Genesis · Chapter 32

[ edit] Jacob forſoþe wente in his weie þat he biganne, and þere weren to hym met aungels of þe Lord. Whom whanne he hadde ſeen, ſeiþ, Þe tentis of God ben þes; and he clepide þe name of þat place Manaym, þat is, tentis. And he ſente forſoþe meſſangeris biforn hym to Eſau, his broþer, into þe loond of Seyr, in þe regioun of Edom; and he comaundide to hem, ſeiynge, Þus ſpek ȝe to my lord Eſau, Þes þingis ſeiþ þi broþer Jacob, At Laban I haue pylgrimagid, and was vnto þe preſent day; I haue oxen, and aſſis, and ſheep, and ſeruauntis, and handmaydens, and I ſende now a meſſage to my lord, þat Y fynde grace in þi ſiȝt.

And þe meſſangeris ben comun aȝen to Jacob, ſeiynge, We comen to Eſau, þi broþer, and loo! he goþ into þin aȝen-comyng, wiþ foure hundrid men. Jacob ful myche dred, and afeerd dyuydide his peple þat wiþ him was, þe flockis forſoþe, and ſheep, and oxen, and camels diuydid in two companyes; ſeiynge, If Eſau come to þe too companye, and ſmyte it, þe toþer companye þat is lafte ſhal be ſauyd.

And Jacob ſeide, God of my fader Abraham, and God of my fader Yſaac, þow Lord, þat ſeidiſt to me, Turne aȝen into þi loond, and into þe place of þi birþe, and I ſhal wel do to þee, Y am laſſe þan alle þi mercyes, and þi treuþe þat þow haſt fulfillid to þi ſeruaunt; in my ſtaf I haue paſſid þis Jordan, and now wiþ two companyes Y turne aȝen; delyuer me of þe hoond of my broþer Eſau, for greetly Y drede hym, leſt perauenture comynge he ſmyte þe moders wiþ þe children. Þow haſt ſpokun þat þou ſhuldiſt wel do to me, and þat þow ſhuldiſt ſprede abrood my ſeed as þe grauel of þe ſee, þat for multitude may not be noumbred.

And whanne he hadde ſlept þere þat nyȝt, he ſeueride of þat þat he hadde ȝiftys to Eſau, his broþer, ſhe geyte two hundrid, hee geyte twenty, ſheepe two hundrid, and weþeris twenti, camels fulle wiþ her coltis þretti, kien fourti, and bullis twenti, ſhe aſſis twenti, and þe coltis of hem ten. And he ſente bi þe hondis of his ſeruauntis eche oon after oþer þe flockis aſide; and he ſeide to his children, Goo ȝe bifore me, and be þere a ſpace bitwixe flok and flok.

And he comaundide to þe forþer, ſeiynge, If þow mete my broþer Eſau, and he aſke þee, whos art þow, or whidir þow goſt, or whos ben þes þat þow folwiſt, þou ſhalt anſwere, Of þi ſeruaunt Jacob, ȝiftis he haþ ſent to his lord Eſau, and he comeþ after vs. Þe ſame wyſe he ȝaue maundementis to þe ſecounde, and þe þridde, and to alle þat folweden þe flockis, ſeiynge, In þe ſame wordis ſpek ȝe to Eſau, whanne ȝe fynden hym, and ȝe ſhulen adde, And he þi ſeruaunt Jacob oure weie in folwiþ. He ſeide forſoþe, Y ſhal pleſe hym wiþ ȝiftis þat goon bifore, and afterward Y ſhal ſe hym; perauenture he ſhal be maad pleſid to me. And ſo bifore ȝeden þe ȝiftis bifore hym; he forſoþe dwelte þat nyȝt in tentis.

And whanne ſobirly he was aryſun, he toke his two wyues, and as feel ſeruauntis wiþ elleuen ſones, and he ouerpaſſide þe foorþ of Jaboþ. And, ouerladde alle þingis þat to hym perteyneden, he dwelte aloon, and loo! a man wriſtlide wiþ hym vnto þe morwe. Þe which whanne he ſawȝ þat he myȝte not ouercome hym, he towchide þe ſynwe of his hip, and anoon it wexe drye. And he ſeide to hym, Leeue me, forſoþe now vpſteyeþ þe morwetide. He anſweride, I ſhal not leeue þee, but if þow bliſſe to me. Þanne he ſeiþ, What is þe name of þee? He anſweride, Jacob.

And he, No more, he ſeiþ, Jacob ſhal be clepid þi name, but Iſrael; for if anentis God þow haſt ben ſtrong, myche more anentis men þow ſhalt haue þe mayſtri. Jacob aſkide hym, Sey to me what name art þow clepid? He anſweride, Wherto aſkiſt þow my name, þat is merueilows? And he bliſſide hym in þe ſame place. And Jacob clepide þe name of þat place Phanuel, ſeiynge, I haue ſeen þe Lord face to face, and my ſoule is maad ſaaf. And anoon is ryſun to hym þe ſunne, after þat he was ouerpaſſid Phanuel; he forſoþe haltide wiþ þe too foote.

For what cauſe þe children of Iſrael eten not ſynwe, þat wexe drie in þe hipe of Jacob, vnto þe day þat is now, þerþurȝ þat he towchide þe ſynwe of his hipe, and it was ſtoneyd.