Genesis 32
1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
Jacob went on his way and some angels of God came to meet him.
2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.
When he saw them he said, “This must be God's camp!” He named the place “Two Camps.”
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
He sent messengers on ahead to meet his brother Esau who was living in the region of Seir in the country of Edom.
4 He instructed them, “You are to say to my master Esau, ‘Your servant Jacob says: I have been staying with Laban and have remained there until now.
He told them, “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau. Your servant Jacob sends you this message. I've been staying with Laban up till now,
5 I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, menservants, and maidservants. I have sent this message to inform my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
and I have cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats, and male and female slaves. I've sent these messengers to explain this to you my lord, hoping you'll be pleased to see me.”
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you—he and four hundred men with him.”
The messengers returned to Jacob and told him, “Your brother Esau is coming to meet you with 400 armed men!”
7 In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels.
When Jacob heard this, he was absolutely terrified. He split all the people with him, along with the sheep, goats, cattle, and camels, into two groups,
8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”
saying to himself, “If Esau comes and destroys one group, the other one can get away.”
9 Then Jacob declared, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, the LORD who told me, ‘Go back to your country and to your kindred, and I will make you prosper,’
Jacob prayed, “God of my grandfather Abraham, God of my father Isaac! Lord, you were the one who told me, ‘Return to your own country and your family home, and I will treat you well.’
10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness You have shown Your servant. Indeed, with only my staff I came across the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.
I don't deserve all the trustworthy love and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I crossed the Jordan years ago with just my walking stick, and now I have two large camps.
11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid that he may come and attack me and the mothers and children with me.
Please save me from my brother; defend me from Esau! I'm terrified that he's coming to attack me, my wives, and my children.
12 But You have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to count.’”
You yourself told me, ‘I will definitely treat you well. I will make your descendants as numerous as the sand of the seashore—too many to count.’”
13 Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau:
Jacob stayed the night there. Then he picked out animals as a gift to his brother Esau:
14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,
200 female goats, 20 male goats; 200 ewes, 20 rams;
15 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.
30 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls; 20 female donkeys, 10 male donkeys.
16 He entrusted them to his servants in separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep some distance between the herds.”
He put his servants in charge of each of the separate herds and told them, “Go on ahead of me, and keep a good distance between the herds.”
17 He instructed the one in the lead, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘To whom do you belong, where are you going, and whose animals are these before you?’
He gave these instructions to those with the first herd: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who is your master, and where are you going, and whose are these animals with you?’
18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift, sent to my lord Esau. And behold, Jacob is behind us.’”
you are to say to him, ‘Your servant Jacob sends these as a gift to my lord Esau, and he's following us.’”
19 He also instructed the second, the third, and all those following behind the herds: “When you meet Esau, you are to say the same thing to him.
He gave the same instructions to those with the second and third and all the subsequent herds, telling them, “This what you are to say to Esau when he meets you.
20 You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
You must also tell him, ‘Your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob said to himself, “Maybe by sending these gifts on ahead Esau won't be angry with me and when I meet him he'll be kind to me.”
21 So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.
So the gifts went on ahead while Jacob spent the night at the camp.
22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
He got up during the night and took his two wives and the two personal maids and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River at the ford.
23 He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.
After helping them cross he also sent over everything that belonged to him.
24 So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
But Jacob stayed there alone. A man came and wrestled with him until dawn.
25 When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip and dislocated it as they wrestled.
When the man realized he couldn't beat Jacob, he hit Jacob's hip socket and put it out of joint as he wrestled with him.
26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
Then the man said, “Let me go because it's almost dawn.” “I won't let you go unless you bless me,” Jacob replied.
27 “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied.
“What's your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men, and you have prevailed.”
“Jacob will no longer be you name,” said the man. “Instead you will be called Israel, because you fought with God and with men and you won.”
29 And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.
“Please tell me your name,” Jacob asked. “Why do you ask me my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “I saw God face to face and I'm still alive!”
31 The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip.
The sun came up as Jacob left Peniel, limping along because of his damaged hip.
32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon which is at the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck near that tendon.
(That's why, even today, Israelites don't eat the thigh tendon attached to the hip socket, because that's where the man hit Jacob's hip socket.)
