Genesis 32

1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God.” So he named that place Mahanaim.

2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

3 Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field 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.

4 He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until 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.’”

5 I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’”

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.”

6 The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

7 In great fear and distress, Jacob divided his people into two camps, as well as the flocks and herds and camels.

7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies.

8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one camp, then the other camp can escape.”

8 He said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.”

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,’

9 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 relatives, and I will do you good,’

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.

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.

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.

11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the 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.’”

12 You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”

13 Jacob spent the night there, and from what he had brought with him, he selected a gift for his brother Esau:

13 He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him a present for Esau, his brother:

14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

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

15 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.

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

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.”

16 He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd.”

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?’

17 He commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before 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.’”

18 Then you shall say, ‘They are your servant, Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. Behold, he also is behind 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.

19 He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, “This is how you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.

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.”

20 You shall say, ‘Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’” For, he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

21 So Jacob’s gifts went on before him, while he spent the night in the camp.

21 So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in 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.

22 He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.

23 He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

23 He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.

24 So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

24 Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.

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.

25 When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled.

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.”

26 The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”

27 “What is your name?” the man asked. “Jacob,” he replied.

27 He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”.

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.”

28 He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29 And Jacob requested, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.

29 Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” So he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

30 Jacob called the name of the place Peniel; for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed by Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip.

31 The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.

32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was struck near that tendon.

32 Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.