Jacob was afraid. Years before, he had cheated his brother Esau. When Esau had found out, he had wanted to kill Jacob. So Jacob had run away. Now, years later, the brothers were to meet again. What would Esau do? Who were the 400 men Esau had brought with him?

The night before the meeting, Jacob sent his wife and children away to a safe place. He wanted to be alone. But a man came and wrestled with him all night. The man saw that he could not defeat Jacob. So he struck Jacob's hip and put it out of joint. Then the man said to Jacob, "Let me go. The sun is coming up."

But Jacob said, "I will only let you go, if you bless me." The man said to him, "What is your name?" Jacob told him.

Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel*, because you have wrestled with God and with men. And you have won." Then Jacob asked the man, "What is your name?" But the man said, "You know my name." Then he blessed Jacob.

"I am the God All-Powerful. Your children will be many and will become a great nation, Israel."

Then God left him.

Jacob said to himself, "I have seen God face to face. But my life was saved." As he set off to meet Esau, the sun came up. Jacob was limping because of his leg. So even today the people of Israel do not eat the muscle that is on the hip joint of animals. This is because Jacob was touched there.

After collecting his family, Jacob went to meet Esau. He bowed down flat on the ground seven times as he was walking toward his brother. But Esau ran to meet Jacob. Esau put his arms around him and hugged him. Then Esau kissed him and they both cried.

* Israel means He wrestles with God.