Jacob, Joseph & Egypt

Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and twenty bulls, twenty she-asses, and ten of their foals.

And he sent them by the hands of his servants, every drove by itself, and he said to his servants: Go before me, and let there be a space between drove and drove.

And he commanded the first, saying: If thou meet my brother Esau, and he ask thee: Whose art thou? or whither goest thou? or whose are these before thee?

Thou shalt answer: Thy servant Jacob's: he hath sent them as a present to my lord Esau; and he cometh after us.

In like manner he commanded the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying: Speak ye the same words to Esau, when ye find him.

And ye shall add: Thy servant Jacob himself also followeth after us; for he said: I will appease him with the presents that go before, and afterwards I will see him, perhaps he will be gracious to me.

So the presents went before him, but himself lodged that night in the camp.

And rising early, he took his two wives and his two handmaids, with his eleven sons, and passed over the ford of Jaboc.

And when all things were brought over that belonged to him,

He remained alone; and behold, a man wrestled with him till morning.

And when he saw that he could not overcome him, he touched the sinew of his thigh, and forthwith it shrank.

And he said to him: Let me go, for it is break of day. He answered: I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.

And he said: What is thy name? He answered: Jacob.

But he said: Thy name shall not be called Jacob, but Israel; for if thou hast been strong against God, how much more shalt thou prevail against men?

Jacob asked him: Tell me by what name art thou called? He answered: Why dost thou ask my name? And he blessed him in the same place.

And Jacob called the name of the place Phanuel, saying: I have seen God face to face, and my soul has been saved.

And immediately the sun rose upon him, after he was past Phanuel; but he halted on his foot.

Therefore the children of Israel, unto this day, eat not the sinew, that shrank in Jacob's thigh: because he touched the sinew of his thigh and it shrank.

And Jacob lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming, and with him four hundred men: and he divided the children of Lia and of Rachel, and of the two handmaids.

And he put both the handmaids and their children foremost: and Lia and her children in the second place: and Rachel and Joseph last.

And he went forward and bowed down with his face to the ground seven times, until his brother came near.

Then Esau ran to meet his brother, and embraced him: and clasping him fast about the neck, and kissing him, wept.

And lifting up his eyes, he saw the women and their children, and said: What mean these? And do they belong to thee? He answered: They are the children which God hath given to me, thy servant.

Then the handmaids and their children came near and bowed themselves.

Lia also, with her children, came near and bowed down in like manner; and last of all, Joseph and Rachel bowed down.