The First Book of Moses: Genesis

⭑ Douay-Rheims :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 32 -

Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of God met him.

And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of God, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps.

And he sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir to the country of Edom:

And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day.

I have oxen, and asses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.

And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men.

Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,

Saying: If Esau come to one company and destroy it, the other company that is left shall escape.

And Jacob said: O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who saidst to me: Return to thy land and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee,

I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.

Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him: lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children.

Thou didst say that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.

And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau.

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

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

And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove.

And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob’s: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau: and he cometh after us.

In like manner he commanded the second and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.

And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us: for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

And rising early he took his two wives, and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc.

And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,

He remained alone: and behold a man wrestled with him till morning.

And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go except thou bless me.

And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob.

But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel: for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?

Jacob asked him, Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place.

And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.

And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot.

Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob’s thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.

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

When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” He called the name of that place Mahanaim.(a)

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

He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau: ‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says. I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now.

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

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

Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed. He divided the people who were with him, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies.

He said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.”

Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’

I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies.

Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children.

You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”

He stayed there that night, and took from that which he had with him a present for Esau, his brother:

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

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

He delivered them into the hands of his servants, every herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put a space between herd and herd.”

He commanded the foremost, saying, “When Esau, my brother, meets you, and asks you, saying, ‘Whose are you? Where are you going? Whose are these before you?’

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

He commanded also the second, and the third, and all that followed the herds, saying, “This is how you shall speak to Esau, when you find him.

You shall say, ‘Not only that, but 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.”

So the present passed over before him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles with God

He rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of the Jabbok.

He took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over that which he had.

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

When he saw that he didn’t prevail against him, the man touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was strained as he wrestled.

The man said, “Let me go, for the day breaks.” Jacob said, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”

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

He said, “Your name will no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have fought with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” He said, “Why is it that you ask what my name is?” So he blessed him there.

Jacob called the name of the place Peniel;(b) for he said, “I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.”

The sun rose on him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped because of his thigh.

Therefore the children of Israel don’t eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the hollow of the thigh, to this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh in the sinew of the hip.

Footnotes

(a)32:2 “Mahanaim” means “two camps”.

(b)32:30 Peniel means “face of God”.