Genesis 32 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Jacob also left that place. While he was traveling, he saw God’s angels.

² When Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So Jacob named that place Mahanaim. [189]

³ Jacob’s brother Esau was living in the area called Seir. This area was the hill country of Edom. [190] Jacob sent messengers to Esau.

⁴ Jacob told the messengers, “Tell these things to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have lived with Laban all these years.

⁵ I have many cows, donkeys, flocks, and men and women servants. Sir, I am sending you this message to ask you to accept us.’”

⁶ The messengers came back to Jacob and said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you. He has 400 men with him.”

⁷ That message scared Jacob. He divided the people who were with him into two groups. He divided all the flocks and the herds and the camels into two groups.

⁸ Jacob thought, “If Esau comes and destroys one group, then the other group can run away and be saved.”

⁹ Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham! God of my father Isaac! Lord, you told me to come back to my country and to my family. You said that you would do good to me.

¹⁰ You have been very kind to me. You did many good things for me. The first time I traveled across the Jordan River, I owned nothing—only my walking stick. But now I own enough things to have two full groups.

¹¹ I ask you to please save me from my brother. Save me from Esau. I am afraid of him. I am afraid that he will come and kill all of us, even the mothers with the children.

¹² Lord, you said to me, ‘I will be good to you. I will increase your family and make your children as many as the sands of the sea. There will be too many to count.’”

¹³ Jacob stayed in that place for the night. Jacob prepared some things to give to Esau as a gift.

¹⁴ Jacob took 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep.

¹⁵ Jacob took 30 camels and their colts, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.

¹⁶ Jacob gave each flock of animals to his servants. Then Jacob said to the servants, “Separate each group of animals. Go ahead of me and keep some space between each herd.”

¹⁷ Jacob gave them their orders. To the servant with the first group of animals Jacob said, “When Esau my brother comes to you and asks you, ‘Whose animals are these? Where are you going? Whose servant are you?’

¹⁸ Then you should answer, ‘These animals belong to your servant Jacob. Jacob sent them as a gift to you my master, Esau. And Jacob is also coming behind us.’”

¹⁹ Jacob also ordered the second servant, the third servant, and all the other servants to do the same thing. He said, “You will do the same thing to Esau when you meet him.

²⁰ You will say, ‘This is a gift to you, and your servant Jacob is behind us.’”

²¹ So Jacob sent the gifts to Esau. But Jacob stayed that night in the camp.

²² Later that night, Jacob got up and left that place. Jacob took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven sons with him. Jacob crossed the Jabbok River at the crossing.

²³ Jacob sent his family across the river. Then Jacob sent everything he had across the river.

²⁴ Jacob was the last person to cross the river. But before he could cross, while he was still alone, a man came and wrestled with him. The man fought with him until the sun came up.

²⁵ The man saw that he could not defeat Jacob. So he touched Jacob’s leg. At that time, Jacob’s leg was put out of joint.

²⁶ Then the man said to Jacob, “Let me go. The sun is coming up.”

²⁷ And the man said to him, “What is your name?”

²⁸ Then the man said, “Your name will not be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel. [191] I give you this name because you have fought with God and with men, and you have not been defeated.”

²⁹ Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

³⁰ So Jacob named that place Peniel. [192] Jacob said, “At this place, I saw God face to face, but my life was spared.”

³¹ Then the sun came up as he passed Penuel. [193] Jacob was walking crippled because of his leg.

³² So even today, the people of Israel don’t eat the muscle that is on the hip joint, because this is the muscle where Jacob was hurt.