Genesis 31

Jacob’s Second and Third Encounters With God

1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father and has gained all his wealth from him.”

2 He also noticed that Laban did not appear as friendly to him as before.
3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your ancestors and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”4 So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah to come out to the open country where his flocks were.5 He said to them, “I have seen that your father isn’t as friendly to me as he was before, but the God of my father has been with me.6 You know that I have worked as hard as I could for your father.7 Your father has cheated me. He has changed my wages ten times. But God hasn’t let him harm me.8 Whenever he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to speckled young. And whenever he said, ‘The striped ones will be your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to striped young.

9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.
10 “During the mating season I had a dream: I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, or spotted.11 In the dream the Messenger of God called to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I answered, ‘Yes, here I am.’12 He said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, or spotted, because I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel,t where you poured olive oil on a stone marker for a holy purpose and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land, and go back to the land of your relatives.’ ”
14 Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there anything left in our father’s household for us to inherit?15 Doesn’t he think of us as foreigners? Not only did he sell us, but he has used up the money that was paid for us.

16 Certainly, all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. Now do whatever God has told you.”

Laban and Jacob Make Peace

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.

18 He drove all his livestock ahead of him and took all the possessions that he had accumulated. He took his own livestock that he had accumulated in Paddan Aram and went back to his father Isaac in Canaan.
19 When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s idols.20 Jacob also tricked Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was leaving.

21 So he left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the mountains of Gilead.
22 Two days later Laban was told that Jacob had left in a hurry.

23 He and his relatives pursued Jacob for seven days. Laban caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead.
24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.”25 When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the mountains. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the mountains of Gilead.26 Then Laban asked Jacob, “What have you done by tricking me? You’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war.27 Why did you leave secretly and trick me? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I would have sent you on your way rejoicing, with songs accompanied by tambourines and lyres.28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You’ve done a foolish thing.29 I have the power to harm you. Last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.’

30 Now you have left for your father’s home because you were so homesick. But why did you steal my gods?”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

32 If you find your gods, the one who has them will not be allowed to live. In the presence of our relatives, search as much as you want through what I have, and take what is yours.” (Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the gods.)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two slaves. But he found nothing. He came out of Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent.

34 Rachel had taken the idols and had put them in her camel’s saddle-bag and was sitting on them. Laban rummaged through the whole tent but found nothing.
35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, Father, but I can’t get up to greet you; I’m having my period.” So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he didn’t find the idols.36 Then Jacob became angry and confronted Laban. “What is my crime?” Jacob demanded of Laban. “What is my offense that you have come chasing after me?

37 Now that you’ve rummaged through all my things, did you find anything from your house? Put it here in front of all our relatives. Let them decide which one of us is right.
38 “I’ve been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate any rams from your flocks.39 I never brought you any of the flock that was killed by wild animals. I paid for the loss myself. That’s what you demanded of me when any of the flock was stolen during the day or at night.40 The scorching heat during the day and the cold at night wore me down, and I lost a lot of sleep.41 I’ve been with your household 20 years now. I worked for you 14 years for your two daughters and 6 years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac,t had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed by now. God has seen my misery and hard work, and last night he made it right.”
43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “These are my daughters, my grandchildren, and my flocks. Everything you see is mine! Yet, what can I do today for my daughters or for their children?

44 Now, let’s make an agreement and let it stand as a witness between you and me.”
45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker.46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” They took stones, put them into a pile, and ate there by the pile of stones.

47 In his language Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha [Witness Pile], but Jacob called it Galeed.t
48 Laban said, “This pile of stones stands as a witness between you and me today.” This is why it was named Galeed49 and also Mizpah [Watchtower], because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we’re unable to see each other.

50 If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women behind my back, remember that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
51 Laban said to Jacob, “Here is the pile of stones, and here is the marker that I have set up between you and me.52 This pile of stones and this marker stand as witnesses that I will not go past the pile of stones to harm you, and that you will not go past the pile of stones or marker to harm me.

53 May the God of Abraham and Nahor—the God of their father—judge between us.”
So Jacob swore this oath by the Fear of his father Isaac

54 and offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He invited his relatives to eat the meal with him. They ate with him and spent the night on the mountain.t
55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and went back home.

Genesis 32

Jacob Sends Messages and Gifts to Esau

1 As Jacob went on his way, God’s angels met him.

2 When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp!” He named that place Mahanaim [Two Camps].
3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in Seir, the country of Edom.4 He commanded them to give this message to Esau, “Sir, this is what Jacob has to say, ‘I’ve been living with Laban and have stayed until now.

