Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32:1-21

32 Then Jacob went on his way, and angels of God met him. 2 And when he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother to the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, “This is what you will say to my lord, to Esau: ‘This is what your servant Jacob says, “I have been sojourning with Laban and have remained there until now. 5 And I have cattle and donkeys, flocks, and menservants and maidservants. And I have sent messengers to speak with my lord, so that I will find favor in your eyes.” ’ ”

6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We went to your brother, to Esau. And also, he is coming to meet you, and 400 men with him!” 7 And Jacob was exceedingly afraid, and it was distressing for him, so he divided the people who were with him and the flocks and the herds and the camels into two camps. 8 And he said, “If Esau comes to one camp and strikes them, then the camp that is left will escape.”

9 Then Jacob said, “God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your land and to your relatives, and I will cause things to prosper with you,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindnesses and of all the faithfulness that you have shown your servant. For I crossed this Jordan with my staff, but now I have become two camps. 11 Please save me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, because I am afraid of him, that he will come and strike me and the mothers with the children! 12 But you said, ‘I will surely cause things to prosper with you, and I will make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted from their abundance.’ ”

13 Then he stayed there for that night, and he took gifts from what was in his hand for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty nursing camels and their young, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 And he gave them into the hands of his servants, each herd by itself. And he said to his servants, “Go before me, and put space between each herd.” 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘Whom do you belong to, and where are you going? And whom do these animals belong to that are before you?’ 18 then you say, ‘They belong to your servant, to Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord, to Esau. And behold, he is also behind us.’ ”

19 Then he also commanded the second servant, also the third, also all who followed behind the herds, saying, “Say the same thing to Esau when you find him. 20 And also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will cover his face with the gift that is going before me, and after that, when I see his face, perhaps he will receive my face.” 21 Then the gift went before him, and he himself stayed for that night in the camp.