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Yakobo Akonzekera Kukumana ndi Esau

32 Nayenso Yakobo analowera njira yake, ndipo angelo a Mulungu anakumana naye. Pamene Yakobo anawaona anati, “Ili ndi gulu la Mulungu.” Choncho anawatcha malowo Mahanaimu.

Yakobo anatumiza amithenga ake kwa mʼbale wake Esau ku dera la Seiri, dziko la Edomu. Anawalangiza kuti, “Zimene mukanene ndi izi kwa mbuye wanga Esau: ‘Mtumiki wanu Yakobo akuti, Ine ndakhala ndi kukhala ndi Labani mpaka tsopano. Ndili ndi ngʼombe, abulu, nkhosa ndi mbuzi, antchito aamuna ndi aakazi. Tsopano ndikutumiza mawu amenewa kwa mbuye wanga, kuti mundikomere mtima.’ ”

Pamene amithenga aja anabwerera kwa Yakobo, anati, “Tinapita kwa mʼbale wanu Esau, ndipo tsopano iye akubwera kudzakumana nanu. Ali ndi anthu 400.”

Yakobo anali ndi mantha ndi nkhawa yayikulu kwambiri. Tsono anagawa anthu onse amene anali naye, ndiponso nkhosa, mbuzi, ngʼombe ndi ngamira mʼmagulu awiri. Mʼmaganizo ake iye ankanena kuti, “Ngati Esau atabwera ndi kuthira nkhondo gulu limodzi, gulu lina lotsalalo likhoza kupulumuka.”

Pamenepo Yakobo anapemphera, “Haa, Mulungu wa kholo langa Abrahamu, Mulungu wa abambo anga Isake, Aa Yehova amene munati kwa ine, ‘Bwerera ku dziko la kwanu ndi kwa abale ako, ndipo ndidzakuchitira zabwino.’ 10 Ine siwoyenera kulandira kukoma mtima kwanu ndi kukhulupirika kwanu kumene mwaonetsa wantchito wanu. Ndinali ndi ndodo yokha pamene ndinawoloka Yorodani uyu koma tsopano ndili ndi magulu awiri. 11 Ndipulumutseni mʼdzanja la mʼbale wanga Esau, popeza ndikuopa kuti mwina akubwera kudzandithira nkhondo pamodzi ndi akazi ndi ana omwe. 12 Paja Inu munandilonjeza kuti simudzalephera kundichitira zabwino ndi kuti zidzukulu zanga zidzakhala zosawerengeka ngati mchenga wa ku nyanja.”

13 Iye anagona pomwepo usiku umenewo. Pambuyo pake anasankhula pa chuma chimene anali nacho zinthu izi ngati mphatso za Esau, mʼbale wake: 14 Anasankhula mbuzi zazikazi 200 ndi atonde makumi awiri, nkhosa zazikazi 200 ndi nkhosa zazimuna makumi awiri, 15 ngamira za mkaka 30 ndi ana awo, ngʼombe zazikazi 40 ndi zazimuna khumi, ndipo abulu aakazi makumi awiri ndi abulu aamuna khumi. 16 Iye anazipereka kwa antchito ake kuti azikuse, gulu lililonse pa lokha, ndipo anati kwa antchito akewo, “Tsogolani ndipo muonetsetse kuti pali mpata pakati pa gulu ndi gulu linzake.”

17 Anawuza mnyamata wa gulu loyamba kuti, “Ngati ukumana naye mʼbale wanga Esau nakufunsa kuti, ‘Ndinu antchito a yani, ndipo mukupita kuti? Nanga ziweto zonse zili patsogolo pakozi ndi za yani?’ 18 Pamenepo ukayankhe kuti, ‘Zimenezi ndi za wantchito wanu, Yakobo, ndipo wazipereka kwa inu, Esau, mbuye wake ngati mphatso. Mtumiki wanuyu akubwera mʼmbuyo mwathumu.’ ”

19 Anawuza mawu omwewo kwa wachiwiri, wachitatu ndi ena onse amene ankayenda motsogoza ziwetozo kuti, “Inunso munene zomwezo kwa Esau mukakumana naye. 20 Muzikanena kuti, ‘Wantchito wanu Yakobo akubwera mʼmbuyo mwathumu.’ ” Popeza anaganiza kuti, “Ndidzamutsitsa mtima ndi mphatso ndazitsogozazi. Apo tsono ndikadzakumana naye, mwina adzandilandira bwino.” 21 Choncho mphatso za Yakobo zinatsogola, koma iye mwini anagona pa msasa pomwepo usiku umenewo.

