International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

1 As Jacob went on his way, angels from God met him.

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

2As he was watching them, Jacob said, "This must be God's camp," so he named that place Mahanaim.

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

3Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him into the land of Seir (that is, into the territory of Edom) to meet his brother Esau.

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

4He instructed them, "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob told me to tell you, "I've journeyed to stay with Laban and I've remained there 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 now have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I'm sending this message to you, sir, so that you'll show favor to me."'"

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."'"

6Later, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, "We went to your brother Esau. He's now coming to meet you—and he has 400 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."

7Feeling mounting terror and distress, Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, doing the same with the flocks, the cattle, and the 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;

8Jacob was thinking, "If Esau comes to one group and attacks it, then the remaining group may 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, O God of my father Isaac, O LORD, you who told me, 'Return to your country and to your relatives and I'll cause things to go well for you.'

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'm unworthy of all your gracious love, your faithfulness, and everything that you've done for your servant. When I first crossed over this river, I had only my staff. But now I've become two groups.

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.

11Deliver me from my brother Esau's control, because I'm terrified of him, and I'm afraid that he's coming to attack me, the mothers, and 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.

12Now, you promised me that 'I'm certainly going to cause things to go well with you, and I'm going to make your offspring as numerous as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"

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 spent the night there. Out of everything that he had brought with him, he chose a gift for his brother Esau—

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

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

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

1530 milking camels with their young, 40 cows with ten bulls, and 20 female donkeys with ten male donkeys.

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

16He entrusted them into the care of his servants, one herd at a time. Then he told his servants, "Go in front of me, making sure there's plenty of space between herds."

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."

17To the first group he said, "When you meet my brother Esau, if he asks, 'To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And to whom do these herds belong?'

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 are to reply, 'We're from your servant Jacob. The herds are a gift. He's sending them to my master, Esau. Look! There he is, coming along 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 issued similar instructions to the second and third group, as well as to all the others who drove the herds that followed: "This is how you are to speak to Esau when you find 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 are to tell him, 'Look! Your servant Jacob is coming along behind us.'" Jacob was thinking, "I'll pacify him with the presents that are being sent ahead of me. Then, when I meet him, perhaps he'll 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 presents went 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.

22Later that night, he woke up, quickly took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven children, and forded the river at 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 across the river, along with all his possessions.

23He took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.

24And so Jacob was left alone, and he struggled with a man until daybreak.

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

25When the man realized that he hadn't yet won the struggle, he injured the socket of Jacob's thigh, dislocating it as 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.

26and said, "Let me go, because the dawn has come." "I won't 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."

27Then the man asked him, "What's your name?" "Jacob," he responded

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

28"Your name won't be Jacob anymore," the man replied, "but Israel, because you exerted yourself against both God and men, and you've emerged victorious."

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

29"Please," Jacob inquired, "Tell me your name." But he asked, "Why are you asking about my name?" And 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.

30Jacob would later call that place Peniel, because "I saw God face to face, but my life was spared."

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

31The sun was rising above Jacob as he crossed over from Peniel, limping due to his wounded thigh.

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

32Therefore, to this day the Israelis do not eat the hip tendon that connects to the thigh socket, because he had injured the socket of the thigh where the tendon connected to Jacob's hip.

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.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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