Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
1 As Jacob went on his way, some angels met him. 2 When he saw them, he said, “This is God's camp”; so he named the place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them to say: “I, Jacob, your obedient servant, report to my master Esau that I have been staying with Laban and that I have delayed my return until now. 5 I own cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and slaves. I am sending you word, sir, in the hope of gaining your favor.”
6 When the messengers came back to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you. He has four hundred men with him.” 7 Jacob was frightened and worried. He divided into two groups the people who were with him, and also his sheep, goats, cattle, and camels. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks the first group, the other may be able to escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “God of my grandfather Abraham and God of my father Isaac, hear me! You told me, Lord, to go back to my land and to my relatives, and you would make everything go well for me. 10 I am not worth all the kindness and faithfulness that you have shown me, your servant. I crossed the Jordan with nothing but a walking stick, and now I have come back with these two groups. 11 Save me, I pray, from my brother Esau. I am afraid—afraid that he is coming to attack us and destroy us all, even the women and children. 12 Remember that you promised to make everything go well for me and to give me more descendants than anyone could count, as many as the grains of sand along the seashore.”
13-15 After spending the night there, Jacob chose from his livestock as a present for his brother Esau: 200 female goats and 20 males, 200 female sheep and 20 males, 30 milk camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 males. 16 He divided them into herds and put one of his servants in charge of each herd. He said to them, “Go ahead of me, and leave a space between each herd and the one behind it.” 17 He ordered the first servant, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who is your master? Where are you going? Who owns these animals in front of you?’ 18 you must answer, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. He sends them as a present to his master Esau. Jacob himself is right behind us.’” 19 He gave the same order to the second, the third, and to all the others who were in charge of the herds: “This is what you must say to Esau when you meet him. 20 You must say, ‘Yes, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” Jacob was thinking, “I will win him over with the gifts, and when I meet him, perhaps he will forgive me.” 21 He sent the gifts on ahead of him and spent that night in camp.
Jacob Wrestles at Peniel
22 That same night Jacob got up, took his two wives, his two concubines, and his eleven children, and crossed the Jabbok River. 23 After he had sent them across, he also sent across all that he owned, 24 but he stayed behind, alone.
Then a man came and wrestled with him until just before daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he was not winning the struggle, he hit Jacob on the hip, and it was thrown out of joint. 26 The man said, “Let me go; daylight is coming.”
“I won't, unless you bless me,” Jacob answered.
27 “What is your name?” the man asked.
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. You have struggled with God and with men, and you have won; so your name will be Israel.”
29 Jacob said, “Now tell me your name.”
But he answered, “Why do you want to know my name?” Then he blessed Jacob.
30 Jacob said, “I have seen God face-to-face, and I am still alive”; so he named the place Peniel. 31 The sun rose as Jacob was leaving Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Even today the descendants of Israel do not eat the muscle which is on the hip joint, because it was on this muscle that Jacob was hit.
Jēkabs gatavojas tikties ar Ēsavu
1 Lābans cēlās agri no rīta, skūpstīja savus dēlus un meitas un svētīja tos. Tad viņš devās atpakaļ. 2 Bet Jēkabs gāja savu ceļu. Un viņu satika Dieva eņģeļi. 3 Jēkabs, viņus ieraudzījis, teica: “Šī ir Dieva kara nometne!” – un to vietu viņš nosauca vārdā Mahanaima .
