Genesis 32

Jacob’s Fear of Esau

1Now as Jacob went on his way, 1the angels of God met him. 2Jacob said when he saw them, “This is God’s 2camp.” So he named that place 34Mahanaim.

3Then Jacob 5sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of 6Seir, the 7country of 8Edom. 4He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban, and 9stayed until now; 510I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, 11that I may find favor in your sight.”’”

6The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore 12he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7Then Jacob was 13greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; 8for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and 14attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”

9Jacob said, “O 15God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who said to me, ‘16Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will 17prosper you,’ 1018I am unworthy 19of all the lovingkindness and of all the 20faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. 1121Deliver me, I pray, 22from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and 23attack me and the 24mothers with the children. 12For You said, ‘25I will surely 26prosper you and 27make your 28descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.’”

13So he spent the night there. Then he 29selected from what 30he had with him a 31present 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, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on before me, and put a space between droves.” 17He commanded the 32one 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 present 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 droves, saying, “After this manner 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 present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the 33Jabbok. 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 34wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “35I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 2836He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but 37Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” 29Then 38Jacob 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 39Peniel, for he said, “40I have seen God face to face, yet my 41life has been preserved.” 31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over 42Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh. 32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.