Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Jacob went on his way, and God's angels met him.

1Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

2When he saw them, Jacob said, "This is God's camp." So he called that place Mahanaim.

2And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the territory of Edom.

3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,

4He commanded them, "You are to say to my lord Esau, 'This is what your servant Jacob says. I have been staying with Laban and have been delayed until now.

4instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.

5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female slaves. I have sent this message to inform my lord, in order to seek your favor.'"

5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’”

6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau; he is coming to meet you--and he has four hundred men with him."

6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.”

7Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; he divided the people with him into two camps, along with the flocks, herds, and camels.

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps,

8He thought, "If Esau comes to one camp and attacks it, the remaining one can escape."

8thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”

9Then Jacob said, "God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, 'Go back to your land and to your family, and I will cause you to prosper,'

9And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’

10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. Indeed, I crossed over the Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two camps.

10I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps.

11Please rescue me from my brother Esau, for I am afraid of him; otherwise, he may come and attack me, the mothers, and their children.

11Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children.

12You have said, 'I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, too numerous to be counted.'"

12But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

13He spent the night there and took part of what he had brought with him as a gift for his brother Esau:

13So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau,

14two hundred female goats, twenty male goats, two hundred ewes, twenty rams,

14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

15thirty milk camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.

15thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.

16He entrusted them to his slaves as separate herds and said to them, "Go on ahead of me, and leave some distance between the herds."

16These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”

17And he told the first one: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'Who do you belong to? Where are you going? And whose animals are these ahead of you?'

17He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’

18then tell him, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau. And look, he is behind us.'"

18then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’”

19He also told the second one, the third, and everyone who was walking behind the animals, "Say the same thing to Esau when you find him.

19He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him,

20You are also to say, 'Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.'" For he thought, "I want to appease Esau with the gift that is going ahead of me. After that, I can face him, and perhaps he will forgive me."

20and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”

21So the gift was sent on ahead of him while he remained in the camp that night.

21So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two slave women, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok.

22The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

23He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

23He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.

24Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

24And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day.

25When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob's hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip.

25When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.

26Then he said to Jacob, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

26Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27"What is your name?" the man asked. "Jacob," he replied.

27And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”

28"Your name will no longer be Jacob," he said. "It will be Israel because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed."

28Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

29Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he answered, "Why do you ask my name?" And he blessed him there.

29Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him.

30Jacob then named the place Peniel, "For I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."

30So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”

31The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel--limping because of his hip.

31The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

32That is why, still today, the Israelites don't eat the thigh muscle that is at the hip socket: because he struck Jacob's hip socket at the thigh muscle.

32Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.