Jacob Flees from Laban
1Now Jacob heardthat Laban’ssonswere saying,“Jacobhas taken awayallthat belonged toour fatherand builtallthiswealthatour father’s expense.”2And Jacobsawfrom the countenanceof Labanthat his attitude towardhimhad changed.
3Then the LORDsaidtoJacob,“Go backtothe landof your fathersand to your kindred,and I will bewith you.”
4So Jacobsent wordand calledRacheland Leahto the fieldwhere his flocks were,5and he toldthem,“Ican seefrom your father’scountenancethathis attitude toward mehas changed;but the Godof my fatherhas beenwith me.6YouknowthatI have servedyour fatherwith allmy strength.7And although hehas cheatedmeand changedmy wagestentimes,Godhas notallowed himto harm me.8Ifhe said,‘The speckledwill beyour wages,’then the wholeflockborespeckled offspring.Ifhe said,‘The streakedwill beyour wages,’then the wholeflockborestreaked offspring.9Thus Godhas taken awayyour father’slivestockand giventhem to me.
10Whenthe flockswere breeding,I sawin a dreamthat the streaked,spotted,and speckledmaleswere matingwiththe females.11In that dreamthe angelof Godsaidto me,‘Jacob!’
And I replied,‘Here I am.’
12‘Look up,’he said,‘and seethat allthe malesthat are matingwiththe flockare streaked,spotted,or speckled;forI have seenallthatLabanhas doneto you.13Iam the Godof Bethel,whereyou anointedthe pillarand madea solemn vowto Me.Nowget upand leavethisland at once,and returntoyour nativeland.’”
14And Racheland Leahreplied,“Do wehave any portionor inheritanceleftin our father’shouse?15Are we notregardedby himas outsiders?Not onlyhas he sold us,but he hascertainly squanderedwhat was paid for us.16Surelyallthe wealththatGodhas taken awayfrom our fatherbelongs to usand to our children.SodowhateverGodhas toldyou.”
17Then Jacobgot upand puthis childrenand his wivesoncamels,18and he droveallhis livestock before him,along with allthe possessionshe had acquiredin Paddan-aram,to gotohis fatherIsaacin the landin Canaan.
19Now while Labanwas outshearinghis sheep,Rachelstoleher father’shousehold idols.20Moreover, JacobdeceivedLabanthe Arameanby nottellinghimthathewas running away.21So hefledwith allhis possessions,crossedthe Euphrates,and headed forthe hill countryof Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22On the thirddayLabanwas informedthatJacobhad fled.23So he tookhis relativeswith him,pursuedJacobfor sevendays,and overtookhimin the hill countryof Gilead.24But that nightGodcametoLabanthe Arameanin a dreamand warnedhim,“Be carefulnotto sayanything toJacob,either goodorbad.”
25Now Jacobhad pitchedhis tentin the hill countryof Gileadwhen Labanovertookhim,and Labanand his relativescampedthere as well.26Then Labansaidto Jacob,“Whathave you done?You have deceivedmeand carried off my daughterslike captivesof war!27Whydid you run awaysecretlyand deceiveme,without eventellingme?I would have sent you awaywith joyand singing,with tambourinesand harps.28But you did noteven let mekissmy grandchildrenand my daughters goodbye.Nowyou have donea foolish thing.
29I have power to doyougreat harm,but last nightthe Godof your fathersaidto me,‘Be carefulnot to sayanything toJacob,either goodorbad.’30Nowyou have gone offbecauseyou longfor your father’shouse.But whyhave you stolenmy gods?”
31“I was afraid,”Jacobanswered,“forI thoughtyouwould take your daughtersfrom meby force.32If you findyour godswithanyone here,he shall notlive!In the presence ofour relatives,seefor yourselfif anythingis yours,and takeit back.”For Jacobdid notknowthatRachelhad stolen the idols.
33So Labanwentinto Jacob’stent,then Leah’stent,and then the tentsof the twomaidservants,but he foundnothing.Then he leftLeah’stentand enteredRachel’stent.34Now Rachelhad takenLaban’s household idols,put themin the saddlebagof her camel,and was sittingon them.And Labansearchedeverythingin the tentbut foundnothing.
35Rachel saidtoher father,“Sir,do notbe angrythatI cannotstand upbefore you;forI am having my period.”So Laban searched,but could notfindthe household idols.
36Then Jacobbecame incensedand challengedLaban.“Whatis my crime?”hesaid.“For whatsin of minehave you so hotly pursuedme?37You have searchedallmy goods!Have you foundanythingthat belongs to you?Putit herebeforemy brothersand yours,that they may judgebetweenthe two of us.
38I havebeen withyou fortwentyyears now.Your sheepand goatshave notmiscarried,nor have Ieatenthe ramsof your flock.39I did notbringyouanything torn by wild beasts;Ibore the loss myself.And you demandedpayment from mefor what was stolenby dayor night.40As it was,the heatconsumed meby dayand the frostby night,and sleepfledfrom my eyes.
41Thusfor twentyyearsI have servedin your household—fourteenyearsfor your twodaughtersand sixyearsfor your flocks—and you have changedmy wagestentimes!42If the Godof my father,the Godof Abrahamand the Fearof Isaac,had notbeenwith me,surelyby nowyou would have sent me awayempty-handed.But Godhas seenmy afflictionand the toilof my hands,and last nightHe rendered judgment.”
Jacob’s Covenant with Laban
43But LabanansweredJacob,“These daughtersare my daughters,these sonsare my sons,and these flocksare my flocks!Everythingyouseeismine!Yet whatcan I dotodayabout thesedaughtersof mine orthe childrenthey have borne?44Comenow,let us makea covenant,youand I,and let it serve asa witnessbetween you and me.”
45So Jacobpicked outa stoneand set it upas a pillar,46and hesaidto his relatives,“Gathersome stones.”So they tookstonesand madea mound,and therebythe moundthey ate.47Labancalled itJegar-sahadutha,and Jacobcalled itGaleed.
48Then Labandeclared,“Thismoundis a witnessbetween youand methis day.”
Thereforethe place was calledGaleed.49It was also called Mizpah,becauseLaban said,“May the LORDkeep watchbetween youand mewhenwe are absentfrom each other.50Ifyou mistreatmy daughtersortakeotherwives,although nooneis with us,rememberthat Godis a witnessbetween you and me.”
51Labanalso saidto Jacob,“Here isthemound,and here is the pillarI have set upbetween you and me.52Thismoundis a witness,and this pillaris a witness,thatIwill notgo pastthismoundto harm you,and youwill notgo pastthismoundandpillarto harm me.53May the Godof Abrahamand the Godof Nahor,the Godof their father,judgebetween us.”
So Jacobsworeby the Fearof his fatherIsaac.
54Then Jacoboffereda sacrificeon the mountainand invitedhis relativesto eata meal.And after they had eaten,they spent the nighton the mountain.55Early the next morning,Labangot upand kissedhis grandchildrenand daughtersand blessed them.Then heleftto returnhome.
