Study Desk

When, Jacob, had gone on his way, there met him, messengers of God.

And Jacob said, when he saw them, the camp of God, is this! So he called the name of that place, Mahanaim.

Then did Jacob send messengers before him unto Esau his brother, to the land of Seir, the field of Edom.

And he commanded them, saying, Thus, shall ye say to my lord to Esau, Thus, saith thy servant Jacob, With Laban, have I sojourned, and tarried until now:

And I have oxen and asses, flocks and men-servants, and maid-servants, So I must needs send to tell my lord, that I might find favour in thine eyes.

And the messengers returned unto Jacob, saying, - We came in unto thy brother unto Esau, moreover also he is on his way to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.

Then was Jacob greatly afraid, and in distress. So he divided the people that were with him and the flocks and the herds and the camels into two camps,

And he said. Should Esau come upon the one camp, and smite it, yet shall the camp that is left escape.

And Jacob said, God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, - Yahweh, who wast saying unto me, - Return to thy land and to thy kindred that I may deal well with thee:

I am too small for all the lovingkindnesses and for all the faithfulness, which thou hast done unto thy servant, - For with my staff, passed I over this Jordan, But, now, have I become two camps.

Deliver me I pray thee out of the hand of my brother out of the hand of Esau, for I, am afraid of him, lest he come in and smite mother as well as sons

But, thou thyself, saidst, - I wilt deal well with thee. So will I make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which is not to be counted, for multitude.

And he tarried there that night, and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother:

She-goats, two hundred; And he-goats, twenty; Ewes, two hundred; And rams, twenty;

Milch camels, with their colts, thirty; Cows, forty; And bulls, ten; She-asses, twenty; And

And he gave them into the hand of his Servants, each drove by itself, and said unto his servants - Pass over before me, and, a breathing-space, shall ye put betwixt drove and drove.

And be commanded the first one saying: When Esau my brother shall fall in with thee, and shall ask thee, saying Whose art thou? and whither wouldst thou go? and to whom belong these before thee?

then shalt thou say, To thy servant Jacob: It is, a present, sent to my lord, to Esau; And behold he himself also is behind us,

And he commanded the second also, and the third yea all that were going on behind the droves, saying, - According to this word, shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.

Then shall ye say, Also, lo! thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said: I must pacify him with the present that goeth on before me. And, after that, will I see his face: Peradventure he will accept me.

So the present passed over before him, - whereas he himself tarried that night in the camp.