Genesis 32:1-21
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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 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 32:1-21
American Standard Version
32 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And Jacob said when he saw them, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place [a]Mahanaim.
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the field of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye say unto my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now: 5 and I have oxen, and asses, and flocks, and men-servants, and maid-servants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in thy sight. 6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and moreover he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed: and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks, and the herds, and the camels, into two companies; 8 and he said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the company which is left shall escape. 9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Jehovah, who saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will do thee good: 10 [b]I am not worthy of the least of all the lovingkindnesses, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he come and smite me, 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 night, and took of that which he had with him 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 and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses 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 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 are thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, he also is behind us. 19 And he commanded also 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 ye shall say, 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 me. 21 So the present passed over before him: and he himself lodged that night in the company.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 32:2 That is, Two hosts, or, Companies.
- Genesis 32:10 Hebrew I am less than all etc.
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