Part 21 (1/2)

31:55. But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.

Genesis Chapter 32

Jacob's vision of angels; his message and presents to Esau; his wrestling with an angel.

32:1. Jacob also went on the journey he had begun: and the angels of G.o.d met him.

32:2. And when he saw them, he said: These are the camps of G.o.d, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim, that is, Camps.

32:3. And he sent messengers before him to Esau, his brother, to the land of Seir, to the country of Edom:

32:4. And he commanded them, saying: Thus shall ye speak to my lord Esau: Thus saith thy brother Jacob: I have sojourned with Laban, and have been with him until this day:

32:5. I have oxen, and a.s.ses, and sheep, and menservants, and womenservants: and now I send a message to my lord, that I may find favour in thy sight.

32:6. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying: We came to Esau, thy brother, and behold he cometh with speed to meet thee with four hundred men.

32:7. Then Jacob was greatly afraid; and in his fear divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and the sheep, and the oxen, and the camels, into two companies,

32:8. Saying: If Esau come to one company, and destroy it, the other company that is left, shall escape.

32:9. And Jacob said: O G.o.d of my fahter Abraham, and G.o.d of my father Isaac: O Lord who saidst to me, Return to thy land, and to the place of thy birth, and I will do well for thee.

32:10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of thy truth which thou hast fulfilled to thy servant. With my staff I pa.s.sed over this Jordan; and now I return with two companies.

32:11. Deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am greatly afraid of him; lest perhaps he come, and kill the mother with the children.

32:12. Thou didst say, that thou wouldst do well by me, and multiply my seed like the sand of the sea, which connot be numbered for mult.i.tude.

32:13. And when he had slept there that night, he set apart, of the things which he had, presents for his brother Esau,

32:14. Two hundred she goats, twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,

32:15. Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she a.s.ses, and ten of their foals.

32:16. And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a s.p.a.ce between drove and drove.

32:17. And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

32:18. Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau; and he cometh after us.

32:19. In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.

32:20. And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

32:21. So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

32:22. And rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and pa.s.sed over the ford of Jaboc.

32:23. And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,