One Year Pray for the Persecuted Bible - Flipbook - Page 68
48
January 16
27 “What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
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.”
29 “Please tell me your name,” Jacob said.
“Why do you want to know my name?” the
man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there.
30 Jacob named the place Pe
niel (which
means “face of God”), for he said, “I have seen
God face to face, yet my life has been spared.”
31 The sun was rising as Jacob left Peniel,* and
he was limping because of the injury to his
on’t
hip. 32 (Even today the people of Israel d
eat the tendon near the hip socket because
of what happened that night when the man
strained the tendon of Jacob’s hip.)
33:1 Then Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming with his 400 men. So he divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and his two servant
wives. 2 He put the servant wives and their
children at the front, Leah and her c hildren
next, and Rachel and Joseph last. 3 Then Jacob
went on ahead. As he approached his brother,
he bowed to the ground seven times before
him. 4 Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck,
and kissed him. And they both wept.
5 Then 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.
6 Then the servant wives came forward with
their children and bowed before him. 7 Next
came Leah with her children, and they bowed
before him. Finally, Joseph and Rachel came
forward and bowed before him.
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.”
9 “My brother, I have plenty,” Esau answered.
“Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 But 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! 11 Please 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.
12 “Well,” Esau said, “let’s be going. I will lead
the way.”
13 But 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. 14 Please, 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.”
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!”
16 So Esau turned around and started back
to Seir that same day. 17 Jacob, 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”).
18 Later, 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. 19 Jacob bought
the plot of land where he camped from the
family of Hamor, the father of Shechem, for
100 pieces of silver.* 20 And there he built an
altar and named it El-Elohe-Israel.*
34:1 One
day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and
Leah, went to visit some of the young women
who lived in the area. 2 But when the local
prince, Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, saw
Dinah, he seized her and raped her. 3 But then
he fell in love with her, and he tried to win her
affection with tender words. 4 He said to his
father, Hamor, “Get me this young girl. I want
to marry her.”
5 Soon 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. 6 Hamor, She
chem’s father, came to discuss the matter with
Jacob. 7 Meanwhile, 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 fam
ily,* something that should never be done.
8 Hamor 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. 9 In 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.
10 And 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.”
11 Then Shechem himself spoke to Dinah’s
father and brothers. “Please be kind to me, and
