Genesis 32

And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

1Jacob kept walking on his way. Angels from God met him there.

2And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

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

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

3Jacob sent men ahead with a message for his brother Esau. Esau lived in the land of Seir, also called Edom.

4And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:

4Jacob told them what to say. "Tell my master Esau this: Your servant Jacob says, I have been living with Laban. I stayed there until now.

5And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

5I have cows, donkeys, sheep, and servants, both men and women. I sent this news to you, my master. I hope you will be kind to me."

6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

6The men came back to Jacob. They said, "We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you. He has 400 men with him."

7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;

7Jacob was very scared and worried. He split his people into two groups. He split up the sheep, cows, and camels too.

NoteThe KJV says "bands," which here means camps or groups of people and animals.

8And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

8He thought, "Esau may attack one group. Then the other group can run away and be safe."

9And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:

9Jacob prayed. "God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac. LORD, you told me to go back to my land and my family. You said you would be good to me.

10I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

10You have been kind and faithful to me. I am not good enough for even a little of it. I crossed this Jordan River with only a walking stick. Now I have grown into two big groups.

11Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.

11Please save me from my brother Esau. I am afraid of him. I fear he will come and hurt me, and the mothers and children too.

12And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

12But you said you would surely be good to me. You said my family would grow as big as the sand by the sea. Nobody can count that much sand."

13And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;

13Jacob slept there that night. From what he had with him, he picked out a gift for his brother Esau.

14Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

14He chose 200 female goats and 20 male goats. He chose 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep.

15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.

15He chose 30 mother camels with their babies. He chose 40 cows and 10 bulls. He chose 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.

16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.

16He gave the animals to his servants, one herd at a time. He said, "Go on ahead of me. Leave space between each herd."

17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?

17He told the first servant what to do. "My brother Esau will meet you. He will ask, 'Whose servant are you? Where are you going? Whose animals are these?'

18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob’s; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.

18Then say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift for my master Esau. And Jacob is coming right behind us.'"

19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

19He told the second servant the same thing. He told the third one too, and all the rest. "Say these same words to Esau when you meet him.

20And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.

20Also say, 'Your servant Jacob is right behind us.'" Jacob thought, "The gift will go first and calm him down. Then I will see his face. Maybe he will welcome me."

21So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.

21So the gift went on ahead of him. Jacob stayed in the camp that night.

22And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

22That night Jacob got up. He took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons. They crossed the shallow part of the Jabbok River.

NoteA "ford" is a shallow spot where people can walk across a river.

23And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.

23He sent them across the water. He sent everything he owned across too.

24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

24Jacob was left there all alone. A man came and wrestled with him until morning.

25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

25The man saw he could not win against Jacob. So he touched Jacob's hip, and it slipped out of place. They kept on wrestling.

26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

26The man said, "Let me go. The sun is coming up." Jacob said, "I will not let go until you bless me."

27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

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

28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

28The man said, "Your name will not be Jacob anymore. Your name will be Israel. You have struggled with God and with people, and you have won."

29And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

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

30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

30Jacob named that place Peniel. He said, "I have seen God face to face, and I am still alive."

31And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.

31The sun came up as Jacob passed Penuel. He was limping because of his hip.

NoteThe KJV says Jacob "halted," which back then meant he limped, not that he stopped.

32Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew that shrank.

32That is why the people of Israel do not eat the tendon at the hip. They still do not eat it today. It is because the man touched Jacob's hip near that tendon.