New International Version NIV
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him.
1
Jacob also went on his way. The angels of God met him.
2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.
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Jacob saw them. He said, "This is the army of God!" So he named that place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
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Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau. Esau lived in the land of Seir. It was also called the country of Edom.
4 He 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.
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Jacob 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.
5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’ ”
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I 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." ' "
6 When 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.”
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The 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."
7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.
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Jacob was very worried and afraid. So he separated the people who were with him into two groups. He also separated the flocks and herds and camels.
8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.”
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He thought, "Esau may come and attack one group. If he does, the group that's left can escape."
9 Then 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,’
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Then 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.'
10 I 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.
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You 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 groups.
11 Save 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.
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"Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau. I'm afraid he'll come and attack me and the mothers with their children.
12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’ ”
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But you have said, 'I will certainly 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.' "
13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau:
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Jacob spent the night there. He chose a gift for his brother Esau from what he had with him.
14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,
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He chose 200 female goats and 20 male goats. He chose 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep.
15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
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He 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.
16 He 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.”
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He 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."
17 He 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?’
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Jacob 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 of these animals in front of you?'
18 then 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.’ ”
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"Then say to Esau, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift to you from him. And he is coming behind us.' "
19 He 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.
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He also spoke to the second and third servants. He told them and all of the others who followed the herds what to do. He said, "Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.
20 And 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.”
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Make 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."
21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.
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So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him. But he himself spent the night in the camp.
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.
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That night Jacob got up. He took his two wives, his two female servants and his 11 sons and sent them across the Jabbok River.
23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.
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After they had crossed the stream, he sent over everything he owned.
24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
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So Jacob was left alone. A man struggled with him until morning.
25 When 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.
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The man saw that he couldn't win. So he touched the inside of Jacob's hip. As Jacob struggled with the man, Jacob's hip was twisted.
26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
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Then the man said, "Let me go. It is morning." But Jacob replied, "I won't let you go unless you bless me."
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered.
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The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
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Then the man said, "Your name will not be Jacob anymore. Instead, it will be Israel. You have struggled with God and with men. And you have won."
29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
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Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you want to know my name?" Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
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So Jacob named the place Peniel. He said, "I saw God face to face. But I'm still alive!"
31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
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The sun rose above Jacob as he passed by Peniel. He was limping because of his hip.
32 Therefore 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.
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That's why the people of Israel don't eat the meat attached to the inside of the hip. They don't eat it to this very day. It's because the inside of Jacob's hip was touched.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.