Genesis 32

Early in the morn, Laban kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them, before heading home.
Now as Jacob went on his way, he met God’s messengers on the same path he did roam.
When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is a camp of God!” And he named that place “Mahanaim”.
(And that means “Double-Camp”, because Jacob had camped there, and God’s messengers had camped by him.)
Jacob sent messengers to his brother Esau, in the land of Seir, Edom’s country.
He had sent them ahead and commanded them saying, “To my lord Esau, say thusly:
‘Here is what Jacob, your servant, says: I have sojourned with Laban and rested ‘til now,
I’ve acquired both male and female slaves, flocks of sheep, oxen, donkeys, and cows.
I have sent out this message for you to hear, my lord, in hope that I will gain your favor.'”
Then the messengers came back to Jacob and said, “We have ill tidings you will not savor.
We came to your brother, to Esau, but he’s already coming to meet you, with men.
Now four hundred men are coming with him.” Jacob was exceedingly scared and frightened.
He divided the people with him, and the flocks, oxen, and camels into two camps,
Saying to himself, “If Esau strikes at one, the other may yet escape from those scamps.”
Jacob then said, “God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O Lord,
Who said to me, ‘Return to your native land, and then I shall give to you a reward.’
I am unworthy of all the good faith and kindness you’ve steadfastly shown to Your servant.
With my staff alone I crossed this Jordan, and now have become two camps. My faith is fervent.
Pray save me from the hand of my brother, the hand of Esau, for of him I’m afraid.
I fear that Esau may come and strike me down, mothers and children alike to be slayed.
But you’ve said, ‘I will deal well with you, I will make your offspring like the sand of the sea,
An abundant amount that’s too many to count.’ That’s the promise that you made to me.”
After spending the night there, he took gifts for his brother Esau from what was at hand:
A full two hundred she-goats, and twenty young kids, and two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
Thirty milch camels and their young, forty cows, ten bulls, and twenty she-asses, ten males.
Jacob handed them over to his servants, herd by herd, and gave his servants details.
He said, “Cross on ahead of me, leave room between herds.” To the servants in front he said,
“When my brother Esau meets you and asks of you, ‘Whose man are you? To where do you head?
And whose animals are those ahead of you?’ Then say, ‘By your servant Jacob they’re owned;
They are gifts for my lord Esau, and Jacob is behind us, his arrival postponed.'”
Jacob gave the same charge to the second and third groups, and all groups that walked with the herds,
Saying, “When you should come upon Esau, my brother, then speak to him using these words:
You shall say, ‘And your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For Jacob had thought in this case,
“I will wipe the rage from the face of Esau by sending presents ahead of my face,
And when we’re face to face, maybe my face will please him, and he will be gracious and kind.”
So the gift went ahead, while he stayed in the camp for the night, but no sleep did he find.
He arose in the night and he took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven kids,
To the Jabbok crossing, where he sent them across, and then also sent all that was his.
Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until dawn came up in the sky.
When he saw that he could not prevail against Jacob, he touched the socket of his thigh.
And the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him. He said,
“Let me go, for the dawn has come up!” But he said, “I will not let you go, but instead,
I will hold on until you have blessed me.” He asked, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he replied.
Then the man said, “‘Jacob’ (‘Heel-Sneak’) shall no more be your name, but a name with more pride.
You shall be named ‘Israel’ (‘God-Fighter’), for you have fought with God and man, and prevailed.”
And then Jacob asked, “Tell me your name!” But he said, “Don’t ask for such things to be revealed.”
(For names of the divine give power over them.) So he blessed Jacob, and took his leave.
Jacob named the place “Peniel” (“Face of God”), for “I’ve seen God face to face, I believe,
Yet my life has been saved.” The sun rose on him as he crossed Peniel, limping along
On his thigh; which is why the Children of Israel to this day believe it is wrong
To eat of the thigh muscle and sinew that lies on the inner socket of the thigh,
For that sciatic nerve is the socket of muscle where Jacob was touched by that guy.