Genesis 32
Christian Standard Bible
Preparing to Meet Esau
32 Jacob went on his way, and God’s angels met him.(A) 2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” So he called that place Mahanaim.[a](B)
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the territory of Edom. 4 He commanded them, “You are to say to my lord Esau, ‘This is what your servant Jacob says. I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed until now. 5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female slaves. I have sent this message to inform my lord, in order to seek your favor.’”(C)
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau; he is coming to meet you—and he has four hundred men with him.”(D) 7 Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; he divided the people with him into two camps, along with the flocks, herds, and camels. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, the remaining one can escape.”(E)
9 Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac,(F) the Lord who said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,’(G) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. Indeed, I crossed over the Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please rescue me from my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children. 12 You have said, ‘I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to be counted.’”(H)
13 He spent the night there and took part of what he had brought with him as a gift for his brother Esau:(I) 14 two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. 16 He entrusted them to his slaves as separate herds and said to them, “Go on ahead of me, and leave some distance between the herds.”
17 And he told the first one, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to? Where are you going? And whose animals are these ahead of you?’ 18 then tell him, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau. And look, he is behind us.’”
19 He also told the second one, the third, and everyone who was walking behind the animals, “Say the same thing to Esau when you find him. 20 You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I want to appease Esau with the gift that is going ahead of me. After that, I can face him, and perhaps he will forgive me.”
21 So the gift was sent on ahead of him while he remained in the camp that night. 22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two slave women, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok.(J) 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.
Jacob Wrestles with God
24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.(K) 25 When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. 26 Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 “What is your name?” the man asked.
“Jacob,” he replied.
28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,”(L) he said. “It will be Israel[b] because you have struggled with God(M) and with men and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”
But he answered, “Why do you ask my name?” (N) And he blessed him there.
30 Jacob then named the place Peniel,[c] “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.”(O) 31 The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel[d](P)—limping because of his hip. 32 That is why, still today, the Israelites don’t eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket: because he struck Jacob’s hip socket at the thigh muscle.[e]
Genesis 32
New Life Version
Esau Comes to Meet Jacob
32 Jacob went on his way, and God’s angels met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he gave the place the name Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent men to carry news before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He told them, “Say this to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, “I have been living with Laban, and stayed there until now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys and flocks and men and women servants. And I have sent to tell my lord, hoping to find favor in your eyes.’” 6 The men that carried the news returned to Jacob and said, “We came to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
7 Then Jacob was afraid and troubled. And he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and cattle and camels, into two groups. 8 For he said, “If Esau comes to the one group and destroys it, then the other group will get away.” 9 Then 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 those of your family, and I will bring good to you.’ 10 I have not earned any of the loving-kindness and faith which You have shown to your servant. For I had crossed this Jordan with only my walking stick. And now I have become two large groups. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the power of Esau. For I am afraid of him. I am afraid he will come and kill us all, the mothers with the children. 12 But You said, ‘I will bring good to you. I will make your children like the sand of the sea. There will be too many to number.’”
13 So Jacob stayed there that night. Then he chose a gift from what he had for his brother Esau: 14 Two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred female sheep, twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels and their young ones, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them into the care of his servants, every group of animals by itself. Then he said to his servants, “Go in front of me. And keep the groups of animals apart.” 17 He told the one in front, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob. It is a gift sent to my lord Esau. And he is coming behind us.’” 19 He also told the second and the third and all those who followed the animals, “This is what you are to say to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he said, “I will take away his anger with the gift that goes in front of me. Then when I meet him, he might receive me.” 21 So the gift went in front of him, while he stayed that night in the tent.
Jacob’s Name Is Changed to Israel
22 But he got up that same night and crossed the Jabbok River, with his two wives, the two women who served him, and his eleven children. 23 He took them and sent them to the other side of the river with all that he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone. And a man fought with him until morning. 25 When the man saw that he was not winning he touched the joint of Jacob’s thigh. And Jacob’s thigh was put out of joint while he fought with him. 26 The man said, “Let me go. For the morning has come.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you pray that good will come to me.” 27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” 28 And the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel. For you have fought with God and with men, and have won.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Tell me, what is your name?” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he prayed that good would come to Jacob. 30 So Jacob gave the place the name of Peniel. For he said, “I have seen God face to face, and yet I am still alive.”
31 The sun rose upon him as he passed through Peniel. It was hard to walk on his leg. 32 So to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the meat from inside the joint of the thigh, because he touched this part of the joint on Jacob’s leg.
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