Genesis 32-33
Expanded Bible
Jacob Meets Esau
32 When Jacob also went his way, the ·angels [messengers] of God met him. 2 When he saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim [C sounds like “two camps” in Hebrew; a city in the hill country of Gilead; Josh. 13:26, 30].
3 Jacob’s brother Esau was living in the area called Seir in the country of Edom [14:6]. Jacob sent messengers to Esau, 4 telling them, “Give this message to my ·master [lord] Esau: ‘This is what Jacob, your servant, says: I have ·lived [sojourned; lived as an alien] with Laban and have ·remained [or been detained] there until now. 5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I send this message to ·you [my master/lord] ·and ask you to accept us [L to find grace in your eyes].’ ”
6 The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him.”
7 Then Jacob was very afraid and ·worried [distressed]. He divided the people who were with him and all the flocks, herds, and camels into two camps. 8 Jacob thought, “Esau might come and ·destroy [strike; attack] one camp, but the ·other camp can run away and [L the camp that is left] ·be saved [escape].”
9 Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham! God of my father Isaac! Lord, ·you told [did you not tell…?] me to return to my country and my family. You said that you would treat me well. 10 I am not worthy of the ·kindness [loyalty; covenant love] and ·continual goodness [faithfulness] you have shown ·me [L your servant]. The first time I traveled across the Jordan River, I had only my walking stick, but now I own enough to have two camps. 11 Please ·save [rescue; deliver] me from [L the hand of] my brother Esau. I am afraid he will come and ·kill [strike; attack] all of us, even the mothers with the children. 12 You said to me, ‘I will treat you well and will make your ·children [L seed] as many as the sand of the seashore [22:17]. There will be too many to count.’ ”
13 Jacob stayed there for the night and prepared ·a gift [or tribute] for Esau from what he had with him: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ·female sheep [ewes] and twenty ·male sheep [rams], 15 thirty female camels and their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys. 16 Jacob gave each separate flock of animals to one of his servants and said to them, “·Go [Pass] ahead of me and keep some space between each herd.” 17 Jacob gave them their orders. To the servant with the first group of animals he said, “My brother Esau will come to you and ask, ‘·Whose servant are you [L To whom do you belong]? Where are you going and whose ·animals are these [L are these ahead of you]?’ 18 Then you will answer, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. He sent them as a ·gift [or tribute] to you, my ·master [lord] Esau, and he also is coming behind us.’ ”
19 Jacob ordered the second servant, the third servant, and all the ·other servants [L others who followed the droves of animals] to do the same thing. He said, “Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 Say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” Jacob thought, “If I send ·these gifts [or this tribute] ahead of me, maybe ·Esau will forgive me [L I will appease/propitiate him]. Then when I see ·him [L his face], perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So Jacob ·sent [passed ahead of him] the ·gifts [or tribute] to Esau, but he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles with God
22 During the night Jacob rose and crossed the Jabbok River [C a tributary of the Jordan about 15 miles north of the Dead Sea in the Transjordan] at the crossing, taking with him his two wives, his two slave girls, and his eleven sons. 23 He sent his family and everything he had across the ·river [wadi; ravine]. 24 So Jacob was alone, and a man came and wrestled with him until ·the sun came up [daybreak]. 25 When the man saw he could not defeat Jacob, he struck Jacob’s ·hip [hip socket] and put it out of joint [L as he wrestled with him]. 26 Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go. ·The sun is coming up [Daybreak is coming].”
But Jacob said, “I will ·let you go if you will [L not let you go unless you] bless me.”
27 The man said to him, “What is your name?”
And he answered, “Jacob.”
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel [C sounds like “he wrestled/fought/strove with God” in Hebrew], because you have ·wrestled [fought; strove] with God and with people, and you have ·won [prevailed].”
29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”
But ·the man [L he] said, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 So Jacob named that place Peniel [C sounds like “face of God” in Hebrew], saying, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was ·saved [spared].” 31 Then the sun rose as he was leaving that place, and Jacob was limping because of his ·leg [hip]. 32 So even today the people of Israel do not eat the muscle that is on the hip joint of animals [C the sciatic muscle], because Jacob was touched there.
Jacob Shows His Bravery
33 Jacob ·looked up [L raised his eyes] and saw Esau coming, and with him were four hundred men. So Jacob divided his children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slave girls. 2 Jacob put the slave girls with their children first, then Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph last [C least favorite to most favorite]. 3 Jacob himself ·went out [passed] in front of them and bowed down flat on the ground seven times ·as he was walking toward [or until he came near] his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and ·put his arms around [hugged] him and ·hugged him [L fell on his neck]. Then Esau kissed him, and they both cried. 5 When ·Esau looked up [L he raised his eyes] and saw the women and children, he asked, “Who are these people with you?”
Jacob answered, “These are the children God has graciously given me, your servant.”
6 Then the two slave girls and their children came up to Esau and bowed down flat on the earth before him. 7 Leah and her children also came up to Esau and also bowed down flat on the earth. Last of all, Joseph and Rachel came up to Esau, and they, too, bowed down flat before him.
8 Esau said, “·I saw many herds as I was coming here. Why did you bring them [L What is all this camp that I encountered]?”
Jacob answered, “They were to ·please you, my master [L find grace/favor in the eyes of my master/lord].”
9 But Esau said, “I already have enough, my brother. Keep what you have.”
10 Jacob said, “No! Please! If I have ·pleased you [L found grace/favor in your eyes], then ·accept the gift I give you [L take my gift/tribute from my hand]. ·I am very happy to see your face again. It [L Seeing your face] is like seeing the face of God, because you have accepted me. 11 So I beg you to accept the ·gift [present; L blessing] I give you. God has been very ·good [gracious; favorable] to me, and I have ·more than [all that] I need.” And because ·Jacob begged [he urged him], Esau ·accepted [took] the gift.
12 Then Esau said, “Let us be going. I will travel with you.”
13 But Jacob said to him, “My ·master [L lord], you know that the children are ·weak [soft; frail]. And I must be careful with my flocks ·and their young ones [L and herds that are nursing]. If I ·force them to go too far [push them too fast] in one day, ·all the animals [the entire flock] will die. 14 So, my ·master [lord], you ·go [pass] on ahead of me, your servant. I will follow you slowly and let the animals and the children set the speed at which we travel. I will meet you, my ·master [lord], in ·Edom [L Seir; 14:6].”
15 So Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my people with you.”
“No, thank you,” said Jacob. “·I only want to please you, my master [L Why should I find such grace/favor in the eyes of my master/lord?].” 16 So that day Esau started back to ·Edom [L Seir; 14:6]. 17 But Jacob went to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and ·shelters [booths] for his animals. That is why the place was named Succoth [C sounds like “shelter” in Hebrew].
18 Jacob left ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram] and arrived safely at the city of Shechem [12:6] in the land of Canaan. There he camped ·east of [L before] the city. 19 He bought a ·part [parcel; portion] of the field where he had camped from the sons of Hamor father of Shechem for one hundred ·pieces of silver [L qesitah; C an uncertain monetary unit; Josh. 24:32; John 4:5, 6, 12; Acts 7:16]. 20 He ·built [erected] an altar there and named it ·after God, the God of Israel [L El-Elohe-Israel].
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