Genesis 32

1 And Jacob went on his way, and God’s messengers met him. 2 And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place Two Camps.

3 And Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau his brother in the land of Se’ir, in the countryside of Edom. 4 And he instructed them, saying, “Say this to my master Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says: “I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now. 5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my master, that I may find favor in your sight.”’”

6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is also coming to meet you—and 400 men are with him!” 7 Then Jacob was very afraid and distressed. And he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two camps. 8 And he said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the camp which is left will escape.”

9 And Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Yehovah, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and to your relatives and I will do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the kind favors, and all of the true favors which you have done for your servant. For I crossed over this Jordan with my walking stick, and now I have become two camps! 11 Please rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that perhaps he will come and strike me, mother, and children. 12 And You, You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there is so much.’”

13 And he stayed there that night, and took a present for Esau his brother from what had come into his possession: 14 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 15 30 milk camels and their colts, 40 cows, ten bulls, 20 female donkeys, and ten foals. 16 And he gave them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go on ahead of me, and put a space between herd and herd.” 17 And he instructed the first, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Who do you belong to? Where are you going? And who do these ahead of you belong to?’ 18 Then say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. It is a present sent to my master Esau. And look, he also is behind us.’” 19 And he commanded the second also, and the third also, and all that followed the herds, saying, “This is how you are to speak to Esau when you meet him. 20 Say, ‘Also look, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he said to himself, “I will make a redeeming payment to his face with the present that goes ahead of my face, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept my face.” 21 And the present went on ahead of his face, and he himself spent that night in the camp.

22 And he got up during the same night, and took his two wives, and his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the shallow crossing place of the Jabbok River. 23 And he took them and sent them over the stream, and sent over what he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone, and he wrestled with a Man until the dawn was rising. 25 And when the Man had seen that He wasn’t winning against him, He had hit his hip, and Jacob’s hip had gotten dislocated as he had wrestled with Him. 26 And the Man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is rising.”

And Jacob said, “I won’t let You go, unless You bless me.”

27 And the Man said to him, “What is your name?”

And he said, “Jacob.”

28 And He said, “Your name won’t be called Jacob anymore, but rather Israel (which means Persevere with God); for you have persevered with God and with men, and have won.”

29 And Jacob asked him, “Please tell me Your name.”

And He said, “Why is it that you ask what My name is?” And He blessed him there.

30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel (which means God’s Face): “Because I have seen God face to face, and my life is saved.” 31 And the sun rose on him as he passed by Peniel, and he was limping on his thigh. 32 That’s why the children of Israel don’t eat the sciatic nerve that is on the hip until this day, because He hit Jacob’s hip in the sciatic nerve.


Next: Chapter 33

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