Genesis 32:1-12

Heavenly Father
give us grace, when faced with what we fear, to lift up our eyes and voice to you.

¹ Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 
² When he saw them, Jacob said, “This is God’s army.” ^]

³ Jacob sent messengers in front of him to Esau, his brother,
⁴ He commanded them, saying, “This is what you shall tell my lord, Esau:
‘This is what your servant, Jacob, says.
I have lived as a foreigner with Laban, and stayed until now. 
⁵ I have cattle, donkeys, flocks and servants.
I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favour in your sight.’” 
⁶ The messengers returned to Jacob, saying,
“We came to your brother Esau. He is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” 

⁷ Then Jacob was greatly afraid and was distressed.
He divided the people who were with him, along with the flocks, the herds, and the camels, into two companies. 
⁸ He said, “If Esau comes to the one company, and strikes it, then the company which is left will escape.” 
⁹ Jacob said, “God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac,
Yahweh, who said to me, ‘Return to your country, and to your relatives, and I will do you good,’ 
¹⁰ I am not worthy of the least of all the loving kindnesses, and of all the truth, which you have shown to your servant; for with just my staff I crossed over this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. 
¹¹ Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him,
lest he come and strike me and the mothers with the children. 
¹² You said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea,
which can’t be counted because there are so many.’”