1 N ow Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.”

¶ And he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s, he has gotten all this glory.

2 J acob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly.

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

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

Also the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

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

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his sheep

5 a nd said to them, “ I see your father’s attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me.

and said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not 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 strength.

And ye know that with all my strength I have served your father.

7 Y et your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me.

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

8 I f he spoke thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock brought forth striped.

If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the sheep bore speckled; and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then all the sheep bore ringstraked.

9 T hus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

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

10 A nd it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled.

And it came to pass at the time that the sheep conceived, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in dreams, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the females were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

11 T hen the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

And the angel of God spoke unto me in dreams, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

12 H e said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

And he said, Lift up now thine eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the sheep are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled; for I have seen all that Laban has done unto thee.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar and where thou didst vow a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of thy nature.

14 R achel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?

And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

15 A re we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price.

Are we not counted of him strangers? For he has sold us and has even devoured all our price.

16 S urely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

For all the riches which God has taken from our father, is ours and our son’s; now then, whatever God has said unto thee, do.

17 T hen Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels;

¶ Then Jacob rose up and set his sons and his wives upon the camels;

18 a nd he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.

and he carried away all his livestock and all his goods which he had gotten, the livestock of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, to return unto Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

19 W hen Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.

And Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the idols of her father.

20 A nd Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.

And Jacob stole away the heart of Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he fled.

21 S o he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. Laban Pursues Jacob

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed the river and set his face toward Mount Gilead.

22 W hen it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,

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

23 t hen he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

Then he took his brethren with him and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in Mount Gilead.

24 G od came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, “ Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

And God came to Laban the Aramean in dreams by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

25 L aban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead.

¶ Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched in Mount Gilead.

26 T hen Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?

And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away my heart and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

27 W hy did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre;

Why didst thou flee away secretly and steal away from me and didst not tell me that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs with tambourine and with harp?

28 a nd did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now 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 not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt, but the God of your father spoke unto me last night, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

30 N ow you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal my gods?”

And now, that thou art leaving, because thy desire is after thy father’s house, yet why hast thou stolen my gods?

31 T hen Jacob replied to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Peradventure thou would take by force thy daughters from me.

32 T he one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let them not live; before our brethren discern what is thine with me and take it to thee. 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 into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

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

34 N ow Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them.

Now Rachel took the images and put them in a camel’s saddle and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent but did not find them.

35 S he said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household idols.

And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but did not find the images.

36 T hen Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?

¶ Then Jacob was wroth and contended with Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? What is my sin that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

37 T hough you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.

Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren that they may judge between us both.

38 T hese twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

These twenty years I have been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not aborted their young, and I have not eaten the rams of thy flock.

39 T hat which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

That which was torn of beasts I did not bring unto thee; I bore the sin; thou didst require of my hand that which was stolen, whether by day or by night.

40 T hus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

By day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

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

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

42 I f the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night.” The Covenant of Mizpah

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, were not with me, surely thou would send me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the work of my hands and rebuked thee last night.

43 T hen Laban replied to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and 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?

¶ And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these sons are my sons, and these sheep are my sheep, and all that thou seest is mine; and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their sons unto whom they have given birth?

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

Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

45 T hen Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

Then Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar.

46 J acob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.

And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.

47 N ow Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

49 a nd Mizpah, for he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.

and Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.

50 I f you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee.

51 L aban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have raised up between me and thee;

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

let this heap be witness and this pillar be witness that I will not pass over this heap against thee and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar against me, for harm.

53 T he God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their fathers, 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 kinsmen to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount and called his brethren to eat bread; and they ate bread and slept in the mount.

55 E arly in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

And early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them; and Laban departed and returned unto his place.