1 J acob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that our father had. He has become rich with what had 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 belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.”

2 J acob saw that Laban did not show him as much favor as he did before.

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

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

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

4 S o Jacob called Rachel and Leah to come to his flock in the field.

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

5 H e said to them, “I see that your father does not show me as much favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.

and 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.

6 Y ou know that I have worked for your father with all my strength.

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

7 Y et your father has not been fair with me. He has changed my pay ten times. But God did not let him hurt me.

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

8 I f he said, ‘The animals that have spots will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with spots. If he said, ‘The animals with black marks will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with black marks.

If 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.

9 S o God has taken away your father’s animals and has given them to me.

Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

10 I had a dream at the time the flocks were mating. I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating with the female goats had black marks and spots.

And 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.

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

Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

12 H e said, ‘Look and see how all the male goats that are mating with the others have black marks and spots. For I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

He 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.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you set up a stone in honor to Me, and where you made a promise to Me. Now get up, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

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.’”

14 R achel and Leah answered him, “Do we still have any part or share in our father’s house?

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

15 D oes he not think of us as strangers? For he has sold us. And he has used all the money that was paid for us.

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

16 A ll the riches that God has taken away from our father belong to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do.”

Surely 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.”

17 T hen Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels.

Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels;

18 H e took away all his animals, all the riches he had gathered and all the cattle he had gathered in Paddan-aram. And he left to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

and 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.

19 L aban had gone to cut the wool from his flock. And Rachel stole the gods of her father’s house.

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

20 J acob fooled Laban the Syrian by not telling him that he was going.

And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.

21 S o he left with all he had. He went and crossed the Euphrates River, and turned toward the hill country of Gilead. Laban Follows after Jacob

So 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

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

When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,

23 S o he took the men of his family with him, and followed Jacob for seven days. He found him in the hill country of Gilead.

then 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.

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

God 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.”

25 T hen Laban came to Jacob. Now Jacob had put up his tent in the hill country. Laban and the men of his family put up their tents in the hill country of Gilead.

Laban 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.

26 L aban said to Jacob, “What do you mean by fooling me and carrying away my daughters as if they were taken by the sword?

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

27 W hy did you leave in secret and fool me? Why did you not tell me, so I would have sent you away with joy and with songs and with sounds of joy on the timbrel and harp.

Why 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;

28 W hy did you not let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters good-bye? Now you have been foolish.

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

29 I have the power to hurt you. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak good or 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 not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’

30 N ow you have gone away because you had a desire for your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”

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

31 J acob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid you might take your daughters from me and make them stay.

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

32 T he one with whom you find your gods will not live. In front of those of our family, look for what I have that is yours, and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

The 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.

33 S o Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two women who served Rachel and Leah. But he did not find his gods. Then he went from Leah’s tent into Rachel’s tent.

So 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.

34 N ow Rachel had taken the gods of Laban’s house and put them in the seat that was used on the camel’s back. And she sat upon them. Laban looked through the whole tent, but did not find them.

Now 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.

35 S he said to her father, “My lord, do not be angry that I cannot rise in front of you. For the way of women is upon me.” So he looked, but could not find the gods.

She 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.

36 T hen Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What have I done wrong? What is my sin that made you run after me?

Then 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?

37 W hat things of your house have you found by looking through all that belongs to me? Set it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, so they may judge between us.

Though 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.

38 D uring these twenty years I have been with you, your female goats and sheep have not lost a young one. And I have not eaten the sheep of your flocks.

These 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.

39 I did not bring to you those that were torn by wild animals. I took the loss upon myself. You had me pay for what was carried away during the day or during the night.

That 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.

40 T his is the way it was for me. I suffered from heat during the day, and from cold during the night. And I could not sleep.

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

41 I have been in your house twenty years. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. And you changed my pay ten times.

These 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.

42 I f the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had not been with me, for sure you would have sent me away with nothing. God has seen my suffering and the work of my hands. So He spoke sharp words to you last night.”

If 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

43 L aban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters. The children are my children. And the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children who were born to them?

Then 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?

44 S o come now, let us make an agreement, you and I. And let us do something to show we have an agreement between us.”

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

45 S o Jacob took a stone and set it up in honor of the agreement.

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

46 T hen Jacob said to the men of his family, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and put them on top of each other. And they ate there by all the stones.

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

47 L aban gave the stones the name of Jegar-sahadutha. But Jacob gave them the name Galeed.

Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 L aban said, “These stones are to stand for the agreement between you and me today.” So they were given the name Galeed.

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

49 T hey were given the name of Mizpah also. For Laban said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are apart from each other.

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

50 I f you hurt my daughters, or if you take wives other than my daughters, no man may see it. But God sees what happens between you and me.”

If 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.”

51 L aban said to Jacob, “See these stones that have been set up between you and me.

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

52 T hese stones that have been set up will stand for our agreement. I will not pass by these stones to hurt you. And you will not pass by these stones to hurt me.

This 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.

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

The 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.

54 T hen Jacob gave a gift in worship to God on the mountain. Then he called his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed the night on the mountain.

Then 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.

55 L aban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and daughters. He prayed that good would come to them. Then Laban left and returned home.

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