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.
Jacob Gets Ready To Meet Esau
1 As Jacob was on his way back home, some of God's angels came and met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God's camp.” So he named the place Mahanaim.
3 Jacob sent messengers on ahead to Esau, who lived in the land of Seir, also known as Edom. 4 Jacob told them to say to Esau, “Master, I am your servant! I have lived with Laban all this time, 5 and now I own cattle, donkeys, and sheep, as well as many slaves. Master, I am sending these messengers in the hope that you will be kind to me.”
6 When the messengers returned, they told Jacob, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is heading this way with 400 men.”
7 Jacob was so frightened that he divided his people, sheep, cattle, and camels into two groups. 8 He thought, “If Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed:
You, Lord, are the God who was worshiped by my grandfather Abraham and by my father Isaac. You told me to return home to my family, and you promised to be with me and make me successful. 10 I don't deserve all the good things you have done for me, your servant. When I first crossed the Jordan, I had only my walking stick, but now I have two large groups of people and animals. 11 Please rescue me from my brother. I am afraid he will come and attack not only me, but my wives and children as well. 12 But you have promised that I would be a success and that someday it will be as hard to count my descendants as it is to count the grains of sand along the seashore.
13 After Jacob had spent the night there, he chose some animals as gifts for Esau: 14-15 200 female goats and 20 males, 200 female sheep and 20 males, 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, and 20 female donkeys and 10 males.
16 Jacob put servants in charge of each herd and told them, “Go ahead of me and keep a space between each herd.” 17 Then he said to the servant in charge of the first herd, “When Esau meets you, he will ask whose servant you are. He will want to know where you are going and who owns those animals in front of you. 18 So tell him, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob, who is coming this way. He is sending them as a gift to his master Esau.’ ”
19 Jacob also told the men in charge of the second and third herds and those who followed to say the same thing when they met Esau. 20 And Jacob told them to be sure to say that he was right behind them. Jacob hoped the gifts would make Esau friendly, so Esau would be glad to see him when they met. 21 Jacob's men took the gifts on ahead of him, but he spent the night in camp.
Jacob's Name Is Changed to Israel
22-23 Jacob got up in the middle of the night and took his wives, his eleven children, and everything he owned across to the other side of the Jabbok River for safety. 24 Afterwards, Jacob went back and spent the rest of the night alone.
A man came and fought with Jacob until just before daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not win, he struck Jacob on the hip and threw it out of joint. 26 They kept on wrestling until the man said, “Let go of me! It's almost daylight.”
“You can't go until you bless me,” Jacob replied.
27 Then the man asked, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 The man said, “From now on, your name will no longer be Jacob. You will be called Israel, because you have wrestled with God and with men, and you have won.”
29 Jacob said, “Now tell me your name.”
“Don't you know who I am?” he asked. And 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 was coming up as Jacob was leaving Peniel. He was limping because he had been struck on the hip, 32 and the muscle on his hip joint had been injured. That's why even today the people of Israel don't eat the hip muscle of any animal.
