Laban’s Covenant with Jacob

43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, qlet us make a 8covenant, ryou and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”

45 So Jacob stook a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it 9Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it 1Galeed. 48 And Laban said, t“This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also uMizpah, 2because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”

51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father vjudge between us.” And Jacob wswore by xthe 3Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and ykissed his sons and daughters and zblessed them. Then Laban departed and areturned to his place.

Esau Comes to Meet Jacob

32 So Jacob went on his way, and athe angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is God’s bcamp.” And he called the name of that place 1Mahanaim.

3 Then Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother cin the land of Seir, dthe 2country of Edom. 4 And he commanded them, saying, e“Speak thus to my lord Esau, ‘Thus your servant Jacob says: “I have dwelt with Laban and stayed there until now. 5 fI have oxen, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that gI may find favor in your sight.” ’ ”

6 Then the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and hhe also is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 7 So Jacob was greatly afraid and idistressed; and he divided the people that were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two companies. 8 And he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and 3attacks it, then the other company which is left will escape.”

9 jThen Jacob said, k“O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord lwho said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mmercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with nmy staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 oDeliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and 4attack me and pthe mother with the children. 12 For qYou said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the rsand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’ ”

13 So he lodged there that same night, and took what 5came to his hand as sa present for Esau his brother: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten foals. 16 Then he delivered them to the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass over before me, and put some distance between successive droves.” 17 And he commanded the first one, saying, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going? Whose are these in front of you?’ 18 then you shall say, ‘They are your servant Jacob’s. It is a present sent to my lord Esau; and behold, he also is behind us.’ ” 19 So he commanded the second, the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, “In this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; 20 and also say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob is behind us.’ ” For he said, “I will tappease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” 21 So the present went on over before him, but he himself lodged that night in the camp.

Wrestling with God

22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, uand crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them 6over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and va Man wrestled with him until the 7breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He 8touched the socket of his hip; and wthe socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And xHe said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”

But he said, y“I will not let You go unless You bless me!”

27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”

He said, “Jacob.”

28 And He said, z“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but 9Israel; for you have astruggled with God and bwith men, and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”

And He said, c“Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He dblessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the name of the place 1Peniel: “For eI have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” 31 Just as he crossed over 2Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the children of Israel do not eat the muscle that shrank, which is on the hip socket, because He 3touched the socket of Jacob’s hip in the muscle that shrank.

Jacob and Esau Meet

33 Now Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and there, aEsau was coming, and with him were four hundred men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. 2 And he put the maidservants and their children in front, Leah and her children behind, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then he crossed over before them and bbowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

4 cBut Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, dand fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. 5 And he lifted his eyes and saw the women and children, and said, “Who are these with you?”

So he said, “The children ewhom God has graciously given your servant.” 6 Then the maidservants came near, they and their children, and bowed down. 7 And Leah also came near with her children, and they bowed down. Afterward Joseph and Rachel came near, and they bowed down.

8 Then Esau said, “What do you mean by fall this company which I met?”

And he said, “These are gto find favor in the sight of my lord.”

9 But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.”

10 And Jacob said, “No, please, if I have now found favor in your sight, then receive my present from my hand, inasmuch as I hhave seen your face as though I had seen the face of God, and you were pleased with me. 11 Please, take imy blessing that is brought to you, because God has dealt jgraciously with me, and because I have 1enough.” kSo he urged him, and he took it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey; let us go, and I will go before you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are weak, and the flocks and herds which are nursing are with me. And if the men should drive them hard one day, all the flock will die. 14 Please let my lord go on ahead before his servant. I will lead on slowly at a pace which the livestock that go before me, and the children, 2are able to endure, until I come to my lord lin Seir.”

15 And Esau said, “Now let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.”

But he said, “What need is there? mLet me find favor in the sight of my lord.” 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 And Jacob journeyed to nSuccoth, built himself a house, and made 3booths for his livestock. Therefore the name of the place is called 4Succoth.

Jacob Comes to Canaan

18 Then Jacob came 5safely to othe city of pShechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padan Aram; and he pitched his tent before the city. 19 And qhe bought the parcel of 6land, where he had pitched his tent, from the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. 20 Then he erected an altar there and called it rEl 7Elohe Israel.