5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, and male and female slaves. I’ve sent these messengers to tell you this news in order to win your favor.’ ”
6 When the messengers came back to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you with 400 men.”7 Jacob was terrified and distressed. So he divided the people, the sheep and goats, the cattle, and the camels into two camps.

8 He thought, “If Esau attacks the one camp, then the other camp will be able to escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “God of my grandfather Abraham and God of my father Isaac! Lord, you said to me, ‘Go back to your land and to your relatives, and I will make you prosperous.’10 I’m not worthy of all the love and faithfulness you have shown me. I only had a shepherd’s staff when I crossed the Jordan River, but now I have two camps.11 Please save me from my brother Esau, because I’m afraid of him. I’m afraid that he’ll come and attack me and the mothers and children too.

12 But you did say, ‘I will make sure that you are prosperous and that your descendants will be as many as the grains of sand on the seashore. No one will be able to count them because there are so many.’ ”
13 He stayed there that night. Then he prepared a gift for his brother Esau from what he had brought with him:14 200 female goats and 20 male goats, 200 female sheep and 20 male sheep,

15 30 female camels with their young, 40 cows and 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys and 10 male donkeys.
16 He placed servants in charge of each herd. Then he said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep a distance between the herds.”17 He commanded the first servant, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and whose animals are these ahead of you?’18 then say, ‘Sir, they belong to your servant Jacob. This is a gift sent to you. Jacob is right behind us.’ ”19 He also commanded the second servant, the third, and all the others who followed the herds. He said, “Say the same thing to Esau when you find him.20 And be sure to add, ‘Jacob is right behind us, sir.’ ” He thought, “I’ll make peace with him by giving him this gift that I’m sending ahead of me. After that I will see him, and he’ll welcome me back.”

21 So Jacob sent the gift ahead of him while he stayed in the camp that night.

Jacob’s Fourth Encounter With God—He Wrestles With God

22 During that night he got up and gathered his two wives, his two slaves and his eleven children and crossed at the shallow part of the Jabbok River.23 After he sent them across the stream, he sent everything else across.24 So Jacob was left alone. Then a man wrestled with him until dawn.25 When the man saw that he could not win against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that it was dislocated as they wrestled.

26 Then the man said, “Let me go; it’s almost dawn.”
But Jacob answered, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”27 So the man asked him, “What’s your name?”“Jacob,” he answered.28 The man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob but Israel [He Struggles With God], because you have struggled with God and with men—and you have won.”29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”The man answered, “Why do you ask for my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.30 So Jacob named that place Peniel [Face of God], because he said, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved.”31 The sun rose as he passed Penuel.t He was limping because of his hip.

32 (Therefore, even today the people of Israel do not eat the muscle of the thigh attached to the hip socket because God touched the socket of Jacob’s hip at the muscle of the thigh.)

Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

1 Jacob saw Esau coming with 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two slaves.2 He put the slaves and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last.

3 He went on ahead of them and bowed seven times with his face touching the ground as he came near his brother.
4 Then Esau ran to meet Jacob. Esau hugged him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him. They both cried.

5 When he saw the women and children, Esau asked, “Who are these people here with you?”
“The children God has graciously given me, sir,” Jacob answered.6 Then the slaves and their children came forward and bowed down.

7 Likewise, Leah and her children came forward and bowed down. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed down.
8 Then Esau asked, “Why did you send this whole group of people and animals I met?”He answered, “To win your favor, sir.”9 Esau said, “I have enough. Keep what you have, Brother.”10 Jacob said, “No, please take the gift I’m giving you, because I’ve seen your face as if I were seeing the face of God, and yet you welcomed me so warmly.

11 Please take the present I’ve brought you, because God has been gracious to me and has given me all that I need.” So Esau took it because Jacob insisted.
12 Then Esau said, “Let’s get ready to go, and I’ll go with you.”13 Jacob said to him, “Sir, you know that the children are frail and that I have to take care of the flocks and cattle that are nursing their young. If they’re driven too hard for even one day, all the flocks will die.

14 Go ahead of me, sir. I will slowly and gently guide the herds that are in front of me at their pace and at the children’s pace until I come to you in Seir.”
15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”“Why do that?” Jacob asked. “I only want to win your favor, sir.”16 That day Esau started back to Seir.

17 But Jacob moved on to Succoth, where he built a house for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is named Succoth [Shelters].
18 So having come from Paddan Aram, Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem in Canaan. He camped within sight of the city.19 Then he bought the piece of land on which he had put up his tents. He bought it from the sons of Hamor, father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver.

20 He set up an altar there and named it God Is the God of Israel.