Yakobo Ajiandaa Kukutana Na Esau
1Yakobo pia akaondoka akaenda zake, nao malaika wa Mungu wakakutana naye. 2Yakobo alipowaona, akasema, “Hii ni kambi ya Mungu!” Kwa hiyo akapaita mahali pale Mahanaimu.32:2 Mahanaimu maana yake Kambi mbili.
332:3 Mwa 25:30Yakobo akatuma wajumbe kumtangulia kwa Esau ndugu yake huko Seiri, katika nchi ya Edomu. 432:4 Mwa 18:3Akawaagiza akisema: “Hili ndilo mtakalomwambia bwana wangu Esau: ‘Mtumishi wako Yakobo anasema, nimekuwa nikiishi pamoja na Labani na nimekuwako huko mpaka sasa. 532:5 Mwa 24:9; 34:11Ninao ngʼombe na punda, kondoo na mbuzi, watumishi wa kiume na wa kike. Sasa ninatuma ujumbe huu kwa bwana wangu, ili nipate kibali machoni pako.’ ”
632:6 Mwa 33:1Wajumbe waliporudi kwa Yakobo, wakamwambia, “Tulikwenda kuonana na ndugu yako Esau, naye sasa anakuja kukulaki akifuatana na wanaume 400.”
7Kwa hofu kuu na huzuni, Yakobo akagawanya watu aliokuwa nao katika makundi mawili, pia akagawanya makundi ya kondoo na mbuzi, na vilevile ngʼombe na ngamia. 8Yakobo alifikiri, “Kama Esau akija na kushambulia kundi moja, kundi lililobaki litaweza likanusurika.”
932:9 Mwa 31:13Ndipo Yakobo akaomba, “Ee Mungu wa baba yangu Abrahamu, Mungu wa baba yangu Isaki, Ee Bwana, ambaye uliniambia, ‘Rudi katika nchi yako na jamaa yako, nami nitakufanya ustawi,’ 1032:10 Mwa 24:27mimi sistahili fadhili na uaminifu wako wote ulionitendea mimi mtumishi wako. Nilikuwa na fimbo tu mkononi mwangu nilipovuka mto huu wa Yordani, lakini sasa ninayo makundi mawili. 1132:11 Mwa 27:41Nakuomba, uniokoe na mkono wa ndugu yangu Esau, kwa maana ninaogopa kuwa atakuja kunishambulia, pia mama pamoja na watoto wao. 1232:12 Hos 1:10Lakini umeshasema, ‘Hakika nitakufanya ustawi na kuufanya uzao wako kuwa mwingi kama mchanga wa baharini ambao hauwezi kuhesabika!’ ”
1332:13 Mwa 43:11, 15, 25, 26; Mit 18:16Akalala pale usiku ule, miongoni mwa vitu alivyokuwa navyo, akachagua zawadi kwa ajili ya Esau ndugu yake: 1432:14 Hes 7:88Mbuzi waume ishirini na mbuzi wake 200, kondoo dume ishirini na kondoo wake 200. 1532:15 Mwa 13:2Ngamia wake thelathini pamoja na ndama zao, ngʼombe wake arobaini na mafahali kumi, punda wake ishirini na punda waume kumi. 1632:16 Mwa 33:8Akaviweka chini ya uangalizi wa watumishi wake, kila kundi peke yake na kuwaambia, “Nitangulieni na kuacha nafasi kati ya makundi.”
17Akamwagiza yule aliyetangulia kuwa, “Ndugu yangu Esau atakapokutana nawe na kukuuliza, ‘Wewe ni wa nani? Unakwenda wapi? Wanyama hawa wote mbele yako ni mali ya nani?’ 1832:18 Mwa 18:3Ndipo utakaposema, ‘Ni mali ya mtumishi wako Yakobo. Ni zawadi ambazo zimetumwa kwa bwana wangu Esau, naye anakuja nyuma yetu.’ ”
19Akamwagiza pia yule mtumishi wa kundi la pili, la tatu na yale mengine yote yaliyofuata akiwaambia, “Mtamwambia Esau maneno hayo hayo mtakapokutana naye. 2032:20 1Sam 9:7Hakikisheni mmesema, ‘Mtumishi wako Yakobo anakuja nyuma yetu.’ ” Kwa kuwa alifikiri, “Nitaweza kumtuliza kwa zawadi hizi ninazotanguliza, hatimaye, nitakapomwona, huenda atanikubali.” 21Kwa hiyo zawadi za Yakobo zilitangulia mbele yake, lakini yeye mwenyewe alilala kambini usiku ule.
Yakobo Ashindana Mweleka Na Mungu
2232:22 Kum 2:37; 3:16Usiku ule Yakobo akaamka akawachukua wake zake wawili, watumishi wake wawili wa kike na wanawe kumi na mmoja na akavuka kivuko cha Yaboki. 23Baada ya kuwavusha ngʼambo ya kijito, alivusha pia mali zake zote. 24Kwa hiyo Yakobo akaachwa peke yake na mtu mmoja akashikana naye mweleka mpaka mapambazuko. 25Yule mtu alipoona kuwa hawezi kumshinda, aligusa kiungio cha nyonga ya Yakobo kwa hiyo nyonga yake ikateguka wakati alipokuwa akishikana mweleka na yule mtu. 2632:26 Hos 12:4Ndipo yule mtu akasema, “Niache niende, kwa kuwa ni mapambazuko.”
Lakini Yakobo akajibu, “Sitakuacha uende usiponibariki.”
27Yule mtu akamuuliza, “Jina lako nani?”
Akajibu, “Yakobo.”
2832:28 Mwa 17:5Ndipo yule mtu akasema, “Jina lako halitakuwa tena Yakobo, bali Israeli,32:28 Israeli maana yake Yeye ashindanaye na Mungu. kwa sababu umeshindana na Mungu na watu pia, nawe umeshinda.”
29Yakobo akasema, “Tafadhali niambie jina lako.”
Lakini akajibu, “Kwa nini kuniuliza Jina langu?” Ndipo akambariki huko.
3032:30 Mwa 16:13Kwa hiyo Yakobo akapaita mahali pale Penieli,32:30 Penieli maana yake Uso wa Mungu, ambalo ni sawa na Penueli kwa Kiebrania. akasema, “Ni kwa sababu nimemwona Mungu uso kwa uso na bado maisha yangu yameokoka.”
3132:31 Amu 8:9Jua lilikuwa linachomoza Yakobo alipoondoka Penueli, naye alikuwa akichechemea kwa sababu ya nyonga yake. 32Kwa hiyo mpaka leo Waisraeli hawali mshipa ulioungana na kiungio cha nyonga, kwa sababu kiungio cha nyonga ya Yakobo kiliteguliwa karibu na mshipa huo.
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.
