Genesis 32

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Early the next morning, Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye; then he set out on his journey back home,	1 Likewise, Jacob continued on the journey that he had begun. And the Angels of God met him.
2 while Jacob continued on his own way. Then God's messengers encountered Jacob.	2 When he had seen them, he said, “These are the Encampments of God.” And he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, ‘Encampments.’
3 When he saw them he said, "This is God's encampment." So he named that place Mahanaim.	3 Then he also sent messengers before him to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, in the region of Edom.
4 Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,	4 And he instructed them, saying: “You shall speak in this way to my lord Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says these things: “I have sojourned with Laban, and I have been with him until the present day.
5 with this message: "Thus shall you say to my lord Esau: 'Your servant Jacob speaks as follows: I have been staying with Laban and have been detained there until now.	5 I have oxen, and donkeys, and sheep, and men servants, and women servants. And now I send an ambassador to my lord, so that I may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”
6 I own cattle, asses and sheep, as well as male and female servants. I am sending my lord this information in the hope of gaining your favor.'"	6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother Esau, and behold, he rushes to meet you with four hundred men.”
7 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We reached your brother Esau. He is now coming to meet you, accompanied by four hundred men."	7 Jacob was very afraid. And in his terror, he divided the people who were with him, likewise the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,
8 Jacob was very much frightened. In his anxiety, he divided the people who were with him, as well as his flocks, herds and camels, into two camps.	8 saying: “If Esau goes to one company, and strikes it, the other company, which is left behind, will be saved.”
9 "If Esau should attack and overwhelm one camp," he reasoned, "the remaining camp may still survive."	9 And Jacob said: “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me: ‘Return to your land, and to the place of your nativity, and I will do well for you.’
10 Then he prayed: "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac! You told me, O LORD, 'Go back to the land of your birth, and I will be good to you.'	10 I am less than any of your compassions and your truth, which you have fulfilled to your servant. With my staff I crossed over this Jordan. And now I go back with two companies.
11 I am unworthy of all the acts of kindness that you have loyally performed for your servant: although I crossed the Jordan here with nothing but my staff, I have now grown into two companies.	11 Rescue me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am very afraid of him, lest perhaps he may come and strike down the mother with the sons.
12 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau! Otherwise I fear that when he comes he will strike me down and slay the mothers and children.	12 You did say that you would do well by me, and that you would expand my offspring like the sand of the sea, which, because of its multitude, cannot be numbered.”
13 You yourself said, 'I will be very good to you, and I will make your descendants like the sands of the sea, which are too numerous to count.'"	13 And when he had slept there that night, he separated, from the things that he had, gifts for his brother Esau:
14 After passing the night there, Jacob selected from what he had with him the following presents for his brother Esau:	14 two hundred she-goats, twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
15 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes and twenty rams;	15 thirty milking camels with their young, forty cows, and twenty bulls, twenty she-donkeys, and ten of their young.
16 thirty milch camels and their young; forty cows and ten bulls; twenty she-asses and ten he-asses.	16 And he sent them by the hands of his servants, each flock separately, and he said to his servants: “Pass before me, and let there be a space between flock and flock.”
17 He put these animals in charge of his servants, in separate droves, and he told the servants, "Go on ahead of me, but keep a space between one drove and the next."	17 And he instructed the first, saying: “If you happen to meet my brother Esau, and he questions you: “Whose are you?” or, “Where are you going?” or, “Whose are these which follow you?”
18 To the servant in the lead he gave this instruction: "When my brother Esau meets you, he may ask you, 'Whose man are you? Where are you going? To whom do these animals ahead of you belong?'	18 you shall respond: “Your servant Jacob’s. He has sent them as a gift to my lord Esau. And he is also coming after us.”
19 Then you shall answer, 'They belong to your brother Jacob, but they have been sent as a gift to my lord Esau; and Jacob himself is right behind us.'"	19 Similarly, he gave orders to the second, and the third, and to all who followed the flocks, saying: “Speak these same words to Esau, when you find him.
20 He gave similar instructions to the second servant and the third and to all the others who followed behind the droves, namely: "Thus and thus shall you say to Esau, when you reach him;	20 And you will add: ‘Your servant Jacob himself also follows after us, for he said: “I will appease him with the gifts that go ahead, and after this, I will see him; perhaps he will be gracious to me.” ’ ”
21 and be sure to add, 'Your servant Jacob is right behind us.'" For Jacob reasoned, "If I first appease him with gifts that precede me, then later, when I face him, perhaps he will forgive me."	21 And so the gifts went before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.
22 So the gifts went on ahead of him, while he stayed that night in the camp.	22 And when he had arisen early, he took his two wives, and the same number of handmaids, with his eleven sons, and he crossed over the ford of Jabbok.
23 In the course of that night, however, Jacob arose, took his two wives, with the two maidservants and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.	23 And having delivered over all the things that belonged to him,
24 After he had taken them across the stream and had brought over all his possessions,	24 he remained alone. And behold, a man wrestled with him until morning.
25 Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.	25 And when he saw that he would not be able to overcome him, he touched the nerve of his thigh, and immediately it withered.
26 When the man saw that he could not prevail over him, he struck Jacob's hip at its socket, so that the hip socket was wrenched as they wrestled.	26 And he said to him, “Release me, for now the dawn ascends.” He responded, “I will not release you, unless you bless me.”
27 The man then said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go until you bless me."	27 Therefore he said, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.”
28 "What is your name?" the man asked. He answered, "Jacob."	28 But he said, “Your name will not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if you have been strong against God, how much more will you prevail against men?”
29 Then the man said, "You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed."	29 Jacob questioned him, “Tell me, by what name are you called?” He responded, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him in the same place.
30 Jacob then asked him, "Do tell me your name, please." He answered, "Why should you want to know my name?" With that, he bade him farewell.	30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.”
31 Jacob named the place Peniel, "Because I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."	31 And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he had crossed beyond Peniel. Yet in truth, he limped on his foot.
32 At sunrise, as he left Penuel, Jacob limped along because of his hip.	32 For this reason, the sons of Israel, even to the present day, do not eat the nerve that withered in Jacob’s thigh, because he touched the nerve of his thigh and it was obstructed.
33 That is why, to this day, the Israelites do not eat the sciatic muscle that is on the hip socket, inasmuch as Jacob's hip socket was struck at the sciatic muscle.