Genesis 32
1 Likewise, Jacob continued on the journey that he had begun. And the Angels of God met him.
Jacob also went on his way, 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.’
When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God's camp,” so he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3 Then he also sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom.
Jacob sent messengers on ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, in the region 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.
He commanded them, saying, “This is what you will say to my master Esau: This is what your servant Jacob says: 'I have been staying with Laban, and have delayed my return 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.”’”
I have oxen, donkeys, and flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent this message to my master, so that I may find favor in your 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.”
The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are 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,
Then Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, and also the flocks, the herds, and the camels.
8 saying: “If Esau goes to one company, and strikes it, the other company, which is left behind, will be saved.”
He said, “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will 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.’
Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, 'Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will prosper 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 am not worthy of all your acts of covenant faithfulness and of all the trustworthiness that you have done for your servant. For with only 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 rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with 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 you said, 'I will certainly make you prosper. I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for their number.'”
13 And when he had slept there that night, he separated, from the things that he had, gifts for his brother Esau:
Jacob stayed there that night. He took some of what he had with him as a gift for Esau, his brother:
14 two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15 thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and twenty bulls, twenty she-donkeys, and ten of their young.
thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
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.”
These he gave these into the hand of his servants, every herd by itself. He said to his servants, “Go on ahead of me and put a space between each of the herds.”
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?”
He instructed the first servant, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? Whose animals are these that are in front of 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 will say, 'They are your servant Jacob's. They are a gift sent to my master Esau. See, he is also coming after 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.
Jacob also gave instructions to the second group, the third, and all the men who followed the herds. He said, “You will say the same thing to Esau when you meet 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.”’”
You must also say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming after us.'” For he thought, “I will appease him with the gifts that I am sending ahead of me. Then later, when I will see him, perhaps he will receive me.”
21 And so the gifts went before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
So the gifts went on ahead of him. He himself stayed 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.
Jacob got up during the night, and he took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons. He sent them across the ford of the Jabbok.
23 And having delivered over all the things that belonged to him,
In this way he sent them across the stream along with all his possessions.
24 he remained alone. And behold, a man wrestled with him until morning.
Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
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.
When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob's hip. Jacob's hip was dislocated as he wrestled 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.”
The man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 Therefore he said, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
The man said to him, “What is your name?” Jacob said, “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?”
The man said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel. For you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
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.
Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” Then 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.”
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel for he said, “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.
The sun rose on Jacob as he passed Peniel. He was limping because of his hip.
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.
That is why to this day the people of Israel do not eat the ligaments of the hip which are at the hip joint, because the man injured those ligaments while dislocating Jacob's hip.
