Genesis 32

Jacob’s Fear of Esau

1Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. 2And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s #32:2 Or companycamp.” So he named that place #32:2 I.e., Two Camps, or Two CompaniesMahanaim.

3Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the #32:3 Lit fieldcountry of Edom. 4He 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 stayed until now; 5and I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent messengers to tell my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”

6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies; 8for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and #32:8 Lit strikesattacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”

9Then Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Lord, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will #32:9 Lit do good with youmake you prosper,’ 10#32:10 Lit I am less than allI am unworthy of all the #32:10 I.e., generosityfavor and of all the #32:10 Or truthfaithfulness, which You have shown to Your servant; for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. 11Save me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and #32:11 Lit strikeattack me and the mothers with the children. 12For You said, ‘I will assuredly #32:12 Lit do good with youmake you prosper and make your #32:12 Lit seeddescendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.’ ”

13So he spent the night there. Then he #32:13 Lit tookselected from what #32:13 Lit had come to his handhe had with him a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16Then he placed them in the #32:16 Lit handcare of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between flocks.” 17And he commanded the #32:17 Lit firstone 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?’ 18then 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.’ ” 19Then 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; 20and 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.” 21So the gift passed on ahead of him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22Now he got up that same night and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, and crossed the shallow place of the Jabbok. 23He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.

Jacob Wrestles

24Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of #32:25 Lit hisJacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but #32:28 I.e., he who contends with God; or God contendsIsrael; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29And Jacob asked him and said, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And he blessed him there. 30So Jacob named the place #32:30 I.e., the face of GodPeniel, for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my #32:30 Lit soullife has been #32:30 Lit savedspared.” 31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his hip. 32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip which is on the socket of the hip, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the tendon of the hip.

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Berĕshith (Genesis) 32

1And Ya‛aqoḇ went on his way, and the messengers of Elohim met him.

2And when Ya‛aqoḇ saw them, he said, “This is the camp of Elohim.” And he called the name of that place Maḥanayim.

3And Ya‛aqoḇ sent messengers before him to Ěsaw his brother in the land of Sĕ‛ir, the field of Eḏom

4and he commanded them, saying, “Say this to my master Ěsaw, ‘Your servant Ya‛aqoḇ said this, “I have sojourned with Laḇan and stayed there until now.

5“And I have bulls, and donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. And I have sent to inform my master, to find favour in your eyes.” ’ ”

6So the messengers returned to Ya‛aqoḇ, saying, “We came to your brother Ěsaw, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.”

7And Ya‛aqoḇ was greatly afraid and distressed. So he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups,

8and he said, “If Ěsaw comes to the one group and strikes it, then the other group which is left shall escape.”

9And Ya‛aqoḇ said, “O Elohim of my father Aḇraham and Elohim of my father Yitsḥaq, יהוה who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives, and I do good to you,’

10“I do not deserve the least of all the loving-commitment and all the truth which You have shown Your servant, for I passed over this Yardĕn with my staff, and now I have become two groups.

11“Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Ěsaw, for I fear him, lest he come and shall strike me and the mother with the children.

12For You said, ‘I shall certainly do good to you, and shall make your seed as the sand of the sea, which are too numerous to count.’

13And he spent the night there, and took what came to his hand as a present for Ěsaw his brother –

14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

15thirty suckling-camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.

16And he gave into the hand of hisservants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between drove and drove.”

17And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Ěsaw my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? And whose are these in front of you?’

18then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Ya‛aqoḇ’s. It is a present sent to my master Ěsaw. And see, he also is behind us.’ ”

19So he commanded the second, and the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “Speak to Ěsaw this same word when you find him,

20and you shall say, ‘Also look, your servant Ya‛aqoḇ is behind us.’ ” For he said, “Let me appease him with the present that goes before me, and after that see his face. He might accept me.”

21And the present passed over before him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

22And he rose up that night and took his two wives, and his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Yabboq.

23And he took them and sent them over the stream, and sent over what he had.

24And Ya‛aqoḇ was left alone. And a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.

25And when He saw that He did not overcome him, He touched the socket of his hip. And the socket of Ya‛aqoḇ’s hip was dislocated as He wrestled with him.

26And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I am not letting You go until You have blessed me!”

27So He asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Ya‛aqoḇ.”

28And He said, “Your name is no longer called Ya‛aqoḇ, but Yisra’ĕl,#Yisra’ĕl means “to strive with Ěl; to overcome with Ěl; to rule with Ěl". because you have striven with Elohim and with men, and have overcome.”

29And Ya‛aqoḇ asked Him, saying, “Please let me know Your Name.” And He said, “Why do you ask about My Name?” And He blessed him there.

30And Ya‛aqoḇ called the name of the place Peni’ĕl, “For I have seen Elohim face to face, and my life is preserved.”

31And the sun rose on him as he passed over Penu’ĕl, and he limped on his hip.

32That is why the children of Yisra’ĕl to this day do not eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the socket of the thigh, because He touched the socket of the thigh of Ya‛aqoḇ, in the sinew of the hip.

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