di Società Biblica di Ginevra1Giacobbe continuò il suo cammino e gli vennero incontro degli angeli di Dio.2Come Giacobbe li vide, disse: «Questo è l’esercito di Dio». E chiamò quel luogo Maanaim.3Giacobbe mandò davanti a sé dei messaggeri a Esaù suo fratello, nel paese di Seir, nella campagna di Edom.4E diede loro quest’ordine: «Direte queste cose a Esaù mio signore: “Così dice il tuo servo Giacobbe: Io ho abitato presso Labano e vi sono rimasto fino ad ora;5ho buoi, asini, pecore, servi e serve; lo mando a dire al mio signore, per trovare grazia ai tuoi occhi”».6I messaggeri tornarono da Giacobbe, dicendo: «Siamo andati da tuo fratello Esaù ed eccolo che ti viene incontro con quattrocento uomini».7Allora Giacobbe fu preso da gran paura e angoscia, divise in due schiere la gente, le greggi, gli armenti, i cammelli che erano con lui e disse:8«Se Esaù viene contro una delle schiere e la batte, l’altra che rimane potrà salvarsi».9Poi Giacobbe disse: «O Dio di Abraamo mio padre, Dio di mio padre Isacco! O Signore, che mi dicesti: “Torna al tuo paese, dai tuoi parenti, e ti farò del bene”,10io sono troppo piccolo per essere degno di tutta la benevolenza che hai usata e di tutta la fedeltà che hai dimostrata al tuo servo; perché quando passai questo Giordano avevo solo il mio bastone, e ora ho due schiere.11Liberami, ti prego, dalle mani di mio fratello, dalle mani di Esaù, perché io ho paura di lui e temo che venga e mi assalga, non risparmiando né madre né figli.12Tu dicesti: “Certo, io ti farò del bene e farò diventare la tua discendenza come la sabbia del mare, tanto numerosa che non la si può contare”».13Egli rimase là quella notte; e di ciò che possedeva prese di che fare un dono a suo fratello Esaù:14duecento capre e venti becchi, duecento pecore e venti montoni,15trenta cammelle che allattavano e i loro piccoli, quaranta vacche e dieci tori, venti asine e dieci puledri.16Li consegnò ai suoi servi, gregge per gregge separatamente, e disse ai suoi servi: «Passate davanti a me e lasciate qualche intervallo tra gregge e gregge».17E diede quest’ordine al primo: «Quando mio fratello Esaù t’incontrerà e ti chiederà: “Di chi sei? Dove vai? A chi appartiene questo gregge che va davanti a te?”,18tu risponderai: “Al tuo servo Giacobbe; è un dono inviato al mio signore Esaù: ecco, egli stesso viene dietro di noi”».19Diede lo stesso ordine al secondo, al terzo e a tutti quelli che seguivano le greggi, dicendo: «In questo modo parlerete a Esaù, quando lo troverete,20e direte: “Ecco il tuo servo Giacobbe; egli stesso viene dietro a noi”». Perché diceva: «Io lo placherò con il dono che mi precede e dopo soltanto mi presenterò a lui; forse mi farà buona accoglienza».21Così il dono andò davanti a lui ed egli passò la notte nell’accampamento.22Quella notte si alzò, prese le sue due mogli, le sue due serve, i suoi undici figli e passò il guado dello Iabboc.23Li prese, fece loro passare il torrente e lo fece passare a tutto quello che possedeva.
