Genesis 32

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Early next morning, Laban kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban leftto return home.	1 Early the next morning, Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye; then he set out on his journey back home,
2 While Jacob was going on his way, angels of God encountered him,	2 while Jacob continued on his own way. Then God's messengers encountered Jacob.
3 and on seeing them he said, 'This is God's camp,' and he named the place Mahanaim.	3 When he saw them he said, "This is God's encampment." So he named that place Mahanaim.
4 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in Seir, the open country of Edom,	4 Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom,
5 with these instructions, 'Say this to my lord Esau, "Here is the message of your servant Jacob: I havebeen staying with Laban and have been delayed there until now,	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.
6 and I own oxen, beasts of burden and flocks, and men and women slaves. I send news of this to mylord in the hope of winning your favour." '	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.'"
7 The messengers returned to Jacob and told him, 'We went to your brother Esau, and he is already onhis way to meet you; there are four hundred men with him.'	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."
8 Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people with him, and the flocks and cattle,into two camps,	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.
9 thinking, 'If Esau comes to one of the camps and attacks it, the remaining camp may be able toescape.'	9 "If Esau should attack and overwhelm one camp," he reasoned, "the remaining camp may still survive."
10 Jacob said, 'God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh who told me, "Go backto your native land and I will be good to 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.'
11 I am unworthy of al the faithful love and constancy you have shown your servant. I had only my staffwhen I crossed this Jordan, and now I have grown into two camps.	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.
12 I implore you, save me from my brother Esau's clutches, for I am afraid that he may come and attackme, mothers and children alike.	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.
13 Yet it was you who said, "I shal be very good to you, and make your descendants like the sand ofthe sea, which is too numerous to count." '	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.'"
14 Then Jacob passed that night there. From what he had with him he chose a gift 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:
15 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,	15 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes and twenty rams;
16 thirty camels in milk with their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male.	16 thirty milch camels and their young; forty cows and ten bulls; twenty she-asses and ten he-asses.
17 He put them in the charge of his servants, in separate droves, and told his servants, 'Go ahead ofme, leaving a space between each drove and the next.'	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."
18 He gave the leading man this order: 'When my brother Esau meets you and asks, "Whose man areyou? Where are you going? Whose are those animals that you are driving?"	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?'
19 you wil answer, "Your servant Jacob's. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau. And Jacob himself isjust behind 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.'"
20 He gave the same order to the second and the third, and to al who were fol owing the droves. 'Thatis what you must say 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;
21 And you must add, "Your servant Jacob himself is just behind us." ' For he thought, 'If I conciliate him by sending a gift in advance, perhaps he will be well inclined towards me when I face him.'	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."
22 The gift went ahead of him, but he himself spent that night in the camp.	22 So the gifts went on ahead of him, while he stayed that night in the camp.
23 That same night he got up and, taking his two wives, his two slave-girls and his eleven children,crossed the ford of the 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.
24 After he had taken them across the stream, he sent al his possessions over too.	24 After he had taken them across the stream and had brought over all his possessions,
25 And Jacob was left alone. Then someone wrestled with him until daybreak	25 Jacob was left there alone. Then some man wrestled with him until the break of dawn.
26 who, seeing that he could not master him, struck him on the hip socket, and Jacob's hip wasdislocated as he wrestled with him.	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.
27 He said, 'Let me go, for day is breaking.' Jacob replied, 'I wil not let you go 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."
28 The other said, 'What is your name?' 'Jacob,' he replied.	28 "What is your name?" the man asked. He answered, "Jacob."
29 He said, 'No longer are you to be cal ed Jacob, but Israel since you have shown your strengthagainst God and men and have prevailed.'	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."
30 Then Jacob asked, 'Please tel me your name.' He replied, 'Why do you ask my name?' With that, heblessed him there.	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.
31 Jacob named the place Peniel, 'Because I have seen God face to face,' he said, 'and have survived.'	31 Jacob named the place Peniel, "Because I have seen God face to face," he said, "yet my life has been spared."
32 The sun rose as he passed Peniel, limping from his hip.	32 At sunrise, as he left Penuel, Jacob limped along because of his hip.
33 That is why to this day the Israelites do not eat the thigh sinew which is at the hip socket: because hehad struck Jacob at the hip socket on the thigh sinew.	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.