Genesis 32-34; Psalms 10 - Prayer Tents

32As Jacob started on his way again, angels of God came to meet him.H3290H1980H1870H4397H430H6293 2When Jacob saw them, he exclaimed, "This is God's camp!" So he named the place Mahanaim.H3290H7200H559H430H4264H7121H8034H4725H4266

Jacob Sends Gifts to Esau

3Then Jacob sent messengers ahead to his brother, Esau, who was living in the region of Seir in the land of Edom.H3290H7971H4397H6440H6215H251H776H8165H7704H123 4He told them, "Give this message to my master Esau: 'Humble greetings from your servant Jacob. Until now I have been living with Uncle Laban,H6680H559H559H113H6215H5650H3290H559H1481H3837H309 5and now I own cattle, donkeys, flocks of sheep and goats, and many servants, both men and women. I have sent these messengers to inform my lord of my coming, hoping that you will be friendly to me.'"H7794H2543H6629H5650H8198H7971H5046H113H4672H2580H5869 6After delivering the message, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, "We met your brother, Esau, and he is already on his way to meet you—with an army of 400 men!"H4397H7725H3290H559H935H251H6215H1980H7125H3967H376 7Jacob was terrified at the news. He divided his household, along with the flocks and herds and camels, into two groups.H3290H3966H3372H3334H2673H5971H6629H1241H1581H8147H4264 8He thought, "If Esau meets one group and attacks it, perhaps the other group can escape."H559H6215H935H259H4264H5221H4264H7604H6413 9Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac—O LORD, you told me, 'Return to your own land and to your relatives.' And you promised me, 'I will treat you kindly.'H3290H559H430H1H85H430H1H3327H3068H559H7725H776H4138H3190 10I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps!H6994H2617H571H6213H5650H4731H5674H3383H8147H4264 11O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children.H5337H3027H251H3027H6215H3373H935H5221H517H5921H1121 12But you promised me, 'I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.'"H559H3190H3190H7760H2233H2344H3220H5608H7230 13Jacob stayed where he was for the night. Then he selected these gifts from his possessions to present to his brother, Esau.H3885H3915H3947H935H3027H4503H6215H251 14200 female goats, 20 male goats, 200 ewes, 20 rams,H3967H5795H6242H8495H3967H7353H6242H352 1530 female camels with their young, 40 cows, 10 bulls, 20 female donkeys, and 10 male donkeys.H7970H3243H1581H1121H705H6510H6235H6499H6242H860H6235H5895 16He divided these animals into herds and assigned each to different servants. Then he told his servants, "Go ahead of me with the animals, but keep some distance between the herds."H5414H3027H5650H5739H559H5650H5674H6440H7760H7305H996H5739H996H5739 17He gave these instructions to the men leading the first group: "When my brother, Esau, meets you, he will ask, 'Whose servants are you? Where are you going? Who owns these animals?'H6680H7223H559H6215H251H6298H7592H559H3212H6440 18You must reply, 'They belong to your servant Jacob, but they are a gift for his master Esau. Look, he is coming right behind us.'"H559H5650H3290H4503H7971H113H6215H310 19Jacob gave the same instructions to the second and third herdsmen and to all who followed behind the herds: "You must say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.H1571H6680H8145H7992H1980H310H5739H559H1697H1696H6215H4672 20And be sure to say, 'Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.'" Jacob thought, "I will try to appease him by sending gifts ahead of me. When I see him in person, perhaps he will be friendly to me."H559H1571H5650H3290H310H559H3722H6440H4503H1980H6440H310H7200H6440H5375H6440 21So the gifts were sent on ahead, while Jacob himself spent that night in the camp.H5674H4503H5674H6440H3885H3915H4264

Jacob Wrestles with God

22During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two servant wives, and his eleven sons and crossed the Jabbok River with them.H6965H3915H3947H8147H802H8147H8198H6240H259H3206H5674H4569H2999 23After taking them to the other side, he sent over all his possessions.H3947H5674H5158H5674 24This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break.H3290H3498H79H376H5927H7837 25When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob's hip and wrenched it out of its socket.H7200H3201H5060H3409H3709H3290H3409H3363H79 26Then the man said, "Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!" But Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."H559H7971H7837H5927H559H7971H518H1288 27"What is your name?" the man asked. He replied, "Jacob."H559H8034H559H3290 28"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won."H559H8034H559H3290H3478H8280H430H582H3201 29"Please tell me your name," Jacob said. "Why do you want to know my name?" the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.H3290H7592H559H5046H8034H559H2088H7592H8034H1288 30Jacob named the place Peniel (which means "face of God"), for he said, "I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared."H3290H7121H8034H4725H6439H7200H430H6440H6440H5315H5337 31The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel, and he was limping because of the injury to his hip.H5674H6439H8121H2224H6760H3409 32(Even today the people of Israel don't eat the tendon near the hip socket because of what happened that night when the man strained the tendon of Jacob's hip.)H1121H3478H398H1517H5384H3709H3409H3117H5060H3709H3290H3409H1517H5384

