asts; and
bade them say that Jacob his servant sent to him this present and that
he followeth after. And Jacob thought to please him with gifts.

The night following, him thought a man wrestled with him all that night
till the morning, and when he saw he might not overcome him, he hurted
the sinew of his thigh that he halted thereof, and said to him: Let me
go and leave me, for it is in the morning. Then Jacob answered: I shall
not leave thee but if thou bless me. He said to him: What is thy name?
he answered: Jacob. Then he said: Nay, said he, thy name shall no more
be called Jacob, but Israel, for if thou hast been strong against God,
how much more shalt thou prevail against men? Then Jacob said to him:
What is thy name? tell me. He answered, Why demandest thou my name,
which is marvellous? And he blessed him in the same place. Jacob called
the name of that same place Penuel, saying: I have seen our Lord face to
face, and my soul is made safe. And anon as he was past Penuel the sun
arose. He halted on his foot, and therefore the children of Israel eat
no sinews because it dried in the thigh of Jacob. Then Jacob lifting up
his eyes saw Esau coming and four hundred men with him, and divided the
sons of Leah and of Rachel, and of both their handmaidens, and set each
handmaid and their children tofore in the first place, Leah and her sons
in the second, and Rachel and Joseph all behind. And he going tofore
kneeled down to ground and, worshipping his brother, approached him.
Esau ran for to meet with his brother, and embraced him, straining his
neck, and weeping kissed him, and he looked forth and saw the women and
their children, and said: What been these and to whom longen they? Jacob
answered: They be children which God hath given to me thy servant and
his handmaidens, and their children approached and kneeled down, and
Leah with her children also worshipped him, and last of all Joseph and
Rachel worshipped him. Then said Esau: Whose been these turmes [troops]
which I have met? Jacob answered: I have sent them to thee, my lord,
unto the end that I may stand in thy grace. Esau said: I have many
myself, keep these and let them be thine. Nay, said Jacob, I pray thee
to take this gift which God hath sent me that I may find grace in thy
sight, for meseemeth I see thy visage like the visage of God; and
therefore be thou to me merciful, and take this blessing of me. Unnethe
[hardly] by compelling he taking it, said: Let us go t