Genesis 32:1-21
New King James Version
Esau Comes to Meet Jacob
32 So Jacob went on his way, and (A)the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s (B)camp.” And he called the name of that place [a]Mahanaim.
3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother (C)in the land of Seir, (D)the [b]country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, (E)“Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 (F)I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that (G)I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”
6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and (H)he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 So Jacob was greatly afraid and (I)distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. 8 And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and [c]attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”
9 (J)Then Jacob said, (K)“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord (L)who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the (M)mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with (N)my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 (O)Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and [d]attack me and (P)the mother with the children. 12 For (Q)You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the (R)sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
13 So he lodged there that same night, and took what [e]came to his hand as (S)a present for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ” 19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will (T)appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 32:2 Lit. Double Camp
- Genesis 32:3 Lit. field
- Genesis 32:8 Lit. strikes
- Genesis 32:11 Lit. strike
- Genesis 32:13 he had received
Genesis 32:1-21
21st Century King James Version
32 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s host.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim [that is, Two hosts or camps].
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
4 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,
5 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.’”
6 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.”
7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and the camels into two bands.
8 And he said, “If Esau come to the one company and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.”
9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who 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 shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have 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 from that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother:
14 two hundred shegoats and twenty hegoats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty sheasses and ten foals.
16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said unto his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a space between 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 are 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 who followed the droves, saying, “In 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 presents that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
21 So went the presents over before him, and he himself lodged that night in the company.
Read full chapterScripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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