Jacob’s Fear of Esau
1 Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp.” He called place Mahanaim.
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 master, 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 this to my master, 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 400 men are with him.” 7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two camps, 8 and he said, “If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it, then the camp which is left will escape.”
9 Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, God, 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 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 mothers and the children. 12 You said, ‘I will surely do good to you and make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot 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, 14 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 ewes and 20 rams, 15 30 milk camels and their colts, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 foals. 16 He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go over ahead of me and put a space between each herd.”
17 He commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you and asks you, ‘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 gift sent to my master, Esau. 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 your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’ ” For, he said, “I will appease him with the gift that goes ahead of me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
21 So the gift passed over ahead of 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, along with everything that belonged to him.
24 Jacob was left alone and wrestled with a man there until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he was not prevailing against him, the man touched the socket of Jacob’s hip, and the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled. 26 The man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
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 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 what my name is?” He blessed him there.
30 Jacob named the place Peniel, 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 hip. 32 Therefore the Israelites, to this day, do not eat the tendon that is by the hip socket, because he struck the socket of Jacob’s hip.