創世記32:1-21

32:1 雅各仍舊行路，上帝的使者遇見他。
32:2 雅各看見他們就說：「這是上帝的軍兵」，於是給那地方起名叫瑪哈念（就是二軍兵的意思）。
32:3 雅各打發人先往西珥地去，就是以東地，見他哥哥以掃，
32:4 吩咐他們說：「你們對我主以掃說：『你的僕人雅各這樣說：我在拉班那裡寄居，直到如今。
32:5 我有牛、驢、羊群、僕婢，現在打發人來報告我主，為要在你眼前蒙恩。』」
32:6 所打發的人回到雅各那裡，說：「我們到了你哥哥以掃那裡，他帶著四百人，正迎著你來。」
32:7 雅各就甚懼怕，而且愁煩，便把那與他同在的人口和羊群、牛群、駱駝分做兩隊，
32:8 說：「以掃若來擊殺這一隊，剩下的那一隊還可以逃避。」
32:9 雅各說：「耶和華─我祖亞伯拉罕的上帝，我父親以撒的上帝啊，你曾對我說：『回你本地本族去，我要厚待你。』
32:10 你向僕人所施的一切慈愛和誠實，我一點也不配得；我先前只拿著我的杖過這約旦河，如今我卻成了兩隊了。
32:11 求你救我脫離我哥哥以掃的手；因為我怕他來殺我，連妻子帶兒女一同殺了。
32:12 你曾說：『我必定厚待你，使你的後裔如同海邊的沙，多得不可勝數。』」
32:13 當夜，雅各在那裡住宿，就從他所有的物中拿禮物要送給他哥哥以掃：
32:14 母山羊二百隻，公山羊二十隻，母綿羊二百隻，公綿羊二十隻，
32:15 奶崽子的駱駝三十隻─各帶著崽子，母牛四十隻，公牛十隻，母驢二十匹，驢駒十匹；
32:16 每樣各分一群，交在僕人手下，就對僕人說：「你們要在我前頭過去，使群群相離，有空閒的地方」；
32:17 又吩咐儘先走的說：「我哥哥以掃遇見你的時候，問你說：『你是哪家的人？要往哪裡去？你前頭這些是誰的？』
32:18 你就說：『是你僕人雅各的，是送給我主以掃的禮物；他自己也在我們後邊。』」
32:19 又吩咐第二、第三，和一切趕群畜的人說：「你們遇見以掃的時候也要這樣對他說；
32:20 並且你們要說：『你僕人雅各在我們後邊。』」因雅各心裡說：「我藉著在我前頭去的禮物解他的恨，然後再見他的面，或者他容納我。」
32:21 於是禮物先過去了；那夜，雅各在隊中住宿。

 Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. ² When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.^[b]

³ Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. ⁴ He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. ⁵ I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”
⁶ When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”
⁷ In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,^[c] and the flocks and herds and camels as well. ⁸ He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,^[d] the group^[e] that is left may escape.”
⁹ Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ ¹⁰ I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. ¹¹ Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. ¹² But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
¹³ He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: ¹⁴ two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, ¹⁵ thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. ¹⁶ He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”
¹⁷ He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ ¹⁸ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”
¹⁹ He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. ²⁰ And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” ²¹ So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

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    雅各回到家鄉要勇敢面對與哥哥和好的問題，雖然過去得罪了哥哥，經過二十年並不能說事情就這樣過去，心裡總是覺得哥哥一定會找他算舊帳的，心中十分害怕！

    所以，在沒有和哥哥碰面之前，先派人去打聽。不打聽還好，一打聽竟然發現哥哥帶了四百人向他而來，讓他更是懼怕！於是想用禮物來軟化哥哥的心，所以分了好幾批人帶禮物，希望能和平解決問題。

    這也告訴我們與人和睦的重要性，即使是家人也要彼此和睦。而在此，我們要感謝主耶穌，祂在十字架上滅去了一切的冤仇，使我們與上帝、與人人都能夠恢復正確合宜的關係！所以，主耶穌的福音是一個和好的福音！