Yakobo Akonzekera Kukumana ndi Esau
1Nayenso Yakobo analowera njira yake, ndipo angelo a Mulungu anakumana naye. 2Pamene Yakobo anawaona anati, “Ili ndi gulu la Mulungu.” Choncho anawatcha malowo Mahanaimu.
3Yakobo anatumiza amithenga ake kwa mʼbale wake Esau ku dera la Seiri, dziko la Edomu. 4Anawalangiza kuti, “Zimene mukanene ndi izi kwa mbuye wanga Esau: ‘Mtumiki wanu Yakobo akuti, Ine ndakhala ndi kukhala ndi Labani mpaka tsopano. 5Ndili ndi ngʼombe, abulu, nkhosa ndi mbuzi, antchito aamuna ndi aakazi. Tsopano ndikutumiza mawu amenewa kwa mbuye wanga, kuti mundikomere mtima.’ ”
6Pamene amithenga aja anabwerera kwa Yakobo, anati, “Tinapita kwa mʼbale wanu Esau, ndipo tsopano iye akubwera kudzakumana nanu. Ali ndi anthu 400.”
7Yakobo anali ndi mantha ndi nkhawa yayikulu kwambiri. Tsono anagawa anthu onse amene anali naye, ndiponso nkhosa, mbuzi, ngʼombe ndi ngamira mʼmagulu awiri. 8Mʼmaganizo ake iye ankanena kuti, “Ngati Esau atabwera ndi kuthira nkhondo gulu limodzi, gulu lina lotsalalo likhoza kupulumuka.”
9Pamenepo Yakobo anapemphera, “Haa, Mulungu wa kholo langa Abrahamu, Mulungu wa abambo anga Isake, Aa Yehova amene munati kwa ine, ‘Bwerera ku dziko la kwanu ndi kwa abale ako, ndipo ndidzakuchitira zabwino.’ 10Ine siwoyenera kulandira kukoma mtima kwanu ndi kukhulupirika kwanu kumene mwaonetsa wantchito wanu. Ndinali ndi ndodo yokha pamene ndinawoloka Yorodani uyu koma tsopano ndili ndi magulu awiri. 11Ndipulumutseni mʼdzanja la mʼbale wanga Esau, popeza ndikuopa kuti mwina akubwera kudzandithira nkhondo pamodzi ndi akazi ndi ana omwe. 12Paja Inu munandilonjeza kuti simudzalephera kundichitira zabwino ndi kuti zidzukulu zanga zidzakhala zosawerengeka ngati mchenga wa ku nyanja.”
13Iye anagona pomwepo usiku umenewo. Pambuyo pake anasankhula pa chuma chimene anali nacho zinthu izi ngati mphatso za Esau, mʼbale wake: 14Anasankhula mbuzi zazikazi 200 ndi atonde makumi awiri, nkhosa zazikazi 200 ndi nkhosa zazimuna makumi awiri, 15ngamira za mkaka 30 ndi ana awo, ngʼombe zazikazi 40 ndi zazimuna khumi, ndipo abulu aakazi makumi awiri ndi abulu aamuna khumi. 16Iye anazipereka kwa antchito ake kuti azikuse, gulu lililonse pa lokha, ndipo anati kwa antchito akewo, “Tsogolani ndipo muonetsetse kuti pali mpata pakati pa gulu ndi gulu linzake.”
17Anawuza mnyamata wa gulu loyamba kuti, “Ngati ukumana naye mʼbale wanga Esau nakufunsa kuti, ‘Ndinu antchito a yani, ndipo mukupita kuti? Nanga ziweto zonse zili patsogolo pakozi ndi za yani?’ 18Pamenepo ukayankhe kuti, ‘Zimenezi ndi za wantchito wanu, Yakobo, ndipo wazipereka kwa inu, Esau, mbuye wake ngati mphatso. Mtumiki wanuyu akubwera mʼmbuyo mwathumu.’ ”
19Anawuza mawu omwewo kwa wachiwiri, wachitatu ndi ena onse amene ankayenda motsogoza ziwetozo kuti, “Inunso munene zomwezo kwa Esau mukakumana naye. 20Muzikanena kuti, ‘Wantchito wanu Yakobo akubwera mʼmbuyo mwathumu.’ ” Popeza anaganiza kuti, “Ndidzamutsitsa mtima ndi mphatso ndazitsogozazi. Apo tsono ndikadzakumana naye, mwina adzandilandira bwino.” 21Choncho mphatso za Yakobo zinatsogola, koma iye mwini anagona pa msasa pomwepo usiku umenewo.
