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The First Book of Moses: Genesis

Unlocked Literal Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 32 -

1
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2
When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp,” so he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3
Jacob sent messengers on ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom.
4
He commanded them, saying, “This is what you will say to my master Esau: This is what your servant Jacob says: ’I have been staying with Laban, and have delayed my return until now.
5
I have oxen, donkeys, and flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent this message to my master, so that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6
The messengers returned to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
7
Then Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, and also the flocks, the herds, and the camels.
8
He said, “If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”
9
Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will prosper you,’
10
I am not worthy of all your acts of covenant faithfulness and of all the trustworthiness that you have done for your servant. For with only my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.
11
Please rescue me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.
12
But you said, ‘I will certainly make you prosper. I will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for their number.’”
13
Jacob stayed there that night. He took some of what he had with him as a gift for Esau, his brother:
14
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15
thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
16
These he gave these into the hand of his servants, every herd by itself. He said to his servants, “Go on ahead of me and put a space between each of the herds.”
17
He instructed the first servant, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? Whose animals are these that are in front of you?’
18
Then you will say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. They are a gift sent to my master Esau. See, he is also coming after us.’”
19
Jacob also gave instructions to the second group, the third, and all the men who followed the herds. He said, “You will say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.
20
You must also say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming after us.’” For he thought, “I will appease him with the gifts that I am sending ahead of me. Then later, when I will see him, perhaps he will receive me.”
21
So the gifts went on ahead of him. He himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22
Jacob got up during the night, and took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons. He sent them across the ford of the Jabbok.
23
In this way he sent them across the stream along with all his possessions.
24
Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
25
When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip. Jacob’s hip was dislocated as he wrestled with him.
26
The man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27
The man said to him, “What is your name?” Jacob said, “Jacob.”
28
The man said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel. For you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”
29
Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is delivered.”
31
The sun rose on Jacob as he passed Peniel. He was limping because of his hip.
32
That is why to this day the people of Israel do not eat the ligaments of the hip which are at the hip joint, because the man injured those ligaments while dislocating Jacob’s hip.
1
Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
2
When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.(a)
3
Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.
4
He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.
5
I have cattle, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.’”
6
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
7
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies.
8
He said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.”
9
Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’
10
I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.
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 mothers with the children.
12
You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”
13
He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him a present for Esau, his brother:
14
two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
15
thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.
16
He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd.”
17
He commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you? Where are you going? 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. Behold, he also is behind us.’”
19
He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, “This is how you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.
20
You shall say, ‘Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’” For, he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
21
So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

22
He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.
23
He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.
24
Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.
25
When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled.
26
The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”
27
He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”.
28
He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
29
Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” So he blessed him there.
30
Jacob called the name of the place Peniel;(b) for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”
31
The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.
32
Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Footnotes

(a)32:2 “Mahanaim” means “two camps”.
(b)32:30 Peniel means “face of God”.