Jacob and Esau Make Peace

33Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant wives.H3290H5375H5869H7200H6215H935H702H3967H376H2673H3206H3812H7354H8147H8198 2He put the servant wives and their children at the front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last.H7760H8198H3206H7223H3812H3206H314H7354H3130H314 3Then Jacob went on ahead. As he approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him.H5674H6440H7812H776H7651H6471H5066H251 4Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept.H6215H7323H7125H2263H5307H6677H5401H1058 5Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, "Who are these people with you?" "These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant," Jacob replied.H5375H5869H7200H802H3206H559H428H559H3206H430H2603H5650 6Then the servant wives came forward with their children and bowed before him.H8198H5066H3206H7812 7Next came Leah with her children, and they bowed before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed before him.H3812H3206H5066H7812H310H5066H3130H5066H7354H7812 8"And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?" Esau asked. Jacob replied, "They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship."H559H4264H6298H559H4672H2580H5869H113 9"My brother, I have plenty," Esau answered. "Keep what you have for yourself."H6215H559H3426H7227H251 10But Jacob insisted, "No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God!H3290H559H4672H2580H5869H3947H4503H3027H7200H6440H7200H6440H430H7521 11Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough." And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.H3947H1293H935H430H2603H3605H3426H3605H6484H3947 12"Well," Esau said, "let's be going. I will lead the way."H559H5265H3212H3212 13But Jacob replied, "You can see, my lord, that some of the children are very young, and the flocks and herds have their young, too. If they are driven too hard, even for one day, all the animals could die.H559H113H3045H3206H7390H6629H1241H5763H1849H259H3117H6629H4191 14Please, my lord, go ahead of your servant. We will follow slowly, at a pace that is comfortable for the livestock and the children. I will meet you at Seir."H113H5674H6440H5650H5095H328H7272H4399H6440H3206H7272H935H113H8165 15"All right," Esau said, "but at least let me assign some of my men to guide and protect you." Jacob responded, "That's not necessary. It's enough that you've received me warmly, my lord!"H6215H559H3322H5971H559H4100H4672H2580H5869H113 16So Esau turned around and started back to Seir that same day.H6215H7725H3117H1870H8165 17Jacob, on the other hand, traveled on to Succoth. There he built himself a house and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place was named Succoth (which means "shelters").H3290H5265H5523H1129H1004H6213H5521H4735H8034H4725H7121H5523 18Later, having traveled all the way from Paddan-aram, Jacob arrived safely at the town of Shechem, in the land of Canaan. There he set up camp outside the town.H3290H935H8004H5892H7927H776H3667H935H6307H2583H6440H5892 19Jacob bought the plot of land where he camped from the family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for 100 pieces of silver.H7069H2513H7704H5186H168H3027H1121H2544H7927H1H3967H7192 20And there he built an altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.H5324H4196H7121H415

