New King James Version

New International Version

Esau Comes to Meet Jacob

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

1

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

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

2

When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s camp.” And he called the name of that place [a]Mahanaim.

2

When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.a

3

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

3

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

4

And he commanded them, saying, “Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now.

4

He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now.

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

5

I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ”

6

Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

6

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

7

So Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies.

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In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,b and the flocks and herds and camels as well.

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And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and [c]attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”

8

He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,c the groupd that is left may escape.”

9

Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’:

9

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’

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I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies.

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I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.

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Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and [d]attack me and the mother with the children.

11

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

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For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

12

But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”

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So he lodged there that same night, and took what [e]came to his hand as a present for Esau his brother:

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He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau:

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

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

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thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals.

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

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Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.”

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He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

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And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’

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He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’

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then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ”

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then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’ ”

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So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him;

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He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.

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and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”

20

And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”

21

So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

21

So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

22

Wrestling with God

And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok.

22

Jacob Wrestles With God

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.

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He took them, sent them [f]over the brook, and sent over what he had.

23

After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.

24

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the [g]breaking of day.

24

So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.

25

Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He [h]touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him.

25

When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.

26

And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

26

Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27

So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”

27

The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.

28

And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but [i]Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

28

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,e because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29

Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

29

Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30

So Jacob called the name of the place [j]Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

30

So Jacob called the place Peniel,f saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31

Just as he crossed over [k]Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.

31

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,g and he was limping because of his hip.

32

Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He [l]touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

32

Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Parallel

New King James Version

New International Version

Genesis 32

Genesis 32