Genesis 32
1 Likewise, Jacob continued on the journey that he had begun. And the Angels of God met him.
And Jacob departed for his journey; and having looked up, he saw the host of God encamped; and the angels of God met him.
2 When he had seen them, he said, “These are the Encampments of God.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, ‘Encampments.’
And Jacob said, when he saw them, This is the Camp of God; and he called the name of that place, Encampments.
3 Then he also sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom.
And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom.
4 And he instructed them, saying: “You shall speak in this way to my lord Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says these things: “I have sojourned with Laban, and I have been with him until the present day.
And he charged them, saying, Thus shall ye say to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy servant Jacob; I have sojourned with Laban and tarried until now.
5 I have oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, and men servants, and women servants. And now I send an ambassador to my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.”’”
And there were born to me oxen, and asses, and sheep, and men-servants and women-servants; and I sent to tell my lord Esau, that thy servant might find grace in thy sight.
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother Esau, and behold, he rushes to meet you with four hundred men.”
And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and lo! he comes to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
7 Jacob was very afraid. And in his terror, he divided the people who were with him, likewise the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,
And Jacob was greatly terrified, and was perplexed; and he divided the people that was with him, and the cows, and the camels, and the sheep, into two camps.
8 saying: “If Esau goes to one company, and strikes it, the other company, which is left behind, will be saved.”
And Jacob said, If Esau should come to one camp, and smite it, the other camp shall be in safety.
9 And Jacob said: “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me: ‘Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will do well for you.’
And Jacob said, God of my father Abraam, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, thou [art] he that said to me, Depart quickly to the land of thy birth, and I will do thee good.
10 I am less than any of your compassions and your truth, which you have fulfilled to your servant. With my staff I crossed over this Jordan. And now I go back with two companies.
Let there be to me a sufficiency of all the justice and all the truth which thou hast wrought with thy servant; for with this my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two camps.
11 Rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am very afraid of him, lest perhaps he may come and strike down the mother with the sons.
Deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him, lest haply he should come and smite me, and the mother upon the children.
12 You did say that you would do well by me, and that you would expand my offspring like the sand of the sea, which, because of its multitude, cannot be numbered.”
But thou saidst, I will do thee good, and will make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which shall not be numbered for multitude.
13 And when he had slept there that night, he separated, from the things that he had, gifts for his brother Esau:
And he slept there that night, and took of the gifts which he carried [with him], and sent out to Esau his brother,
14 two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred sheep, twenty rams,
15 thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and twenty bulls, twenty she-donkeys, and ten of their young.
milch camels, and their foals, thirty, forty kine, ten bulls, twenty asses, and ten colts.
16 And he sent them by the hands of his servants, each flock separately, and he said to his servants: “Pass before me, and let there be a space between flock and flock.”
And he gave them to his servants [each] drove apart; and he said to his servants, Go on before me, and put a space between drove and drove.
17 And he instructed the first, saying: “If you happen to meet my brother Esau, and he questions you: “Whose are you?” or, “Where are you going?” or, “Whose are these which follow you?”
And he charged the first, saying, If Esau my brother meet thee, and he ask thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither wouldest thou go, and whose are these possessions advancing before thee?
18 you shall respond: “Your servant Jacob’s. He has sent them as a gift to my lord Esau. And he is also coming after us.”
Thou shalt say, Thy servant Jacob's; he hath sent gifts to my lord Esau, and lo! he is behind us.
19 Similarly, he gave orders to the second, and the third, and to all who followed the flocks, saying: “Speak these same words to Esau, when you find him.
And he charged the first and the second and the third, and all that went before him after these flocks, saying, Thus shall ye speak to Esau when ye find him;
20 And you will add: ‘Your servant Jacob himself also follows after us, for he said: “I will appease him with the gifts that go ahead, and after this, I will see him; perhaps he will be gracious to me.”’”
and ye shall say, Behold thy servant Jacob comes after us. For he said, I will propitiate his countenance with the gifts going before his presence, and afterwards I will behold his face, for peradventure he will accept me.
21 And so the gifts went before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
So the presents went on before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
22 And when he had arisen early, he took his two wives, and the same number of handmaids, with his eleven sons, and he crossed over the ford of Jabbok.
And he rose up in that night, and took his two wives and his two servant-maids, and his eleven children, and crossed over the ford of Jaboch.
23 And having delivered over all the things that belonged to him,
And he took them, and passed over the torrent, and brought over all his possessions.
24 he remained alone. And behold, a man wrestled with him until morning.
And Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him till the morning.
25 And when he saw that he would not be able to overcome him, he touched the nerve of his thigh, and immediately it withered.
And he saw that he prevailed not against him; and he touched the broad part of his thigh, and the broad part of Jacob's thigh was benumbed in his wrestling with him.
26 And he said to him, “Release me, for now the dawn ascends.” He responded, “I will not release you, unless you bless me.”
And he said to him, Let me go, for the day has dawned; but he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 Therefore he said, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
And he said to him, What is thy name? and he answered, Jacob.
28 But he said, “Your name will not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if you have been strong against God, how much more will you prevail against men?”
And he said to him, Thy name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name; for thou hast prevailed with God, and shalt be mighty with men.
29 Jacob questioned him, “Tell me, by what name are you called?” He responded, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him in the same place.
And Jacob asked and said, Tell me thy name; and he said, Wherefore dost thou ask after my name? and he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.”
And Jacob called the name of that place, the Face of God; for, [said he, ]I have seen God face to face, and my life was preserved.
31 And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he had crossed beyond Peniel. Yet in truth, he limped on his foot.
And the sun rose upon him, when he passed the Face of God; and he halted upon his thigh.
32 For this reason, the sons of Israel, even to the present day, do not eat the nerve that withered in Jacob’s thigh, because he touched the nerve of his thigh and it was obstructed.
Therefore the children of Israel will by no means eat of the sinew which was benumbed, which is on the broad part of the thigh, until this day, because [the angel] touched the broad part of the thigh of Jacob—[even] the sinew which was benumbed.
