Jacob Flees from Laban 1 UST Then{ one day} Jacob heard that Laban’ s sons were{ complaining and} saying,“Jacob has taken{ for himself} everything that our father owned. In fact, he has gotten all his riches by taking{ the animals} that were our father’ s!” 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 UST Jacob also noticed that Laban no longer acted friendly toward him the way he did in the past. BSB BSB: And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.
3 UST Then Yahweh told Jacob,“Return to your ancestors’ homeland, where your relatives live, and I will stay with you{ and help 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 UST So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah that they should meet him at the field{ where he was with} his flock{ s}{ of sheep and goats}. BSB BSB: So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,
5 UST { When they arrived,} he said to them,“I have noticed that your father no longer acts friendly toward me the way he did in the past, but the God whom my father serves has stayed with me{ and has helped 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 UST You{ both} know how I have worked for your father as hard as I could, BSB BSB: You know that I have served your father with all my strength.
7 UST but he has cheated me by changing what he pays me ten times. However, God has not permitted him to hurt me. BSB BSB: And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.
8 UST { For example,} every time that he told{ me} that the speckled{ animals} would be my pay, all{ the female animals in} the flock{ s} gave birth to speckled{ young}. But whenever he{ changed his mind and} told{ me} that the striped animals would be my pay, then they all gave birth to streaked{ young}. 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 UST In that way, God has taken your father’ s animals{ from him} and has given{ them} to me. BSB BSB: Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.
10 UST One time during the season when the flock{ s}{ of sheep and goats} were mating, I had a dream.{ In the dream} I looked around and was surprised to see that the{ only} male goats{ and sheep} that were mating with the female goats{ and sheep}{ were} striped, speckled, or blotched. 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 UST Then an angel from God called to me in the dream,‘Jacob!’ and I answered,‘Yes,{ Lord}?’ BSB BSB: In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’
12 UST Then he said{ to me},‘Look around and notice{ that} all the male goats{ and sheep} that are mating with the female goats{ and sheep}{ are} striped, speckled, or blotched.{ I have caused that to happen,} because I have noticed all{ the wrong things} that Laban has been doing 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 UST I am the God{ who appeared to you} at{ the town of} Bethel, where you poured oil on top of a memorial stone{ to dedicate the place to me},{ and} where you made an oath to me.{ So} then, get ready{ and} leave this land{ immediately}, and go back to your home land.’” 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 UST Then Rachel and Leah responded to Jacob,“We will not inherit anything from our father{ when he dies}! BSB BSB: And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?
15 UST It is obvious that he treats us like strangers{ and not family}. For example, he sold us{ to you}, and then he spent all the money that should have been ours. 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 UST In fact, all the wealth that God has taken from our father{ rightfully}{ belongs} to us and our children. So then,{ you should} do everything that God has told you{ to do}.” 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 UST So Jacob{ quickly} got ready{ for the journey} and helped his wives and his children{ get up} onto some camels. BSB BSB: Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,
18 UST Then he{ started} herding{ the camels and} all his{ other} animals toward the region of Canaan where his father Isaac lived.{ He took with him} all his possessions that he had accumulated,{ including} all the livestock that he had acquired{ while living} in{ the region of} Paddan Aram. 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 UST Now{ before that,} Laban{ the Aramean} had gone away{ for several days} to shear his sheep.{ While her father was gone,} Rachel{ entered his tent and} stole his idols{ that he worshiped}. BSB BSB: Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.
20 UST At the same time, Jacob{ also} deceived Laban by fleeing{ secretly} without telling him that he was leaving. BSB BSB: Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.
21 UST So{ in that way} Jacob ran away{ with his family} and{ took} everything that they owned. They quickly crossed the{ Euphrates} River and headed toward the hill country of Gilead. 31:22-42 BSB BSB: So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob 22 UST Three days later someone informed Laban that Jacob had run away. BSB BSB: On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.
23 UST So Laban took{ some of} his relatives with him and chased after Jacob{ and his family} for seven days until they overtook him in the hill country of 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 UST But that night God appeared to Laban in a dream and warned him,“Be sure that you do not threaten Jacob in any way.” 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 UST { By the time that} Laban caught up with Jacob, Jacob had{ already} set up his tents in the hill country{ of Gilead}, so Laban and his relatives{ also} set up camp there{ at a place nearby}. 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 UST Then{ the next day} Laban{ met with Jacob and} complained to him,“Look what you have done! You have deceived me and dragged away my daughters like prisoners of war! 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 UST You should not have deceived me and secretly run away! You should have told me{ you were leaving}!{ If I had known,} we could have{ held a feast and} sung joyful songs{ and danced} together, with tambourines and lyres playing, before sending you{ on your way}. 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 UST You did not{ even} let me kiss my daughters and my grandchildren{ before they left}! What you have done is foolish! BSB BSB: But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.
