1 J acob heard Laban’s sons complaining, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; he has acquired all this wealth and honor from what belonged to our father.

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.”

2 A nd Jacob noticed that Laban looked at him less favorably than before.

And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.

3 T hen the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your people, and I will be with you.

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”

4 S o Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,

So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock,

5 A nd he said to them, I see how your father looks at me, that he is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

6 Y ou know that I have served your father with all my might and power.

And you know that with all my might I have served your father.

7 B ut your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

8 I f he said, The speckled shall be your wages, then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said, The streaked shall be your hire, then all the flock bore streaked.

If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked.

9 T hus God has taken away the flocks of your father and given them to me.

So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

10 A nd I had a dream at the time the flock conceived. I looked up and saw that the rams which mated with the she-goats were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted.

11 A nd the Angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob. And I said, Here am I.

Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’

12 A nd He said, Look up and see, all the rams which mate with the flock are streaked, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you vowed a vow to Me. Now arise, get out from this land and return to your native land.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’”

14 A nd Rachel and Leah answered him, Is there any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

15 A re we not counted by him as strangers? For he sold us and has also quite devoured our money.

Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money.

16 F or all the riches which God has taken from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.

For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

17 T hen Jacob rose up and set his sons and his wives upon the camels;

Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels.

18 A nd he drove away all his livestock and all his gain which he had gotten, the livestock he had obtained and accumulated in Padan-aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 N ow Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s.

20 A nd Jacob outwitted Laban the Syrian in that he did not tell him that he to flee and slip away secretly.

And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee.

21 S o he fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the river and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. Laban Pursues Jacob

22 B ut on the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

23 S o he took his kinsmen with him and pursued after for seven days, and they overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.

24 B ut God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night and said to him, Be careful that you do not speak from good to bad to Jacob.

But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

25 T hen Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the hill, and Laban coming with his kinsmen pitched on the same hill of Gilead.

So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.

26 A nd Laban said to Jacob, What do you mean stealing away and leaving like this without my knowing it, and carrying off my daughters as if captives of the sword?

And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?

27 W hy did you flee secretly and cheat me and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and gladness and with singing, with tambourine and lyre?

Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?

28 A nd why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters good-bye? Now you have done foolishly.

And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.

29 I t is in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Be careful that you do not speak from good to bad to Jacob.

It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’

30 A nd now you felt you must go because you were homesick for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?

And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”

31 J acob answered Laban, Because I was afraid; for I thought, Suppose you would take your daughters from me by force.

Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’

32 T he one with whom you find those gods of yours, let him not live. Here before our kinsmen take whatever you find that belongs to you. For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen.

With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 S o Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went from Leah’s tent into Rachel’s tent.

And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

34 N ow Rachel had taken the images (gods) and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban searched and felt through all the tent, but did not find them.

Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.

35 A nd said to her father, Do not be displeased, my lord, that I cannot rise up before you, for the period of women is upon me and I am unwell. And he searched, but did not find the gods.

And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols.

36 T hen Jacob became angry and reproached and argued with Laban. And Jacob said to Laban, What is my fault? What is my sin, that you so hotly pursued me?

Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?

37 A lthough you have searched and felt through all my household possessions, what have you found of all your household goods? Put it here before my brethren and yours, that they may judge and decide between us.

Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both!

38 T hese twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your she-goats have not lost their young, and the rams of your flock have not been eaten by me.

These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

39 I did not bring you torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss of it; you required of me all that was stolen, whether it occurred by day or by night.

That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 T his was; by day the heat consumed me and by night the cold, and I could not sleep.

There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.

41 I have been twenty years in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks; and you have changed my wages ten times.

Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

42 A nd if the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread and Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely you would have sent me away now empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and humiliation and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” Laban’s Covenant with Jacob

43 L aban answered Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, these children are my children, these flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?

And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “ These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?

44 S o come now, let us make a covenant or league, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me.

Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”

45 S o Jacob set up a stone for a pillar or monument.

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

46 A nd Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there upon the heap.

Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.

47 L aban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed '> witness heap, in Hebrew.]

Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 L aban said, This heap is a witness today between you and me. Therefore it was named Galeed.

And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed,

49 A nd Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent and hidden one from another.

also Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

50 I f you should afflict, humiliate, or lower my daughters, or if you should take other wives beside my daughters, although no man is with us, see (remember), God is witness between you and me.

If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”

51 A nd Laban said to Jacob, See this heap and this pillar, which I have set up between you and me.

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me.

52 T his heap is a witness and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you, and that you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

53 T he God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, and the god of their father, judge between us. But Jacob swore by the Dread and Fear of his father Isaac.

The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

54 T hen Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his brethren to eat food; and they ate food and lingered all night on the mountain.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.

55 A nd early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and pronounced a blessing on them. Then Laban departed and returned to his home.

And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.