The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 32 -

Nowe Iaakob went forth on his iourney and the Angels of God met him.

And when Iaakob saw them, he said, This is Gods hoste, and called the name of the same place Mahanaim.

Then Iaakob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, vnto the land of Seir into the countrey of Edom:

To whom he gaue commandement, saying, Thus shall ye speake to my lorde Esau: thy seruant Iaakob sayeth thus, I haue bene a stranger with Laban, and taried vnto this time.

I haue beeues also and Asses, sheepe, and men seruantes, and women seruantes, and haue sent to shew my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

So ye messengers came againe to Iaakob, saying, We came vnto thy brother Esau, and hee also commeth against thee and foure hundreth men with him.

Then Iaakob was greatly afraid, and was sore troubled, and deuided the people that was with him, and the sheepe, and the beeues, and the camels into two companies.

For he said, If Esau come to ye one company and smite it, the other companie shall escape.

Moreouer Iaakob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Izhak: Lord, which saydest vnto me, Returne vnto thy coutrey and to thy kinred, and I will do thee good,

I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and al the trueth, which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant: for with my staffe came I ouer this Iorden, and now haue I gotte two bads.

I pray thee, Deliuer me from the hande of my brother, from the hande of Esau: for I feare him, least he will come and smite me, and the mother vpon the children.

For thou saydest; I will surely doe thee good, and make thy seede as the sande of the sea, which can not be nombred for multitude.

And he taryed there the same night, and tooke of that which came to had, a present for Esau his brother:

Two hundreth shee goates and twenty hee goates, two hundreth ewes and twentie rammes:

Thirtie mylche camels with their coltes, fourtie kine, and ten bullockes, twentie she asses and ten foles.

So he deliuered them into the hande of his seruants, euery droue by themselues, and saide vnto his seruants, Passe before me, and put a space betweene droue and droue.

And he commanded the formost, saying, If Esau my brother meete thee, and aske thee, saying, Whose seruant art thou? And whither goest thou? And whose are these before thee?

Then thou shalt say, They be thy seruant Iaakobs: it is a present sent vnto my lord Esau: and beholde, he him selfe also is behinde vs.

So likewise commanded he the seconde and the thirde, and all that followed the droues, saying, After this maner, ye shall speake vnto Esau, when ye finde him.

And ye shall say moreouer, Beholde, thy seruant Iaakob commeth after vs (for he thought, I will appease his wrath with the present that goeth before me, and afterwarde I will see his face: it may be that he will accept me.)

So went the present before him: but he taried that night with the companie.

Jacob Wrestles with God

And he rose vp the same night, and tooke his two wiues, and his two maides, and his eleuen children, and went ouer the forde Iabbok.

And he tooke them, and sent them ouer the riuer, and sent ouer that he had.

Now when Iaakob was left him selfe alone, there wrestled a man with him vnto the breaking of the day.

And he sawe that he could not preuaile against him: therefore he touched the holowe of his thigh, and the holowe of Iaakobs thigh was loosed, as he wrestled with him.

And he saide, Let me goe, for the morning appeareth. Who answered, I will not let thee go except thou blesse me.

Then said he vnto him, What is thy name? And he said, Iaakob.

Then said he, Thy name shalbe called Iaakob no more, but Israel: because thou hast had power with God, thou shalt also preuaile with men.

Then Iaakob demaded, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore now doest thou aske my name? and he blessed him there

And Iaakob called the name of the place, Peniel: for, saide he, I haue seene God face to face, and my life is preserued.

And the sunne rose vp to him as he passed Peniel, and he halted vpon his thigh.

Therefore the children of Israel eate not of the sinewe that shranke in the hollowe of the thigh, vnto this day: because he touched the sinew that shranke in the holow of Iaakobs thigh.

Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.(a)

Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.

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.

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.’”

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.”

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.

He said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.”

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,’

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.

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.

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.’”

He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him a present for Esau, his brother:

two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

thirty milk camels and their colts, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.

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.”

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?’

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.’”

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.

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.”

So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

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.

He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.

Jacob was left alone, and wrestled with a man there until the breaking of the day.

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.

The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”

He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob”.

He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

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.

Jacob called the name of the place Peniel;(b) for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.

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”.