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Genesis

Starts with the creation of the world and tells stories of the first people and big floods. It also talks about Abraham's family and their journeys. ... click to read full summary of this book.

Chapter 32

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

Jacob continued his journey, and God's angels encountered him.

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

When Jacob saw these people, he said, "These are God's group." He named that place Mahanaim.

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

Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, which is Edom's territory.

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 told them, "Tell my lord Esau, 'Jacob, your servant, says this: I lived with Laban and was there until 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 have cows, donkeys, sheep, male workers, and female workers. I told my boss that I want to get in your good 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 angels went back to Jacob and said, "We went to your brother Esau, and he's coming too! He's bringing 400 people with him."

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;

Then Jacob was very scared and worried. He split his people, along with their animals and camels, into two groups.

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

And he said, if Esau attacks the first group, then the remaining group will be able to get away.

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 prayed, "Dear God, You were the God of my grandfather Abraham and my father Isaac. You told me to go back to my homeland and my family, and promised to bless 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 a small part of your kindness and truth you have shown to me, your servant. I just used my walking stick to cross the Jordan River, and now I have two groups of people with me.

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 hand, as I am scared that he might attack and hurt me and my mom with the kids.

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.

And you said, "I will definitely do good for you, and increase your children like the endless sea sand, so many that they can't be counted."

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

He stayed there for the night, and picked a gift from what he had for his brother Esau.

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

There are 200 female goats and 20 male goats, also 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep.

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

30 milk-giving camels with their babies, 40 cows, and 10 strong bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 baby horses.

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 gave the animals to his workers, one group at a time. He told his workers, "Go ahead of me and leave a gap between each group of animals."

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 told the leaders, "When you meet Esau, my brother, and he asks where you're going, what you're doing, and who the people with you 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 will say, "They are Jacob's servants. This is a gift for my master Esau. And look, he is coming up from 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.

So he instructed the second, the third, and everyone with the herds to speak to Esau in this way when they meet him.

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.

And additionally, tell them this: Your servant Jacob is coming after us. He said that he will make peace by giving a gift ahead of time, then he'll meet with him. There's a chance he might accept me.

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

So, he passed by the current ahead of him, and spent the night with that 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.

That night, he got up and brought his two wives, two maidservants, and eleven sons. Then they crossed the Jabbok River.

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

He took them and crossed them over the stream, also taking with him what he had.

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

Jacob was all by himself, and he struggled with a man until morning time came.

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.

When he couldn't defeat Jacob, he hit his thigh's hollow, causing Jacob's thigh to dislocate while they fought.

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

He said, "Let me go, it's getting light outside." The other replied, "I won't let you go unless you give me a blessing first."

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

He asked, "What's your name?" The person 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 said, "Your new name will be Israel, not Jacob. You act like a prince, having power with both God and people, and you have triumphed."

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 asked, "Please tell me your name." The person replied, "Why do you want to know my name?" Then they blessed Jacob at that place.

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 because he saw God up close and his life was saved.

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

As he crossed Penuel, the sun came up, and he limped on 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.

So, the Israelites don't eat a specific part near the thigh's hollow until now. This is because someone once touched that spot on Jacob's shrunken thigh.

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