NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

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

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

2When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, "This is the camp of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.

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

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

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

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

4He also commanded them saying, "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, sheep, and male and female servants. I have sent this message to inform my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.'"

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

6The messengers returned to Jacob and said, "We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you and has four hundred men with him."

6The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."

7Jacob was very afraid and upset. So he divided the people who were with him into two camps, as well as the flocks, herds, and camels.

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;

8"If Esau attacks one camp," he thought, "then the other camp will be able to escape."

8for he said, "If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape."

9Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you said to me, 'Return to your land and to your relatives and I will make you prosper.'

9Jacob 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 relatives, and I will prosper you,'

10I am not worthy of all the faithful love you have shown your servant. With only my walking stick I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two camps.

10I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which You have shown to Your servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies.

11Rescue me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, as well as the mothers with their children.

11"Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children.

12But you said, 'I will certainly make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand on the seashore, too numerous to count.'"

12"For You said, 'I will surely prosper you and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which is too great to be numbered.'"

13Jacob stayed there that night. Then he sent as a gift to his brother Esau

13So he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau:

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

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

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

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

16He entrusted them to his servants, who divided them into herds. He told his servants, "Pass over before me, and keep some distance between one herd and the next."

16He delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, "Pass on before me, and put a space between droves."

17He instructed the servant leading the first herd, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? Whose herds are you driving?'

17He commanded the one in front, saying, "When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?'

18then you must say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau. In fact Jacob himself is behind us.'"

18then you shall say, 'These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.'"

19He also gave these instructions to the second and third servants, as well as all those who were following the herds, saying, "You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.

19Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the droves, saying, "After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him;

20You must also say, 'In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.'" Jacob thought, "I will first appease him by sending a gift ahead of me. After that I will meet him. Perhaps he will accept me."

20and you shall say, 'Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me."

21So the gifts were sent on ahead of him while he spent that night in the camp.

21So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

22During the night Jacob quickly took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

22Now he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two maids 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 he sent across whatever he had.

24So Jacob was left alone. Then a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

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

25When the man saw that he could not defeat Jacob, he struck the socket of his hip so the socket of Jacob's hip was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob's thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

26Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." "I will not let you go," Jacob replied, "unless you bless me."

26Then he said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking." But he said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

27The man asked him, "What is your name?" He answered, "Jacob."

27So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob."

28"No longer will your name be Jacob," the man told him, "but Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have prevailed."

28He said, "Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."

29Then Jacob asked, "Please tell me your name." "Why do you ask my name?" the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.

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

30So Jacob named the place Peniel, explaining, "Certainly I have seen God face to face and have survived."

30So Jacob named the place Peniel, for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been preserved."

31The sun rose over him as he crossed over Penuel, but he was limping because of his hip.

31Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.

32That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the sinew which is attached to the socket of the hip, because he struck the socket of Jacob's hip near the attached sinew.

32Therefore, to this day the sons of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip which is on the socket of the thigh, because he touched the socket of Jacob's thigh in the sinew of the hip.

NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org