1 Jacob also left to go back to his father. As he went on his way some angels met him. 2 When he saw them he said, “This is God's camp.” So he called the place Mahanaim, because Mahanaim means “two camps.” 3 Jacob sent some men ahead with a message for his older brother Esau.

The men met Esau in the country of Edom, 4 and they said to him, “Your brother Jacob is coming after us and he is ready to obey you. He has been staying with your uncle Laban for a very long time. 5 He has cattle and donkeys and sheep and goats now, and also servants. He wants you to be pleased when you see him.”

6 Then they went back to Jacob and said to him, “We went to your brother, and now he is coming to meet you. There are 400 men with him.” 7 Jacob was frightened and worried when he heard that. So he separated the people who were with him into two groups. Then he also separated his cattle, sheep, goats and camels into two groups. 8 He thought, “If Esau fights with the first group then the others will escape safely.”

9 Then Jacob prayed to God. He said, “God of my grandfather Abraham and God of my father Isaac, listen to me! I am going back to my father's country and my people, because you told me to, Yahweh. You said you would do good for me. 10 You didn't leave me all the time I was in Mesopotamia, you were kind to me. But I didn't do anything good for you. When I crossed the Jordan River the first time, I had nothing except a walking stick, but you have given me many good things. So today I have these two groups of people and two groups of animals. 11 Please help me again now, so that my brother Esau won't kill me.

“I am frightened. I am afraid that Esau is coming to fight us and kill all of us men, and the women and children too. 12 You promised me that you would do good for me and also that I would have many children. You told me that their children would go on having children until there are very many of them. They will be so many that no one will be able to count them, just as we can't count the grains of sand on the beach. So please don't forget your promise to me.”

13 Jacob stayed there that night. In the morning he gathered some goats and other animals together and counted them to give to his older brother Esau. 14 There were 200 female goats and 20 males, 15 and 200 female sheep and 20 males, and 30 female camels and their young ones, and 40 female bullocks and 10 males and 20 female donkeys and 10 males. 16 He separated the animals into five groups, goats, sheep, camels, bullocks and donkeys, all in separate groups. And he told five servants to look after them. He said to them, “Go on ahead now. Let one group go first and let the next group follow later.”

17 He said to the first servant, “When my brother Esau meets you he will ask, ‘Who is your master? And where are you going? And whose are these goats and other animals?’ 18 Then you must say, ‘They belong to Jacob. He is ready to obey you and he has sent these for you. He is coming after us.’ ”

19 Jacob told all his servants who were looking after the sheep and other animals to say the same to Esau. He said to them, “When you meet Esau you must say to him, 20 ‘Yes, Jacob is ready to obey you and he is coming after us.’ ” Jacob was thinking, “First my brother will get these goats and other animals. Then later he will meet me. Maybe he will forgive me because of what I have given him.”

21 Then Jacob sent the servants ahead with the animals, but he stayed there for the night.

22-23 That same night Jacob got up and sent off his two wives, Rachel and Leah, and they crossed the Jabbok River. He sent off the two women, Bilhah and Zilpah, the servants who were also his wives, and they crossed over with all his children. And he also sent all his belongings on ahead, 24 but he stayed alone.

During the night a man came to Jacob and fought with him. They kept on and on fighting until it was nearly dawn. 25 When the man saw that Jacob didn't weaken, he hit him on the hip. And Jacob's hip was hurt and thrown out of joint. 26 The man said to Jacob, “Let me go now. Soon it will be dawn.”

Jacob answered, “If you bless me, then I will let you go.”

27 The man asked, “What is your name?”

“I am Jacob,” he answered.

28 The man said, “You won't be called Jacob any longer, you will have a new name Israel. You have shown people that you are strong with God and with men. So from today you will be called Israel.” God said that because Israel means “he fought with God.”

29 Jacob said, “Tell me your name.”

But he answered, “Why do you want to know my name?” Then he blessed Jacob.

30 After the man had gone away Jacob thought, “That was God himself! I have seen his face, and I am still alive.” So he called the place Peniel, because Peniel means, “God's face.”

31 As the sun was coming up, Jacob left there and crossed the Jabbok River. But he was limping now, because his hip was aching. 32 Even today when the Israelite people eat meat, they don't eat the muscle from the hip of bullocks and other animals, because that man struck Jacob on the hip.