Jacob Wrestles With God

²² That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons^(A) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.^{(B) 23} After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.^{(C) 24} So Jacob was left alone,^(D) and a man^(E) wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip^(F) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 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.”^(G)

²⁷ The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”^(H) he answered.

²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name^(I) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,^[a](J) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”^(K)

²⁹ Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”^(L)

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”^(M) Then he blessed^(N) him there.

³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel,^[b] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face,^(O) and yet my life was spared.”

³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,^[c](P) and he was limping because of his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,^(Q) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Moses Returns to Egypt

¹⁸ Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

¹⁹ Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill^(A) you are dead.^(B)” ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and sons,^(C) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff^(D) of God in his hand.

²¹ The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders^(E) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart^(F) so that he will not let the people go.^{(G) 22} Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,^{(H) 23} and I told you, “Let my son go,^(I) so he may worship^(J) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”^(K)

²⁴ At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses^[a] and was about to kill^(L) him. ²⁵ But Zipporah^(M) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin^(N) and touched Moses’ feet with it.^[b] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. ²⁶ So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

²⁷ The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain^(O) of God and kissed^(P) him. ²⁸ Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

²⁹ Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders^(Q) of the Israelites, ³⁰ and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs^(R) before the people, ³¹ and they believed.^(S) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned^(T) about them and had seen their misery,^(U) they bowed down and worshiped.^(V)