Jacob prepares to meet Esau
32 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33. 1Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2When Jacob saw them, he said, ‘This is the camp of God!’ So he named that place Mahanaim.32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
3Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4He instructed them: ‘This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: “Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favour in your eyes.” ’
6When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, ‘We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.’
7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,32:7 Or camps and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8He thought, ‘If Esau comes and attacks one group,32:8 Or camp the group32:8 Or camp that is left may escape.’
9Then Jacob prayed, ‘O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,” 10I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12But you have said, “I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.” ’
13He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, ‘Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.’
17He instructed the one in the lead: ‘When my brother Esau meets you and asks, “Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?” 18then you are to say, “They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.” ’
19He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: ‘You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20And be sure to say, “Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.” ’ For he thought, ‘I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive 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 and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’
But Jacob replied, ‘I will not 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 no longer be Jacob, but Israel,32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God. because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.’
29Jacob said, ‘Please tell me your name.’
But he replied, ‘Why do you ask my name?’ Then he blessed him there.
30So Jacob called the place Peniel,32:30 Peniel means face of God. saying, ‘It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.’
31The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel and he was limping because of his hip. 32Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.
雅各预备见以扫
1雅各继续前行，遇见了上帝的天使。 2雅各看见他们，就说：“这是上帝的军队！”于是称那地方为玛哈念32:2 “玛哈念”意思是“两营军队”。。
3雅各先派人到西珥，就是以东，去见他哥哥以扫， 4并吩咐他们：“你们要这样对我主以扫说，‘你仆人雅各一直寄居在拉班家里， 5现在他带了牛羊、驴和仆婢回来见你，派我们来报信，希望得到你的恩待。’”
6报信的人回到雅各那里，说：“我们到了你哥哥以扫那里，他正带着四百人前来见你。” 7雅各听了非常害怕，便把随从、牛群、羊群和骆驼分成两队， 8心想：“如果以扫来攻击一队，另一队还可以逃生。”
9他祷告说：“耶和华，我祖父亚伯拉罕和我父亲以撒的上帝啊！你吩咐我回到家乡和亲族那里，答应厚待我。 10我不配蒙你以慈爱和信实相待，我先前过约旦河的时候，手上只有一根杖，现在却有两队人丁家畜。 11求你救我脱离我哥哥以扫的手，我怕他会来杀我和我的妻儿。 12然而，你曾说，‘我必厚待你，使你的后代多如海沙，不可胜数。’”
13那天晚上，雅各就在那里过夜，又挑选牲畜送给哥哥以扫作礼物： 14母山羊二百只、公山羊二十只、母绵羊二百只、公绵羊二十只、 15哺乳的骆驼三十头及其小骆驼、母牛四十头、公牛十头、母驴二十头、驴驹十头。 16雅各把牲畜每类分成一群，交给仆人看管，对他们说：“你们走在前头，每群牲畜之间要保持一段距离！” 17又吩咐走在最前面的仆人说：“我哥哥以扫遇到你的时候，如果问你是谁家的人？要到哪里去？前头这些牲畜是谁的？ 18你就说，‘是仆人雅各要送给他主人以扫的礼物，他自己就跟在后面。’” 19雅各又吩咐看管第二群、第三群及其余牲畜的仆人遇见以扫时也要这样回答， 20并且一定要说：“你仆人雅各就在后面。”雅各想先用礼物去化解以扫的怨恨，或许见面时以扫会善待他。 21于是，他派人先把礼物送过去，自己则留在营里过夜。
雅各遇见上帝
22那天晚上，雅各起来带着两个妻子、两个婢女和十一个儿子渡过雅博渡口。 23雅各把他们连同一切所有都送过河以后， 24自己独自留下。这时，有一个人来和他摔跤，直到黎明。 25那人见胜不过雅各，就在他的大腿窝摸了一下，他大腿的关节就脱了臼。 26那人说：“天亮了，让我走吧！”但雅各说：“你不祝福我，我就不让你走。” 27那人问道：“你叫什么名字？”他说：“我叫雅各。” 28那人说：“你以后不要再叫雅各了，你要叫以色列，因为你跟上帝和人角力都得胜了。”
29雅各说：“请你告诉我你的名字。”那人说：“你为什么问我的名字？”他就在那里给雅各祝福。 30雅各称那地方为毗努伊勒，因为他说：“我当面见过上帝，竟能活命。” 31雅各经过毗努伊勒的时候，太阳出来了，那时他的大腿瘸了。 32以色列人至今都不吃大腿窝的筋，因为那人摸过雅各大腿窝的筋。