Yakobo Alimbana ndi Mulungu
22Usiku umenewo Yakobo anauka natenga akazi ake awiri, antchito ake awiri ndi ana ake aamuna khumi ndi mmodzi nawoloka pa dooko la mtsinje wa Yaboki. 23Atatha kuwawolotsa pa mtsinjewo anawolotsanso katundu wake yense. 24Tsono Yakobo anatsala yekha. Tsono munthu wina anadzalimbana naye mpaka mʼmbandakucha. 25Pamene munthuyo anaona kuti sangathe kumugonjetsa, anakhudza nyungʼunyu ya pa ntchafu ya Yakobo ndipo inaguluka polimbanapo. 26Kenaka munthuyo anati, “Ndisiye ndizipita, popeza kunja kukucha.”
Koma Yakobo anayankha, “Sindikulolani kupita pokhapokha mutandidalitsa.”
27Munthu uja anamufunsa Yakobo kuti, “Kodi dzina lako ndiwe yani?”
Iye anayankha, “Ndine Yakobo.”
28Pamenepo munthuyo anati, “Dzina lako silidzakhalanso Yakobo koma Israeli, chifukwa walimbana ndi Mulungu ndi anthu ndipo wapambana.”
29Yakobo anati, “Chonde, uzeni dzina lanu.”
Koma munthuyo anati, “Chifukwa chiyani ukundifunsa dzina?” Kenaka anamudalitsa pomwepo.
30Choncho Yakobo anawatcha malowo Penueli, popeza anati, “Ndinaonana ndi Mulungu maso ndi maso koma sindinafe.”
31Dzuwa linamutulukira Yakobo pamene amachoka pa Penueli. Tsono ankayenda chotsimphina chifukwa cha nyungʼunyu yake ija. 32Nʼchifukwa chake mpaka lero Aisraeli sadya nyama ya pa nyungʼunyu chifukwa Yakobo anakhudzidwa pa nyungʼunyu.
Jacob Gets Ready to Meet Esau
1Jacob also went on his way. The angels of God met him. 2Jacob saw them. He said, “This is the army of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau. Esau lived in the land of Seir. It was also called the country of Edom. 4Jacob told the messengers what to do. He said, “Here’s what you must tell my master Esau. ‘Your servant Jacob says, “I’ve been staying with Laban. I’ve remained there until now. 5I have cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats. I also have male and female servants. Now I’m sending this message to you. I hope I can please you.” ’ ”
6The messengers came back to Jacob. They said, “We went to your brother Esau. He’s coming now to meet you. He has 400 men with him.”
7Jacob was very worried and afraid. So he separated the people with him into two groups. He also separated the flocks and herds and camels. 8He thought, “Esau might come and attack one group. If he does, the group that’s left can escape.”
9Then Jacob prayed, “You are the God of my grandfather Abraham. You are the God of my father Isaac. Lord, you are the one who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives. Then I will give you success.’ 10You have been very kind and faithful to me. But I’m not worthy of any of this. When I crossed this Jordan River, all I had was my walking stick. But now I’ve become two camps. 11Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau. I’m afraid he’ll come and attack me and the mothers with their children. 12But you have said, ‘I will surely give you success. I will make your children as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. People will not be able to count them.’ ”
13Jacob spent the night there. He chose a gift for his brother Esau from what he had with him. 14He chose 200 female goats and 20 male goats. He chose 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep. 15He chose 30 female camels with their little ones. He chose 40 cows and ten bulls. And he chose 20 female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He put each herd by itself. Then he put his servants in charge of them. He said to his servants, “Go on ahead of me. Keep some space between the herds.”
17Jacob spoke to his servant who was leading the way. He said, “My brother Esau will meet you. He’ll ask, ‘Who is your master? Where are you going? And who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18Then say to Esau, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift to you from him. And Jacob is coming behind us.’ ”
19He also spoke to the second and third servants. He told them and all the others who followed the herds what to do. He said, “Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20Make sure you say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’ ” Jacob was thinking, “I’ll make peace with him with these gifts I’m sending on ahead. When I see him later, maybe he’ll welcome me.” 21So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him. But he himself spent the night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles With God
22That night Jacob got up. He took his two wives, his two female servants and his 11 sons and sent them across the Jabbok River. 23After they had crossed the stream, he sent over everything he owned. 24So Jacob was left alone. A man wrestled with him until morning. 25The man saw that he couldn’t win. So he touched the inside of Jacob’s hip. As Jacob wrestled with the man, Jacob’s hip was twisted. 26Then the man said, “Let me go. It is morning.”
But Jacob replied, “I won’t let you go unless you bless me.”
27The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28Then the man said, “Your name will not be Jacob anymore. Instead, it will be Israel. You have wrestled with God and with people. And you have won.”
29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you want to know my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.
30So Jacob named the place Peniel. He said, “I saw God face to face. But I’m still alive!”
31The sun rose above Jacob as he passed by Peniel. He was limping because of his hip. 32That’s why the Israelites don’t eat the meat attached to the inside of an animal’s hip. They don’t eat it to this day. It’s because the inside of Jacob’s hip was touched.