Yakobo Alimbana ndi Mulungu

22 Usiku umenewo Yakobo anauka natenga akazi ake awiri, antchito ake awiri ndi ana ake aamuna khumi ndi mmodzi nawoloka pa dooko la mtsinje wa Yaboki. 23 Atatha kuwawolotsa pa mtsinjewo anawolotsanso katundu wake yense. 24 Tsono Yakobo anatsala yekha. Tsono munthu wina anadzalimbana naye mpaka mʼmbandakucha. 25 Pamene munthuyo anaona kuti sangathe kumugonjetsa, anakhudza nyungʼunyu ya pa ntchafu ya Yakobo ndipo inaguluka polimbanapo. 26 Kenaka munthuyo anati, “Ndisiye ndizipita, popeza kunja kukucha.”

Koma Yakobo anayankha, “Sindikulolani kupita pokhapokha mutandidalitsa.”

27 Munthu uja anamufunsa Yakobo kuti, “Kodi dzina lako ndiwe yani?”

Iye anayankha, “Ndine Yakobo.”

28 Pamenepo munthuyo anati, “Dzina lako silidzakhalanso Yakobo koma Israeli, chifukwa walimbana ndi Mulungu ndi anthu ndipo wapambana.”

29 Yakobo anati, “Chonde, uzeni dzina lanu.”

Koma munthuyo anati, “Chifukwa chiyani ukundifunsa dzina?” Kenaka anamudalitsa pomwepo.

30 Choncho Yakobo anawatcha malowo Penueli, popeza anati, “Ndinaonana ndi Mulungu maso ndi maso koma sindinafe.”

31 Dzuwa linamutulukira Yakobo pamene amachoka pa Penueli. Tsono ankayenda chotsimphina chifukwa cha nyungʼunyu yake ija. 32 Nʼchifukwa chake mpaka lero Aisraeli sadya nyama ya pa nyungʼunyu chifukwa Yakobo anakhudzidwa pa nyungʼunyu.

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 [a]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God(A) met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”(B) So he named that place Mahanaim.[b](C)

Jacob sent messengers(D) ahead of him to his brother Esau(E) in the land of Seir,(F) the country of Edom.(G) He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord(H) Esau: ‘Your servant(I) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban(J) and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.(K) Now I am sending this message to my lord,(L) that I may find favor in your eyes.(M)’”

When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(N)

In great fear(O) and distress(P) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[c](Q) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[d] the group[e] that is left may escape.”

Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,(R) God of my father Isaac,(S) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’(T) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness(U) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff(V) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.(W) 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid(X) he will come and attack me,(Y) and also the mothers with their children.(Z) 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand(AA) of the sea, which cannot be counted.(AB)’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift(AC) for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,(AD) 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.(AE) 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”(AF)

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant(AG) Jacob. They are a gift(AH) sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant(AI) Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts(AJ) I am sending on ahead;(AK) later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”(AL) 21 So Jacob’s gifts(AM) went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons(AN) and crossed the ford of the Jabbok.(AO) 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions.(AP) 24 So Jacob was left alone,(AQ) and a man(AR) wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip(AS) so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”(AT)

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,”(AU) he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name(AV) will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[f](AW) because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”(AX)

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”(AY)

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?”(AZ) Then he blessed(BA) him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[g] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face,(BB) and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[h](BC) and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip,(BD) because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 32:1 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33.
  2. Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
  3. Genesis 32:7 Or camps
  4. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  5. Genesis 32:8 Or camp
  6. Genesis 32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
  7. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
  8. Genesis 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel