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Geneva Bible (1599): Genesis 32

1 Nowe Iaakob went forth on his iourney and the Angels of God met him.

2 And when Iaakob saw them, he said, This is Gods hoste, and called the name of the same place Mahanaim.

3 Then Iaakob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother, vnto the land of Seir into the countrey of Edom:

4 To whom he gaue commandement, saying, Thus shall ye speake to my lorde Esau: thy seruant Iaakob sayeth thus, I haue bene a stranger with Laban, and taried vnto this time.

5 I haue beeues also and Asses, sheepe, and men seruantes, and women seruantes, and haue sent to shew my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.

6 So ye messengers came againe to Iaakob, saying, We came vnto thy brother Esau, and hee also commeth against thee and foure hundreth men with him.

7 Then Iaakob was greatly afraid, and was sore troubled, and deuided the people that was with him, and the sheepe, and the beeues, and the camels into two companies.

8 For he said, If Esau come to ye one company and smite it, the other companie shall escape.

9 Moreouer Iaakob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Izhak: Lord, which saydest vnto me, Returne vnto thy coutrey and to thy kinred, and I will do thee good,

10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and al the trueth, which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant: for with my staffe came I ouer this Iorden, and now haue I gotte two bads.

11 I pray thee, Deliuer me from the hande of my brother, from the hande of Esau: for I feare him, least he will come and smite me, and the mother vpon the children.

12 For thou saydest; I will surely doe thee good, and make thy seede as the sande of the sea, which can not be nombred for multitude.

13 And he taryed there the same night, and tooke of that which came to had, a present for Esau his brother:

14 Two hundreth shee goates and twenty hee goates, two hundreth ewes and twentie rammes:

15 Thirtie mylche camels with their coltes, fourtie kine, and ten bullockes, twentie she asses and ten foles.

16 So he deliuered them into the hande of his seruants, euery droue by themselues, and saide vnto his seruants, Passe before me, and put a space betweene droue and droue.

17 And he commanded the formost, saying, If Esau my brother meete thee, and aske thee, saying, Whose seruant art thou? And whither goest thou? And whose are these before thee?

18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy seruant Iaakobs: it is a present sent vnto my lord Esau: and beholde, he him selfe also is behinde vs.

19 So likewise commanded he the seconde and the thirde, and all that followed the droues, saying, After this maner, ye shall speake vnto Esau, when ye finde him.

20 And ye shall say moreouer, Beholde, thy seruant Iaakob commeth after vs (for he thought, I will appease his wrath with the present that goeth before me, and afterwarde I will see his face: it may be that he will accept me.)

21 So went the present before him: but he taried that night with the companie.

22 And he rose vp the same night, and tooke his two wiues, and his two maides, and his eleuen children, and went ouer the forde Iabbok.

23 And he tooke them, and sent them ouer the riuer, and sent ouer that he had.

24 Now when Iaakob was left him selfe alone, there wrestled a man with him vnto the breaking of the day.

25 And he sawe that he could not preuaile against him: therefore he touched the holowe of his thigh, and the holowe of Iaakobs thigh was loosed, as he wrestled with him.

26 And he saide, Let me goe, for the morning appeareth. Who answered, I will not let thee go except thou blesse me.

27 Then said he vnto him, What is thy name? And he said, Iaakob.

28 Then said he, Thy name shalbe called Iaakob no more, but Israel: because thou hast had power with God, thou shalt also preuaile with men.

29 Then Iaakob demaded, saying, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore now doest thou aske my name? and he blessed him there

30 And Iaakob called the name of the place, Peniel: for, saide he, I haue seene God face to face, and my life is preserued.

31 And the sunne rose vp to him as he passed Peniel, and he halted vpon his thigh.

32 Therefore the children of Israel eate not of the sinewe that shranke in the hollowe of the thigh, vnto this day: because he touched the sinew that shranke in the holow of Iaakobs thigh.