therefore, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, “Let me go, for the morning appears.” Who answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 Then he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”

28 And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel. Because you have had power with God, you shall also prevail with men.”

29 And Jacob demanded, saying, “Please tell me Your Name.” And he said, “Why do you ask My Name now?” And he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place, Peniel. “For,” he said, “I have seen God face to face; and my life is preserved.”

31 And the Sun rose up to him as he passed Peniel; and he limped upon his thigh.

32 Therefore, the children of Israel do not eat from the tendon in the hollow of the thigh until this day, because He touched the tendon in the hollow of Jacob’s thigh.

32 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

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

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

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

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

16 And 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.

17 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?

18 Then 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.

19 And 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.

20 And say ye 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 of me.

21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

32 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him; when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called that place Mahanaim.[a](A)

Jacob Sends Presents to Appease Esau

Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,(B) instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have lived with Laban as an alien and stayed until now,(C) and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male and female slaves, and I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’ ”(D)

The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(E) Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed, and he divided the people who were with him and the flocks and herds and camels into two companies,(F) thinking, “If Esau comes to the one company and destroys it, then the company that is left will escape.”

And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will do you good,’(G) 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the 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 companies.(H) 11 Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children.(I) 12 Yet you have said, ‘I will surely do you good and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because of their number.’ ”(J)

13 So he spent that night there, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,(K) 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milch camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 These he delivered into the hand of 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 one in the lead, “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 meet him, 20 and you shall say, ‘Moreover your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterwards I shall see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”(L) 21 So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself spent that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles at Peniel

22 The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(M) 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. 24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.(N) 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the 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 is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”(O) 27 So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then the man[b] said, “You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[c] for you have striven with God and with humans[d] and have prevailed.”(P) 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.(Q) 30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[e] saying, “For I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved.”(R) 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh muscle that is on the hip socket, because he struck Jacob on the hip socket at the thigh muscle.

Footnotes

  1. 32.2 That is, two camps
  2. 32.28 Heb he
  3. 32.28 That is, the one who strives with God or God strives
  4. 32.28 Or with divine and human beings
  5. 32.30 That is, the face of God