Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 ^[a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God^(A) met him. ² When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”^(B) So he named that place Mahanaim.^[b](C)

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

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.”^(N)

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

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

¹³ He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift^(AC) for his brother Esau: ¹⁴ two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,^{(AD) 15} thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.^{(AE) 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.”^(AF)

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^(AG) Jacob. They are a gift^(AH) 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^(AI) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts^(AJ) I am sending on ahead;^(AK) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”^{(AL) 21} So Jacob’s gifts^(AM) 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^(AN) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.^{(AO) 23} After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.^{(AP) 24} So Jacob was left alone,^(AQ) and a man^(AR) wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip^(AS) 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.”^(AT)

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

“Jacob,”^(AU) he answered.

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

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

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

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

³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,^[h](BC) 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,^(BD) 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;^(BE) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.^{(BF) 2} He put the female servants and their children^(BG) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph^(BH) in the rear. ³ He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground^(BI) seven times^(BJ) as he approached his brother.

⁴ But Esau^(BK) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.^(BL) And they wept.^{(BM) 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.^(BN)”

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

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

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

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

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(BW) accept this gift^(BX) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,^(BY) now that you have received me favorably.^{(BZ) 11} Please accept the present^(CA) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me^(CB) and I have all I need.”^(CC) And because Jacob insisted,^(CD) 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^(CE) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.^(CF) 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^(CG) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.^(CH)”

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.”^(CI)

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

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

Psalm 20^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.