Revenge against Shechem

34One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area.H1783H1323H3812H3205H3290H3318H7200H1323H776 2But when the local prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw Dinah, he seized her and raped her.H7927H1121H2544H2340H5387H776H7200H3947H7901H6031 3But then he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her affection with tender words.H5315H1692H1783H1323H3290H157H5291H1696H3820H5291 4He said to his father, Hamor, "Get me this young girl. I want to marry her."H7927H559H1H2544H559H3947H3207H802 5Soon Jacob heard that Shechem had defiled his daughter, Dinah. But since his sons were out in the fields herding his livestock, he said nothing until they returned.H3290H8085H2930H1783H1323H1121H4735H7704H3290H2790H935 6Hamor, Shechem's father, came to discuss the matter with Jacob.H2544H1H7927H3318H3290H1696H854 7Meanwhile, Jacob's sons had come in from the field as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious that their sister had been raped. Shechem had done a disgraceful thing against Jacob's family, something that should never be done.H1121H3290H935H7704H8085H582H6087H3966H2734H6213H5039H3478H7901H3290H1323H6213 8Hamor tried to speak with Jacob and his sons. "My son Shechem is truly in love with your daughter," he said. "Please let him marry her.H2544H1696H559H5315H1121H7927H2836H1323H5414H802 9In fact, let's arrange other marriages, too. You give us your daughters for our sons, and we will give you our daughters for your sons.H2859H5414H1323H3947H1323 10And you may live among us; the land is open to you! Settle here and trade with us. And feel free to buy property in the area."H3427H776H1961H6440H3427H5503H270 11Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah's father and brothers. "Please be kind to me, and let me marry her," he begged. "I will give you whatever you ask.H7927H559H1H251H4672H2580H5869H559H5414 12No matter what dowry or gift you demand, I will gladly pay it—just give me the girl as my wife."H7235H3966H4119H4976H5414H559H5414H5291H802 13But since Shechem had defiled their sister, Dinah, Jacob's sons responded deceitfully to Shechem and his father, Hamor.H1121H3290H6030H7927H2544H1H4820H1696H2930H1783H269 14They said to them, "We couldn't possibly allow this, because you're not circumcised. It would be a disgrace for our sister to marry a man like you!H559H3808H3201H6213H1697H5414H269H376H6190H2781 15But here is a solution. If every man among you will be circumcised like we are,H2063H225H2145H4135 16then we will give you our daughters, and we'll take your daughters for ourselves. We will live among you and become one people.H5414H1323H3947H1323H3427H259H5971 17But if you don't agree to be circumcised, we will take her and be on our way."H8085H4135H3947H1323H1980 18Hamor and his son Shechem agreed to their proposal.H1697H3190H5869H2544H7927H2544H1121 19Shechem wasted no time in acting on this request, for he wanted Jacob's daughter desperately. Shechem was a highly respected member of his family,H5288H309H6213H1697H2654H3290H1323H3513H1004H1 20and he went with his father, Hamor, to present this proposal to the leaders at the town gate.H2544H7927H1121H935H8179H5892H1696H582H5892H559 21"These men are our friends," they said. "Let's invite them to live here among us and trade freely. Look, the land is large enough to hold them. We can take their daughters as wives and let them marry ours.H582H8003H854H3427H776H5503H776H7342H3027H6440H3947H1323H802H5414H1323 22But they will consider staying here and becoming one people with us only if all of our men are circumcised, just as they are.H2063H582H225H3427H259H5971H2145H4135H4135 23But if we do this, all their livestock and possessions will eventually be ours. Come, let's agree to their terms and let them settle here among us."H4735H7075H929H225H3427 24So all the men in the town council agreed with Hamor and Shechem, and every male in the town was circumcised.H2544H7927H1121H8085H3318H8179H5892H2145H4135H3318H8179H5892 25But three days later, when their wounds were still sore, two of Jacob's sons, Simeon and Levi, who were Dinah's full brothers, took their swords and entered the town without opposition. Then they slaughtered every male there,H7992H3117H3510H8147H1121H3290H8095H3878H1783H251H3947H376H2719H935H5892H983H2026H2145 26including Hamor and his son Shechem. They killed them with their swords, then took Dinah from Shechem's house and returned to their camp.H2026H2544H7927H1121H6310H2719H3947H1783H3947H7927H1004H3318 27Meanwhile, the rest of Jacob's sons arrived. Finding the men slaughtered, they plundered the town because their sister had been defiled there.H1121H3290H935H2491H962H5892H2930H269 28They seized all the flocks and herds and donkeys—everything they could lay their hands on, both inside the town and outside in the fields.H3947H6629H1241H2543H5892H7704 29They looted all their wealth and plundered their houses. They also took all their little children and wives and led them away as captives.H2428H2945H802H7617H962H1004 30Afterward Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have ruined me! You've made me stink among all the people of this land—among all the Canaanites and Perizzites. We are so few that they will join forces and crush us. I will be ruined, and my entire household will be wiped out!"H3290H559H8095H3878H5916H887H3427H776H3669H6522H4962H4557H622H5221H8045H1004 31"But why should we let him treat our sister like a prostitute?" they retorted angrily.H559H6213H269H2181

10O LORD, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?H5975H7350H3068H5956H6256H6869 2The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.H7563H1346H1814H6041H8610H4209H2098H2803 3For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD.H7563H1984H5315H8378H1288H1214H3068H5006 4The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.H7563H1363H639H1875H430H4209 5Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.H1870H6256H2342H4941H4791H6887H6315 6They think, "Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!"H559H3820H4131H1755H1755H7451 7Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.H6310H4390H423H4820H8496H3956H5999H205 8They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims.H3427H3993H2691H4565H2026H5355H5869H6845H2489 9Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets.H693H4565H738H5520H693H2414H6041H2414H6041H4900H7568 10Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.H1794H7817H2426H2489H2489H5307H6099 11The wicked think, "God isn't watching us! He has closed his eyes and won't even see what we do!"H559H3820H410H7911H5641H6440H5331H7200 12Arise, O LORD! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless!H6965H3068H410H5375H3027H7911H6035H6041 13Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, "God will never call us to account."H7563H5006H430H559H3820H1875 14But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans.H7200H5027H5999H3708H5414H3027H2489H5800H5826H3490 15Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed.H7665H2220H7563H7451H1875H7562H4672H1077 16The LORD is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land.H3068H4428H5769H5703H1471H6H776 17LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.H3068H8085H8378H6035H3559H3820H241H7181 18You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.H8199H3490H1790H582H776H3254H6206