Genesis 32:3-36:43

New International Version

³ Jacob sent messengers^(A) ahead of him to his brother Esau^(B) in the land of Seir,^(C) the country of Edom.^{(D) 4} He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord^(E) Esau: ‘Your servant^(F) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban^(G) and have remained there till now. ⁵ I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.^(H) Now I am sending this message to my lord,^(I) that I may find favor in your eyes.^(J)’”

⁶ When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”^(K)

⁷ In great fear^(L) and distress^(M) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,^[a](N) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. ⁸ He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,^[b] the group^[c] that is left may escape.”

⁹ Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,^(O) God of my father Isaac,^(P) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’^{(Q) 10} I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness^(R) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff^(S) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.^{(T) 11} Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid^(U) he will come and attack me,^(V) and also the mothers with their children.^{(W) 12} But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand^(X) of the sea, which cannot be counted.^(Y)’”

¹³ He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift^(Z) for his brother Esau: ¹⁴ two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,^{(AA) 15} thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.^{(AB) 16} He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”^(AC)

¹⁷ He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ ¹⁸ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant^(AD) Jacob. They are a gift^(AE) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

¹⁹ He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ²⁰ And be sure to say, ‘Your servant^(AF) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts^(AG) I am sending on ahead;^(AH) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”^{(AI) 21} So Jacob’s gifts^(AJ) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

²² That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons^(AK) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.^{(AL) 23} After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.^{(AM) 24} So Jacob was left alone,^(AN) and a man^(AO) wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip^(AP) 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.”^(AQ)

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

“Jacob,”^(AR) he answered.

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

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

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

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

³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,^[f](AZ) 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,^(BA) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;^(BB) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.^{(BC) 2} He put the female servants and their children^(BD) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph^(BE) in the rear. ³ He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground^(BF) seven times^(BG) as he approached his brother.

⁴ But Esau^(BH) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.^(BI) And they wept.^{(BJ) 5} Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.^(BK)”

⁶ Then the female servants and their children^(BL) approached and bowed down.^{(BM) 7} Next, Leah and her children^(BN) came and bowed down.^(BO) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,^(BP) and they too bowed down.

⁸ Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”^(BQ)

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”^(BR) he said.

⁹ But Esau said, “I already have plenty,^(BS) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(BT) accept this gift^(BU) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,^(BV) now that you have received me favorably.^{(BW) 11} Please accept the present^(BX) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me^(BY) and I have all I need.”^(BZ) And because Jacob insisted,^(CA) Esau accepted it.

¹² Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

¹³ But Jacob said to him, “My lord^(CB) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.^(CC) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. ¹⁴ So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds^(CD) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.^(CE)”

¹⁵ Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”^(CF)

¹⁶ So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.^{(CG) 17} Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,^(CH) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.^[g]

¹⁸ After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,^[h](CI) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem^(CJ) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. ¹⁹ For a hundred pieces of silver,^[i] he bought from the sons of Hamor,^(CK) the father of Shechem,^(CL) the plot of ground^(CM) where he pitched his tent.^{(CN) 20} There he set up an altar^(CO) and called it El Elohe Israel.^[j]

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,^(CP) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. ² When Shechem^(CQ) son of Hamor^(CR) the Hivite,^(CS) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.^{(CT) 3} His heart was drawn to Dinah^(CU) daughter of Jacob;^(CV) he loved^(CW) the young woman and spoke tenderly^(CX) to her. ⁴ And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”^(CY)

⁵ When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,^(CZ) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

⁶ Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.^{(DA) 7} Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked^(DB) and furious,^(DC) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in^[k] Israel^(DD) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.^(DE)

⁸ But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.^{(DF) 9} Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.^{(DG) 10} You can settle among us;^(DH) the land is open to you.^(DI) Live in it, trade^[l] in it,^(DJ) and acquire property in it.^(DK)”

¹¹ Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,^(DL) and I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² Make the price for the bride^(DM) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

