5He also commanded them saying, “This is what you should say to my lord, to Esau: ‘This is what your servant Jacob said: I’ve been staying with Laban, and have lingered until now.

6Now I’ve come to possess oxen and donkeys, flocks, male servants and female servants. I sent word to tell my lord, in order to find favor in your eyes.’”

7The messengers returned to Jacob saying, “We went to your brother, to Esau, and he’s also coming out to meet you—and 400 men with him.”

8So Jacob became extremely afraid and distressed. He divided the people with him, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,

9for he thought, “If Esau comes to one camp and strikes it, the camp that’s left will escape.”

10Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Adonai, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives and I will do good with you.’

11I am unworthy of all the proofs of mercy and of all the dependability that you have shown to your servant. For with only my staff I crossed over this Jordan, and now I’ve become two camps.

12Deliver me, please, from my brother’s hand, from Esau’s hand, for I’m afraid of him that he’ll come and strike me—the mothers with the children.

13You Yourself said, ‘I will most certainly do good with you, and will make your seed like the sand of the sea that cannot be counted because of its abundance.’”

14So he stayed overnight there. Then from all that had come into his possession he took an offering for Esau his brother:

15 200 female goats, 20 billy goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

16 30 milking camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.

17He put them in the hands of his servants, each herd by itself, and he said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a gap between each of the herds.”

18Then he commanded the first one 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 all these before you belong?’

19then you are to say, ‘To your servant, to Jacob—it’s an offering sent to my lord, to Esau. And look, he’s also behind us.’”

20And he also commanded the second one, the third one, and all those who were going behind the flocks, saying, “Say the same exact thing to Esau when you find him.

21Then you are to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is also behind us.’” For he thought, “Let me appease him with the offering that goes ahead of me, and afterward see his face, perhaps he’ll lift up my face.”

22So the offering passed over ahead of him, while he spent that night in the camp.

23Then he got up that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.

24He took them and sent them across the stream, and he sent across whatever he had.

Jacob Wrestles With God

25So Jacob remained all by himself. Then a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.

26When He saw that He had not overcome him, He struck the socket of his hip, so He dislocated the socket of Jacob’s hip when He wrestled with him.

27Then He said, “Let Me go, for the dawn has broken.” But he said, “I won’t let You go unless You bless me.”

28Then He said to him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he said.

29Then He said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but rather Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men, and you have overcome.”

30Then Jacob asked and said, “Please tell me Your name.” But He said, “What’s this—you are asking My name?” Then He blessed him there.

31So Jacob named the place Peniel, “for I’ve seen God face to face, and my life has been spared.”

32Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed by Peniel—limping because of his hip.

33That is why the children of Israel do not eat the tendon of the hip socket, to this very day, because He struck the socket of Jacob’s thigh on the tendon of the hip.

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Berĕshith (Genesis) 32

1And Ya‛aqoḇ went on his way, and the messengers of Elohim met him.

2And when Ya‛aqoḇ saw them, he said, “This is the camp of Elohim.” And he called the name of that place Maḥanayim.

3And Ya‛aqoḇ sent messengers before him to Ěsaw his brother in the land of Sĕ‛ir, the field of Eḏom

4and he commanded them, saying, “Say this to my master Ěsaw, ‘Your servant Ya‛aqoḇ said this, “I have sojourned with Laḇan and stayed there until now.

5“And I have bulls, and donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. And I have sent to inform my master, to find favour in your eyes.” ’ ”

6So the messengers returned to Ya‛aqoḇ, saying, “We came to your brother Ěsaw, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men with him.”

7And Ya‛aqoḇ was greatly afraid and distressed. So he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups,

8and he said, “If Ěsaw comes to the one group and strikes it, then the other group which is left shall escape.”

9And Ya‛aqoḇ said, “O Elohim of my father Aḇraham and Elohim of my father Yitsḥaq, יהוה who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives, and I do good to you,’

10“I do not deserve the least of all the loving-commitment and all the truth which You have shown Your servant, for I passed over this Yardĕn with my staff, and now I have become two groups.

11“Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Ěsaw, for I fear him, lest he come and shall strike me and the mother with the children.

12For You said, ‘I shall certainly do good to you, and shall make your seed as the sand of the sea, which are too numerous to count.’

13And he spent the night there, and took what came to his hand as a present for Ěsaw his brother –

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

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

16And he gave into the hand of hisservants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between drove and drove.”

17And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Ěsaw my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? And whose are these in front of you?’

18then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Ya‛aqoḇ’s. It is a present sent to my master Ěsaw. And see, he also is behind us.’ ”

19So he commanded the second, and the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “Speak to Ěsaw this same word when you find him,

20and you shall say, ‘Also look, your servant Ya‛aqoḇ is behind us.’ ” For he said, “Let me appease him with the present that goes before me, and after that see his face. He might accept me.”

21And the present passed over before him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

22And he rose up that night and took his two wives, and his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Yabboq.

23And he took them and sent them over the stream, and sent over what he had.

24And Ya‛aqoḇ was left alone. And a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.

25And when He saw that He did not overcome him, He touched the socket of his hip. And the socket of Ya‛aqoḇ’s hip was dislocated as He wrestled with him.

26And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I am not letting You go until You have blessed me!”

27So He asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Ya‛aqoḇ.”

28And He said, “Your name is no longer called Ya‛aqoḇ, but Yisra’ĕl,#Yisra’ĕl means “to strive with Ěl; to overcome with Ěl; to rule with Ěl". because you have striven with Elohim and with men, and have overcome.”

29And Ya‛aqoḇ asked Him, saying, “Please let me know Your Name.” And He said, “Why do you ask about My Name?” And He blessed him there.

30And Ya‛aqoḇ called the name of the place Peni’ĕl, “For I have seen Elohim face to face, and my life is preserved.”

31And the sun rose on him as he passed over Penu’ĕl, and he limped on his hip.

32That is why the children of Yisra’ĕl to this day do not eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the socket of the thigh, because He touched the socket of the thigh of Ya‛aqoḇ, in the sinew of the hip.

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Genesis 32

Berĕshith (Genesis) 32