Genesis 32

Jacob’s Fear of Esau

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

3Then Jacob 5sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau in the land of 6Seir, the 7country of 8Edom. 4He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says the following: “I have resided with Laban, and 9stayed until now; 5and 10I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent messengers to tell my lord, 11so that I may find favor in your sight.”’”

6And the 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, 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.”

9Then Jacob said, “15God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, Lord, who said to me, ‘16Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will 17make you prosper,’ 1018I am unworthy 19of all the 20favor and of all the 21faithfulness, which You have shown to Your servant; for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. 1122Save me, please, 23from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and 24attack me and the 25mothers with the children. 12For You said, ‘26I will assuredly 27make you prosper and 28make your 29descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be counted.’”

13So he spent the night there. Then he 30selected from what 31he had with him a 32gift 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, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16Then he placed them in the 33care of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me, and put a space between flocks.” 17And he commanded the 34one 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 gift 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 flocks, saying, “In this way 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 gift that goes ahead of me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21So the gift passed on ahead of him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22Now he got up that same night and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his eleven children, and crossed the shallow place of the 35Jabbok. 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 36wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When the man saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of 37Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “38I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28Then 39he said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but 40Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29And 41Jacob 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 42Peniel, for he said, “43I have seen God face to face, yet my 44life has been 45spared.” 31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over 46Penuel, and he was limping on his hip. 32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip which is on the socket of the hip, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the tendon of the hip.