¹³ Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,^(DN) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully^(DO) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.^(DP) That would be a disgrace to us. ¹⁵ We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition^(DQ) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.^{(DR) 16} Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.^(DS) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.^{(DT) 17} But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

¹⁸ Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹⁹ The young man, who was the most honored^(DU) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.^{(DV) 20} So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city^(DW) to speak to the men of their city. ²¹ “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;^(DX) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.^{(DY) 22} But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,^(DZ) as they themselves are. ²³ Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?^(EA) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.^(EB)”

²⁴ All the men who went out of the city gate^(EC) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

²⁵ Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,^(ED) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon^(EE) and Levi,^(EF) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords^(EG) and attacked the unsuspecting city,^(EH) killing every male.^{(EI) 26} They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword^(EJ) and took Dinah^(EK) from Shechem’s house and left. ²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city^(EL) where^[m] their sister had been defiled.^{(EM) 28} They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys^(EN) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.^{(EO) 29} They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,^(EP) taking as plunder^(EQ) everything in the houses.^(ER)

³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble^(ES) on me by making me obnoxious^(ET) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.^(EU) We are few in number,^(EV) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

³¹ But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?^(EW)”

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel^(EX) and settle there, and build an altar^(EY) there to God,^(EZ) who appeared to you^(FA) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”^(FB)

² So Jacob said to his household^(FC) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods^(FD) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.^{(FE) 3} Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,^(FF) who answered me in the day of my distress^(FG) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.^(FH)” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(FI) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(FJ) at Shechem.^{(FK) 5} Then they set out, and the terror of God^(FL) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(FM)

⁶ Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(FN) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^{(FO) 7} There he built an altar,^(FP) and he called the place El Bethel,^[n](FQ) because it was there that God revealed himself to him^(FR) when he was fleeing from his brother.^(FS)

⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,^(FT) died and was buried under the oak^(FU) outside Bethel.^(FV) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[o]

⁹ After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[p](FW) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^{(FX) 10} God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,^[q] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[r]”^(FY) So he named him Israel.

¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty^[s];^(FZ) be fruitful and increase in number.^(GA) A nation^(GB) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^{(GC) 12} The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.^(GD)”^{(GE) 13} Then God went up from him^(GF) at the place where he had talked with him.

¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar^(GG) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering^(GH) on it; he also poured oil on it.^{(GI) 15} Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[t](GJ)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac^(GK)

¹⁶ Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(GL) Rachel^(GM) began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷ And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(GN) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”^{(GO) 18} As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[u](GP) But his father named him Benjamin.^[v](GQ)

¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(GR) (that is, Bethlehem^(GS)). ²⁰ Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(GT) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.^(GU)

²¹ Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^{(GV) 22} While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine^(GW) Bilhah,^(GX) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

These were the sons of Jacob,^(HJ) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.^(HK)

²⁷ Jacob came home to his father Isaac^(HL) in Mamre,^(HM) near Kiriath Arba^(HN) (that is, Hebron),^(HO) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.^{(HP) 28} Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^{(HQ) 29} Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,^(HR) old and full of years.^(HS) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(HT)

Esau’s Descendants^(HU)(HV)

36 This is the account^(HW) of the family line of Esau (that is, Edom).^(HX)

⁹ This is the account^(IN) of the family line of Esau the father of the Edomites^(IO) in the hill country of Seir.

¹⁵ These were the chiefs^(IZ) among Esau’s descendants:

¹⁹ These were the sons of Esau^(JJ) (that is, Edom),^(JK) and these were their chiefs.^(JL)

²⁰ These were the sons of Seir the Horite,^(JM) who were living in the region:

The Rulers of Edom^(JW)

³¹ These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king^(JX) reigned:

⁴⁰ These were the chiefs^(KD) descended from Esau, by name, according to their clans and regions:

This is the family line of Esau, the father of the Edomites.^(KE)