Genesis 32

Book Of Genesis Chapter 32
Jacob's vision of angels; his message and presents to Esau; his wrestling with an angel.

[1] Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of God met him. [2] And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of God, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps. [3] And he sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir to the country of Edom: [4] And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day. [5] I have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.

[6] And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men. [7] Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies, [8] Saying: If Esau come to one company and destroy it, the other company that is left shall escape. [9] And Jacob said: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who saidst to me: Return to thy land and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee, [10] I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.

[11] Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him: lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children. [12] Thou didst say that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. [13] And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau. [14] Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams, [15] Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she asses, and ten of their foals.

[16] And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove. [17] And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee? [18] Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob' s: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau: and he cometh after us. [19] In like manner he commanded the second and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him. [20] And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us: for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

[21] So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp. [22] And rising early he took his two wives, and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc. [23] And when all things were brought over that belonged to him, [24] He remained alone: and behold a man wrestled with him till morning. [25] And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

[26] And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go except thou bless me. [27] And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob. [28] But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men? [29] Jacob asked him, Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place. [30] And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.

[31] And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot. [32] Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob' s thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.