1 32:1 Verses 32:1-32 are numbered 32:2-33 in Hebrew text. As Jacob started on his way again, angels of God came to meet him.

2When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, “This is God’s camp!” So he named the place Mahanaim.32:2 Mahanaim means “two camps.”

6After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!”

7Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups.

8He thought, “If Esau meets one group and attacks it, perhaps the other group can escape.”

9Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O Lord, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’

10I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!

11O Lord, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children.

12But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”

13Jacob stayed where he was for the night. Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau:

14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,

1530 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.

16He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, “Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds.”

17He gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: “When my brother, Esau, meets you, he will ask, ‘Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?’

18You must reply, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right behind us.’”

19Jacob gave the same instructions to the second and third herdsmen and to all who followed behind the herds: “You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.

20And be sure to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’”

21So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp.

24This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.

25When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket.

26Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”

27“What is your name?” the man asked.

28“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel,32:28 Jacob sounds like the Hebrew words for “heel” and “deceiver.” Israel means “God fights.” because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

29“Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.

30Jacob named the place Peniel (which means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”

31The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel,32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant spelling of Peniel. and he was limping because of the injury to his hip.

32(Even today the people of Israel don’t eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)