Genesis 32

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

Jacob continued his journey, his heart heavy yet hopeful, when suddenly, he was greeted by God's divine messengers.

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

When Jacob laid eyes on them, he felt a profound sense of awe, recognizing them as God's divine assembly. Overwhelmed, he named that sacred place Mahanaim.

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

Jacob, filled with anticipation, sent his messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the heart of Edom.

And 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:

He instructed them, "Tell my brother Esau, 'Jacob, your humble servant, says: I've been living with Laban and have remained there till now.'"

And 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.

I am blessed with livestock, helpers, both men and women. I've sent this message to you, my lord, hoping to earn your favor.

And 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.

The messengers came back to Jacob, breathlessly reporting, "We found your brother Esau, and he's heading your way with an army of four hundred men."

Then 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;

Jacob was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. He quickly split his people, livestock, and camels into two separate groups.

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

If Esau attacks one group, the remaining group will have a chance to escape.

And 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:

Jacob pleaded, "O God of my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, you who promised me safety upon my return home, please be kind to me."

I 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.

I don't deserve even the smallest of your kind acts or the faithfulness you've shown me. I crossed this river with nothing but a staff, and now I've grown abundantly.

Deliver 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.

Please save me from my brother Esau's wrath. I'm scared he might harm me and our family.

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

You promised, "I will bless you abundantly, making your descendants as countless as the grains of sand by the sea."

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

That very night, he stayed there, and from what he had with him he chose a gift for his brother Esau.

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

A generous gift of two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, along with two hundred sheep and twenty rams, was given.

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

Thirty nursing camels with their young, forty cows, ten bulls, twenty female donkeys, and ten baby donkeys.

And 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.

He entrusted each group to his servants, each group separately. He instructed them, "Go ahead of me, and keep a distance between each group."

And 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?

He instructed the leader, "When you encounter my brother Esau and he questions you, asking, 'Who are you? Where are you going? And who do these belong to?'

Then 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.

Then you'll say, "These belong to your servant Jacob; they're a gift for you, Lord Esau. And look, he's right behind us."

And 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.

He instructed the second, third, and everyone else following the herds, "When you meet Esau, speak to him in this way."

And 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.

Tell them also, "Look, your servant Jacob is following us." He thought, "I'll calm him down with the gift I sent ahead. Then, when I meet him, maybe he'll forgive me."

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

The gift was sent ahead of him, while he spent the night amidst the group.

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

In the stillness of the night, he woke, his heart heavy with purpose. Gathering his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons, they quietly crossed the shallow waters of Jabbok.

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

With a heart full of courage, he guided them across the stream, ensuring everything he possessed made it safely to the other side.

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

Jacob found himself in solitude, locked in a fierce struggle with a stranger that lasted until dawn's first light.

And 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.

Seeing that he couldn't overpower him, he struck Jacob's hip, causing it to dislocate during their intense struggle.

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

He pleaded, "Release me, dawn is breaking." But the response was firm, "I won't free you until you bless me."

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

He asked him, "What's your name?" With a soft voice, he replied, "Jacob."

And 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.

He declared, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel. Like a prince, you have struggled with God and with people, and you have won."

And 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.

Jacob, with a curious heart, asked, "Please, tell me your name." The man replied, "Why do you seek my name?" And in that moment, he blessed Jacob.

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

Jacob named the place Peniel, overwhelmed with awe and relief, for he had looked God in the eye and yet, he was still alive.

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

As he crossed Penuel, dawn broke around him, and he limped, favoring his thigh.

Therefore 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.

To this day, the people of Israel do not eat the tendon at the hip socket, because long ago, that's where Jacob was touched, at that tendon, causing his hip to be weakened.