Genesis 32
32
Jacob prepares to meet Esau
1Jacob went on his way, and God’s messengers approached him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp,” and he named that sacred place Mahanaim.#32.2 Or two camps 3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau, toward the land of Seir, the open country of Edom. 4He gave them these orders: “Say this to my master Esau. This is the message of your servant Jacob: ‘I’ve lived as an immigrant with Laban, where I’ve stayed till now. 5I own cattle, donkeys, flocks, men servants, and women servants. I’m sending this message to my master now to ask that he#32.5 Or you be kind.’”
6The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went out to your brother Esau, and he’s coming to meet you with four hundred men.”
7Jacob was terrified and felt trapped, so he divided the people with him, and the flocks, cattle, and camels, into two camps. 8He thought, If Esau meets the first camp and attacks it, at least one camp will be left to escape.
9Jacob said, “LORD, God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I’ll make sure things go well for you,’ 10I don’t deserve how loyal and truthful you’ve been to your servant. I went away across the Jordan with just my staff, but now I’ve become two camps. 11Save me from my brother Esau! I’m afraid he will come and kill me, the mothers, and their children. 12You were the one who told me, ‘I will make sure things go well for you, and I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, so many you won’t be able to count them.’”
13Jacob spent that night there. From what he had acquired, he set aside a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty nursing camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He separated these herds and gave them to his servants. He said to them, “Go ahead of me and put some distance between each of the herds.” 17He ordered the first group, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, ‘Who are you with? Where are you going? And whose herds are these in front of you?’ 18say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s, a gift sent to my master Esau. And Jacob is actually right behind us.’” 19He also ordered the second group, the third group, and everybody following the herds, “Say exactly the same thing to Esau when you find him. 20Say also, ‘Your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob thought, I may be able to pacify Esau with the gift I’m sending ahead. When I meet him, perhaps he will be kind to me. 21So Jacob sent the gift ahead of him, but he spent that night in the camp.
Jacob wrestles with God
22Jacob got up during the night, took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the Jabbok River’s shallow water. 23He took them and everything that belonged to him, and he helped them cross the river. 24But Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke. 25When the man saw that he couldn’t defeat Jacob, he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and tore a muscle in Jacob’s thigh as he wrestled with him. 26The man said, “Let me go because the dawn is breaking.”
But Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”
27He said to Jacob, “What’s your name?” and he said, “Jacob.” 28Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel,#32.28 Or God struggles or one who struggles with God because you struggled with God and with men and won.”
29Jacob also asked and said, “Tell me your name.”
But he said, “Why do you ask for my name?” and he blessed Jacob there. 30Jacob named the place Peniel,#32.30 Or face of God “because I’ve seen God face-to-face, and my life has been saved.” 31The sun rose as Jacob passed Penuel, limping because of his thigh. 32Therefore, Israelites don’t eat the tendon attached to the thigh muscle to this day, because he grabbed Jacob’s thigh muscle at the tendon.
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Genesis 32: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
Genesis 32
32
Esau Comes to Meet Jacob
1So Jacob went on his way, and #Num. 22:31; 2 Kin. 6:16, 17; (Ps. 34:7; 91:1; Heb. 1:14)the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s #Josh. 5:14; Ps. 103:21; 148:2; Luke 2:13camp.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother #Gen. 14:6; 33:14, 16in the land of Seir, #Gen. 25:30; 36:6–9; Deut. 2:5; Josh. 24:4the country of Edom. 4And he commanded them, saying, #Prov. 15:1“Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5#Gen. 30:43I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that #Gen. 33:8, 15I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”
6Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and #Gen. 33:1he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7So Jacob was greatly afraid and #Gen. 32:11; 35:3distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. 8And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”
9#(Ps. 50:15)Then Jacob said, #Gen. 28:13; 31:42“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord #Gen. 31:3, 13who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10I am not worthy of the least of all the #Gen. 24:27mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with #Job 8:7my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11#Ps. 59:1, 2Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and #Hos. 10:14the mother with the children. 12For #Gen. 28:13–15You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the #Gen. 22:17sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”
13So he lodged there that same night, and took what came to his hand as #Gen. 43:11a present for Esau his brother: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 16Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” 17And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ 18then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ” 19So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will #(Prov. 21:14)appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
Wrestling with God
22And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, #Num. 21:24; Deut. 3:16; Josh. 12:2and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24Then Jacob was left alone; and #Josh. 5:13–15; Hos. 12:2–4a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and #Matt. 26:41; 2 Cor. 12:7the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26And #Luke 24:28He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, #Hos. 12:4“I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
27So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
28And He said, #Gen. 35:10; 1 Kin. 18:31; 2 Kin. 17:34“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have #Hos. 12:3, 4struggled with God and #Gen. 25:31; 27:33with men, and have prevailed.”
29Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, #Judg. 13:17, 18“Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He #Gen. 35:9blessed him there.
30So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For #Gen. 16:13; Ex. 24:10, 11; 33:20; Num. 12:8; Deut. 5:24; Judg. 6:22; Is. 6:5; (Matt. 5:8; 1 Cor. 13:12)I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.