Holman Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

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

1 As Jacob started on his way again, angels of God came to meet him.

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

2When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, “This is God’s camp!” So he named the place Mahanaim. Jacob Sends Gifts to Esau

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

3Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land 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.

4He told them, “Give this message to my master Esau: ‘Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban,

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

5and now I own cattle, donkeys, flocks of sheep and goats, and many servants, both men and women. I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me.’”

6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau; he is coming to meet you--and he has 400 men with him."

6After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!”

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

7Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups.

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

8He thought, “If Esau meets one group and attacks it, perhaps the other group can 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,'

9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O LORD, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’

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

10I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!

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

11O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children.

12You have said, 'I will cause you to prosper, and I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"

12But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”

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

13Jacob stayed where he was for the night. Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau:

14 200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

15 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.

1530 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 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."

16He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, “Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds.”

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 gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: “When my brother, Esau, meets you, he will ask, ‘Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?’

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

18You must reply, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right 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.

19Jacob gave the same instructions to the second and third herdsmen and to all who followed behind the herds: “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet 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 be sure to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob thought, “I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me.”

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

21So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp. Jacob Wrestles with God

22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female slaves, and his 11 sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok.

22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them.

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

23After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.

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

24This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.

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 would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.

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 the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

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

27“What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.”

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

28“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

29Then Jacob asked Him, "Please tell me Your name." But He answered, "Why do you ask My name?" And He blessed him there.

29“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said. “Why do you want to know my name?” the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.

30Jacob then named the place Peniel, "For I have seen God face to face," he said, "and I have been delivered."

30Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

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

31The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip.

32That is why, to this day, 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.

32(Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.