Lotta di Giacobbe con l’angelo a Peniel
24Giacobbe rimase solo e un uomo lottò con lui fino all’apparire dell’alba;25quando quest’uomo vide che non poteva vincerlo, gli toccò la giuntura dell’anca, e la giuntura dell’anca di Giacobbe fu slogata, mentre quello lottava con lui.26E l’uomo disse: «Lasciami andare, perché spunta l’alba». E Giacobbe: «Non ti lascerò andare prima che tu mi abbia benedetto!»27L’altro gli disse: «Qual è il tuo nome?» Ed egli rispose: «Giacobbe».28Quello disse: «Il tuo nome non sarà più Giacobbe, ma Israele[1], perché tu hai lottato con Dio e con gli uomini e hai vinto».29Giacobbe gli chiese: «Ti prego, svelami il tuo nome». Quello rispose: «Perché chiedi il mio nome?»30E lo benedisse lì. Giacobbe chiamò quel luogo Peniel[2], perché disse: «Ho visto Dio faccia a faccia e la mia vita è stata risparmiata».31Il sole si levò quando egli ebbe passato Peniel; e Giacobbe zoppicava dall’anca.32Per questo, fino al giorno d’oggi, gli Israeliti non mangiano il nervo della coscia che passa per la giuntura dell’anca, perché quell’uomo aveva toccato la giuntura dell’anca di Giacobbe, al punto del nervo della coscia.
1Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.2And when Jacob saw them he said, “This is God’s camp!” So he called the name of that place Mahanaim.[1] (Gios 5,14; Gios 21,38; 2Sam 2,8; 2Sam 17,24; 2Sam 17,27; 1Re 2,8; Lu 2,13)3And Jacob sent[2] messengers before him to Esau his brother in the land of Seir, the country of Edom, (Gen 36,8; De 2,5; Gios 24,4)4instructing them, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: Thus says your servant Jacob, ‘I have sojourned with Laban and stayed until now.5I have oxen, donkeys, flocks, male servants, and female servants. I have sent to tell my lord, in order that I may find favor in your sight.’” (Gen 33,8; Gen 33,15)6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and he is coming to meet you, and there are four hundred men with him.” (Gen 33,1)7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed. He divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and camels, into two camps, (Gen 35,3)8thinking, “If Esau comes to the one camp and attacks it, then the camp that is left will escape.”9And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ (Gen 28,13; Gen 31,3; Gen 31,13; Gen 31,42; Gen 31,53)10I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. (2Sam 7,18)11Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. (Prov 18,19)12But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’” (Gen 28,13)13So he stayed there that night, and from what he had with him he took a present for his brother Esau, (Gen 43,11; Prov 17,8; Prov 18,16; Prov 19,6; Prov 21,14)14two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,15thirty milking camels and their calves, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.16These he handed over to his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on ahead of me and put a space between drove and drove.”17He instructed the first, “When Esau my brother meets you and asks you, ‘To whom do you belong? Where are you going? And whose are these ahead of you?’18then you shall say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a present sent to my lord Esau. And moreover, he is behind us.’”19He likewise instructed the second and the third and all who followed the droves, “You shall say the same thing to Esau when you find him,20and you shall say, ‘Moreover, your servant Jacob is behind us.’” For he thought, “I may appease him[3] with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”[4]21So the present passed on ahead of him, and he himself stayed that night in the camp.
Jacob Wrestles with God
22The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children,[5] and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. (De 2,37; De 3,16; Gios 12,2)23He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had.24And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. (Os 12,3)25When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.26Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Mat 15,21; Lu 18,1)27And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.”28Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel,[6] for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” (Gen 33,4; Gen 35,10; 2Re 17,34; Os 12,3)29Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. (Giudic 13,18)30So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel,[7] saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” (Gen 16,13; Eso 24,10; Eso 33,20; De 5,24; Giudic 6,22; Giudic 13,22; Is 6,5)31The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. (Giudic 8,8; Giudic 8,17; 1Re 12,25)32Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.
Genesi 32
King James Version
1And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.2And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God' host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.3And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.4And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:5And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.6And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.7Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;8And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.9And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:10I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.11Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.12And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.13And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;14Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,15Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.16And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.17And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?18Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob'; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.19And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.20And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.21So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.22And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.23And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.24And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.25And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob' thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.26And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.27And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.28And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.29And Jacob asked him , and said, Tell me , I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.30And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.31And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.32Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob' thigh in the sinew that shrank.