1 H e heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. From that which was our father’s, has he gotten all this wealth.”

Jacob 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.”

2 J acob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

Jacob saw that Laban did not show him as much favor as he did before.

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

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

4 J acob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,

So Jacob called Rachel and Leah to come to his flock in the field.

5 a nd said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

He 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.

6 Y ou know that I have served your father with all of my strength.

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

7 Y our father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.

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

8 I f he said this, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.

If 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.

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

So God has taken away your father’s animals and has given them to me.

10 D uring mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

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.

11 T he 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, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

He 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.

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

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.’”

14 R achel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

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

15 A ren’t we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.

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

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

All 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.”

17 T hen Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,

Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels.

18 a nd he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

He 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.

19 N ow Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.

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

20 J acob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.

Jacob fooled Laban the Syrian by not telling him that he was going.

21 S o he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

So 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

22 L aban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

But Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had gone.

23 H e took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

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

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

But 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.”

25 L aban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

Then 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.

26 L aban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?

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

27 W hy did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;

Why 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.

28 a nd didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.

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

29 I t is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

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.’

30 N ow, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”

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

31 J acob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’

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

32 A nyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.

The 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.

33 L aban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

So 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.

34 N ow Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.

Now 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.

35 S he said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim.

She 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.

36 J acob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?

Then 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?

37 N ow that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.

What 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.

38 “ These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks.

During 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.

39 T hat which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

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.

40 T his was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

This 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.

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 have changed my wages ten times.

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.

42 U nless 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. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

If 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.”

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

Laban 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?

44 N ow come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you.”

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

45 J acob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

So Jacob took a stone and set it up in honor of the agreement.

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

Then 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.

47 L aban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban gave the stones the name of Jegar-sahadutha. But Jacob gave them the name Galeed.

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

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

49 a nd Mizpah, for he said, “Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

They 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.

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

If 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.”

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

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

52 M ay this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

These 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.

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

The 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.

54 J acob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.

Then 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.

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

Laban 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.