Jacob Flees from Laban 1 CPDV But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.” BSB BSB: Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”
2 CPDV Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before. BSB BSB: And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.
3 CPDV Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.” BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”
4 CPDV He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks, BSB BSB: So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,
5 CPDV and he said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me. BSB BSB: and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 CPDV And you know that I have served your father with all my strength. BSB BSB: You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
7 CPDV Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me. BSB BSB: And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.
8 CPDV Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones. BSB BSB: If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.
9 CPDV And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me. BSB BSB: Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
10 CPDV For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors. BSB BSB: When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.
11 CPDV And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.’ BSB BSB: In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’
12 CPDV And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you. BSB BSB: ‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
13 CPDV I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’ ” BSB BSB: I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up, leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”
14 CPDV And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house? BSB BSB: And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?
15 CPDV Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price? BSB BSB: Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.
16 CPDV But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.” BSB BSB: Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”
17 CPDV And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth. BSB BSB: Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,
18 CPDV And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan. BSB BSB: and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.
19 CPDV At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols. BSB BSB: Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
20 CPDV And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing. BSB BSB: Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.
21 CPDV And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead, BSB BSB: So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob 22 CPDV it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. BSB BSB: On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.
23 CPDV And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead. BSB BSB: So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.
24 CPDV And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.” BSB BSB: But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
25 CPDV And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead. BSB BSB: Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.
26 CPDV And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword? BSB BSB: Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!
27 CPDV Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres? BSB BSB: Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.
28 CPDV You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed, BSB BSB: But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.
29 CPDV my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’ BSB BSB: I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
30 CPDV It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?” BSB BSB: Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”
31 CPDV Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence. BSB BSB: “I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.
32 CPDV But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols. BSB BSB: If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 CPDV And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel, BSB BSB: So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.
34 CPDV she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing, BSB BSB: Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.
35 CPDV she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted. BSB BSB: Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched but could not find the household idols.
36 CPDV And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against me BSB BSB: Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?
37 CPDV and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you. BSB BSB: You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.
38 CPDV For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume. BSB BSB: I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.
39 CPDV Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me. BSB BSB: I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.
40 CPDV Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes. BSB BSB: As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.
41 CPDV And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times. BSB BSB: Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!
42 CPDV If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.” BSB BSB: If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”
Jacob’s Covenant with Laban 43 CPDV Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren? BSB BSB: But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?
44 CPDV Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.” BSB BSB: Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
45 CPDV And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial. BSB BSB: So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,
46 CPDV And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it. BSB BSB: and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.
47 CPDV And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language. BSB BSB: Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
48 CPDV And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’) BSB BSB: Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.
49 CPDV “May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another. BSB BSB: It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.
50 CPDV If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.” BSB BSB: If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”
51 CPDV And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you, BSB BSB: Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.
52 CPDV will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me. BSB BSB: This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.
53 CPDV May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. BSB BSB: May 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 CPDV And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there. BSB BSB: Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
55 CPDV In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place. BSB BSB: Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.