4 Un Jēkabs sūtīja sev pa priekšu vēstnešus pie sava brāļa Ēsava uz Seīra zemi, uz Edoma laukiem. 5 Viņš tiem pavēlēja: “Tā sakiet manam kungam Ēsavam: tā saka tavs kalps Jēkabs: es biju apmeties pie Lābana un līdz šim laikam paliku pie viņa. 6 Un man ir vērši un ēzeļi, avis un kalpi, un kalpones, un es esmu sūtījis to pateikt manam kungam, lai gūtu viņa vēlību!” 7 Bet vēstneši atgriezās pie Jēkaba, sacīdami: “Mēs aizgājām pie tava brāļa Ēsava, un arī viņš nāk tev pretī un četri simti vīru kopā ar viņu!” 8 Jēkabs ļoti izbijās un satraucās, un viņš sadalīja savus ļaudis, avis, vēršus un kamieļus divās nometnēs. 9 Un viņš domāja: “Ja Ēsavs nāks uz vienu nometni un to nopostīs, tad vismaz atlikusī nometne varēs paglābties!” 10 Un Jēkabs teica: “Mana tēva Ābrahāma Dievs un mana tēva Īzaka Dievs! Kungs, tu man teici: ej atpakaļ uz savu zemi un vietu, kur tu esi dzimis, un es darīšu tev labu! 11 Es neesmu vērts visas tās žēlastības un taisnības, ko tu savam kalpam esi darījis, – jo toreiz, kad es šķērsoju Jardānu, man bija tikai nūja, bet tagad man ir divas nometnes! 12 Izglāb jel mani no brāļa rokas, no Ēsava rokas, jo es viņa baidos – ka viņš nenāk un nenokauj mūs, kā mātes, tā dēlus! 13 Un tu teici: es darīšu tev labu un došu tev pēcnācējus kā smiltis jūrā, ko daudzuma dēļ ne saskaitīt!” 14 Un tonakt viņš palika tur. Viņš ņēma no tā, kas viņam bija un sagatavoja kā dāvanu savam brālim: 15 divi simti kazu un divdesmit āžu, divi simti avju un divdesmit teķu, 16 zīdītājas kamieļmātes un trīsdesmit to mazuļus, četrdesmit govis un desmit vēršus, divdesmit ēzeļmātes un desmit ēzeļus. 17 Viņš deva tos saviem kalpiem, katru baru atsevišķi, un teica tiem: “Ejiet pa priekšu tā, lai starp pulkiem paliek atstarpe!” 18 Un viņš pavēlēja galvenajam, sacīdams: “Kad mans brālis Ēsavs satiks tevi un jautās: kam tu piederi un kurp tu ej, un kam pieder šie? – 19 tad saki: tā ir tava kalpa Jēkaba dāvana, kas sūtīta manam kungam Ēsavam, un, re, arī aiz mums vēl nāk!” 20 Un viņš pavēlēja arī otrajam un trešajam, un arī tiem, kas gāja aiz ganāmpulkiem, sacīdams: “Kad sastapsiet Ēsavu, sakiet viņam tāpat! 21 Sakiet: redzi, arī tavs kalps Jēkabs nāk aiz mums!” Jo viņš domāja: “Es viņu pielabināšu ar dāvanām, kas iet man pa priekšu, un tik pēc tam skatīšu viņu vaigā – varbūt viņš mani pieņems!” 22 Un dāvanas devās viņam pa priekšu, un tonakt viņš pārnakšņoja nometnē.
Jēkabs cīnās ar Dievu
23 Tonakt viņš cēlās, ņēma abas savas sievas, abas kalpones un vienpadsmit dēlus un pārgāja Jabokas braslu. 24 Viņš ņēma tos un pārveda pāri upei, pārveda pāri visu, kas viņam bija. 25 Jēkabs bija palicis viens. Un ar viņu cīkstējās kāds vīrs, līdz svīda gaisma. 26 Un tas redzēja, ka nevar viņu pievārēt, un sita viņam pa gurna locītavu, un Jēkaba gurna locītava izmežģījās, ar to cīkstoties. 27 Un tas teica: “Atlaid mani, jo svīst jau gaisma!” Bet viņš teica: “Es tevi nelaidīšu, kamēr tu mani nesvētīsi!” 28 Un tas viņam teica: “Kāds ir tavs vārds?” Un viņš teica: “Jēkabs!” 29 Un tas teica: “Tevi vairs nesauks vārdā Jēkabs, bet gan Israēls, jo tu cīkstējies ar Dievu un cilvēkiem un uzvarēji!” 30 Un Jēkabs jautāja: “Pasaki man savu vārdu!” Un tas teica: “Kāpēc tu prasi manu vārdu?” Un tas viņu tur svētīja. 31 Un to vietu Jēkabs nosauca vārdā Penuēla – jo es redzēju Dievu vaigu vaigā un paliku dzīvs! 32 Un, kad viņš gāja garām Penuēlai, pār viņu uzlēca saule, un viņš kliboja sava gurna dēļ. 33 Tādēļ Israēla dēli līdz pat šim laikam neēd gūžas cīpslu, kas iet pār gurnu locītavu, jo viņš aizskāra Jēkaba gūžas cīpslu.
