Genesis 32

Revised Geneva Translation

32 Now Jacob went forth on his journey, and the angels of God met him.

² And when Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s army.” And he called the name of the same place, Mahanaim.

³ Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, into the country of Edom.

⁴ To whom he gave commandment, saying, “You shall speak to my lord, Esau, like this: ‘Your servant Jacob says this, “I have been a stranger with Laban and remained until this time.

⁵ “I have cattle also and asses, sheep, and men servants, and women servants; and I have sent to show my lord, so that I may find grace in your sight.”’”

⁶ So, the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother, Esau; and he also comes against you, and four hundred men with him.”

⁷ Then Jacob was greatly afraid, and was very troubled, and divided the people that were with him, and the sheep, and the cattle, and the camels into two companies.

⁸ For he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and strikes it, the other company shall escape.”

⁹ Moreover, Jacob said, “O God of my father, Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac, Lord, Who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your kindred, and I will do you good’,

¹⁰ “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and all the Truth, which You have shown to Your servant. For with my staff, I came over this Jordan; and now I have become two camps.

¹¹ “Please, deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau. For I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mother with children.

¹² “For You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

¹³ And he stayed there that same night and took what he received as a present for Esau, his brother:

¹⁴ Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

¹⁵ thirty milch camels (with their colts), forty cows and ten bulls, twenty she-asses and ten foals.

¹⁶ So he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every flock by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass before me and put a space between each flock.”

¹⁷ And he commanded the first, saying, “If my brother, Esau, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose servant are you? And where are you going? And whose are these before you?’

¹⁸ “Then you shall say, ‘They are your servant, Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord, Esau. And behold, he himself also is behind us.’”

¹⁹ So, likewise, he commanded the second and the third, and all that followed the flocks, saying, “After this manner you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.

²⁰ “And you shall say, moreover, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob comes after us.’ For he thought, “I will appease his wrath with the present that goes before me; and afterward, I will see his face. It may be that he will accept me.”

²¹ So they went, with the present, before him. But he remained that night with the company.

²² And he rose up the same night and took his two wives, and his two maids, and his eleven children, and went over the ford, Jabbok.

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

²⁴ Now, when Jacob was left by himself, a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

²⁵ And he saw that he could not prevail against him. Therefore, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him.

²⁶ And he said, “Let me go, for the morning appears.” Who answered, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

²⁷ Then he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”

²⁸ And he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel. Because you have had power with God, you shall also prevail with men.”

²⁹ And Jacob demanded, saying, “Please tell me Your Name.” And he said, “Why do you ask My Name now?” And he blessed him there.

³⁰ And Jacob called the name of the place, Peniel. “For,” he said, “I have seen God face to face; and my life is preserved.”

³¹ And the Sun rose up to him as he passed Peniel; and he limped upon his thigh.

³² Therefore, the children of Israel do not eat from the tendon in the hollow of the thigh until this day, because He touched the tendon in the hollow of Jacob’s thigh.