< Genesis 32 >

1 Likewise, Jacob continued on the journey that he had begun. And the Angels of God met him.
And Jacob has gone on his way, and messengers of God come on 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 says, when he has seen them, “This [is] the camp of God”; and he calls the name of that place “Two Camps.”
3 Then he also sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom.
And Jacob sends messengers before him to his brother Esau, toward the land of Seir, the field 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 commands them, saying, “Thus you say to my lord, to Esau, Thus said your servant Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and I linger 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 I have ox, and donkey, flock, and manservant, and maidservant, and I send to declare to my lord, to find grace in his eyes.”
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 return to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, to Esau, and he is also coming to meet you, 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 fears exceedingly, and is distressed, and he divides the people who [are] with him, and the flock, and the herd, and the camels, 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 says, “If Esau comes to one camp, and has struck it—then the camp which is left has been for an escape.”
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 says, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, YHWH who says to me, Return to your land and to your family, and I do good with you:
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.
I have been unworthy of all the kind acts and of all the truth which You have done with your servant—for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have 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.
Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I am fearing him, lest he come and has struck me—mother beside sons;
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.”
and You have said, I certainly do good with you, and have set your seed as the sand of the sea, which is not numbered because of the 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 lodges there during that night, and takes from that which is coming into his hand, a present for his brother Esau:
14 two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
female goats two hundred, and male goats twenty, ewes two hundred, and rams twenty,
15 thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and twenty bulls, twenty she-donkeys, and ten of their young.
suckling camels and their young ones thirty, cows forty, and bullocks ten, female donkeys twenty, and foals ten;
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 gives into the hand of his servants every drove by itself, and says to his servants, “Pass over before me, and a space you put 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 commands the first, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you, and has asked you, saying, Whose [are] you? And to where do you go? And whose [are] these before you?
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.”
Then you have said, Your servant Jacob’s: it [is] a present sent to my lord, to Esau; and behold, he also [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 commands also the second, also the third, also all who are going after the droves, saying, “According to this manner do you speak to Esau in your finding 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 you have also said, Behold, your servant Jacob [is] behind us”; for he said, “I pacify his face with the present which is going before me, and afterward I see his face; it may be he lifts up my face”;
21 And so the gifts went before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
and the present passes over before his face, and he has lodged during 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 rises in that night, and takes his two wives, and his two maidservants, and his eleven children, and passes over the passage of Jabbok;
23 And having delivered over all the things that belonged to him,
and he takes them, and causes them to pass over the brook, and he causes that which he has to pass over.
24 he remained alone. And behold, a man wrestled with him until morning.
And Jacob is left alone, and One wrestles with him until the ascending of the dawn;
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 sees that He is not able for him, and He comes against the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh is disjointed 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 says, “Send Me away, for the dawn has ascended”: and he says, “I do not send You away, except You have blessed me.”
27 Therefore he said, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
And He says to him, “What [is] your name?” And he says, “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 says, “Your name is no longer called Jacob, but Israel; for you have reigned with God and with men, and prevail.”
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 asks and says, “Please declare Your Name”; and He says, “Why [is] this, you ask for My Name?” And He blesses 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 calls the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is delivered”;
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 rises on him when he has passed over Penuel, and he is halting on 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 sons of Israel do not eat the sinew which shrank, which [is] on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because He came against the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, against the sinew which shrank.

< Genesis 32 >