17. Jacob gave them their orders. To the servant with the first group of animals he said, “My brother Esau will come to you. He will ask you, ‘Whose servant are you? Where are you going? Whose animals are these?’
18. Then you will answer, ‘These animals belong to your servant Jacob. He sent them as a gift to you my master, Esau. And Jacob also is coming behind us.’”
19. Jacob ordered the second servant, the third servant and all the other servants to do the same thing. He said, “Say the same thing to Esau when you meet him.
20. Say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” Jacob thought, “If I send this gift ahead of me, maybe Esau will forgive me. Then when I see him, perhaps he will accept me.”
21. So Jacob sent the gift to Esau. But Jacob stayed that night in the camp.
22. During the night Jacob rose and crossed the Jabbok River at the crossing. He took his 2 wives, his 2 slave girls and his 11 sons with him.
23. He sent his family and everything he had across the river.
24. But Jacob stayed behind alone. And a man came and wrestled with him until the sun came up.
25. The man saw that he could not defeat Jacob. So he struck Jacob’s hip and put it out of joint.