29 UST I have the power to harm{ all of} you, but last night{ in a dream} the God whom your father serves warned me not to threaten you in any way. 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 UST Now then,{ I understand that} you left because you were so homesick to return to your father’ s family,{ but} why did you steal 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 UST Jacob answered Laban,“{ We left secretly} because I was afraid. I thought that{ if I told you we were leaving,} you might take your{ two} daughters from me{ by force}. BSB BSB: “I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.
32 UST { However we did not take your gods. In fact,} if you find your gods with anyone{ here}, that person will die{ for stealing them}!{ So} while our relatives are watching,{ go ahead and} search{ all} my belongings for yourself.{ If you find} anything that is yours, take it.”{ When Jacob said that,} he did not know that Rachel{ was the one who} 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 UST So Laban started searching in Jacob’ s tent. Then{ he searched} through Leah’ s tent and through the two servant women’ s tent, but he did not find{ anything}{ that belonged to him}. Next after he left those tents, he went into Rachel’ s tent. 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 UST Now Rachel had hidden the idols inside{ her} camel saddlebag, and she was sitting on them. So although Laban searched through everything{ else} in the tent, he could not find them. 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 UST { As he was searching,} Rachel said to him,“Sir,{ please} do not be upset that I am not able to get up to greet you, because it’ s that time of the month{ when I feel weak}.”{ That is also why} he could not find{ his} idols when he searched{ her tent}. 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 UST Then Jacob became{ very} angry{ at Laban} and confronted him by saying to him,“Tell me my crime! Tell me what sin I have done{ against you} that gives you the right to chase after 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 UST Now that you have searched through all my things, did you find anything{ that anyone took} from your household?{ If so,} put{ it} here in front of our relatives, so that they can decide which one of us is right! 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 UST For twenty years I{ have worked} for you!{ During all that time} your sheep and your goats had no trouble bearing young, and I have never{ killed and} eaten{ any} animals from your flocks. 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 UST Whenever wild animals killed{ any of} your animals, I never brought{ the dead animal} to you{ to prove I was innocent}.{ Rather,} I replaced them at my own expense.{ Besides that,} you required me to pay for{ any} animals{ that anyone ever} stole{ at any time of} day or night. 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 UST That was my situation! During the days, I suffered from the hot sun, and during the nights it was so cold that I could not sleep. BSB BSB: As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.
41 UST { It was like} that for me{ during the entire} twenty years that I was with you. I worked for you for fourteen years in order to marry your two daughters, and{ I worked}{ another} six years to earn flocks{ of animals} from you, even though you changed my pay 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 UST If God, whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac serve and revere, had not been with me{ to take care of me}, there is no doubt that I would now be leaving{ here} with{ absolutely} nothing.{ But} God knows how{ much} you have mistreated me and how hard I have worked{ for you}, so last night he rebuked{ you}.” 31:43-55 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 UST Then Laban responded to Jacob,“These women{ are} my daughters, and their children{ are} my grandchildren, and these flock{ s}{ are}{ also} mine. In fact, all that you see{ here} is mine! But there is nothing I can do today to keep my daughters or their children near me{ any longer}! 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 UST So then, you and I should make a{ peace} treaty{ with each other}, and there should be something to remind us{ to keep that treaty}.” BSB BSB: Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
45 UST So Jacob picked out a{ large} stone and set it up{ on its end}{ as} a monument{ to mark the place where they made their treaty}. BSB BSB: So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,
46 UST Then he told his relatives,“Gather{ some more} stones.” So they{ all} gathered stones and put them in a{ large} pile. Then everyone ate{ a meal together} there next to the pile{ of stones}. 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 UST Laban gave the pile the{ Aramaic} name Jegar Sahadutha,{ which means“pile that reminds,”} while Jacob gave it the{ Hebrew} name Galeed,{ which has the same meaning}. BSB BSB: Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
48 UST Laban said{ to him},“{ Starting} today this pile{ of stones} will remind you and me{ about our peace treaty}.” That is why the name of that place is Galeed. BSB BSB: Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.
49 UST { Another name for the place is} Mizpah,{ which means“watchtower,”} because Laban said{ to Jacob},“May Yahweh watch both of us{ to make sure that we keep our treaty} while we are apart from each other. 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 UST If you treat my daughters badly, or if you marry{ other} wives besides them, remember{ that}{ even if} no one{ else} is watching us, God is{ always} watching both of us{ to hold us accountable}.” 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 UST Then Laban{ also} said to Jacob,“Here is this pile{ of stones}, and here is this monument which we stood up between us{ to remind us about our peace treaty}. 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 UST This pile{ of stones} and this monument{ both} remind us that I must never go past this pile{ to attack you}, and that you must never go past this pile and this monument to attack 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 UST May{ your grandfather} Abraham’ s God and{ my grandfather} Nahor’ s gods,{ which were also} their father{ Terah}’ s gods, judge between us{ and punish us if we break this agreement}!” But Jacob made a vow by the God whom his father Isaac revered{ that he would keep their treaty}, 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 UST and he burned{ the body of} an animal{ on an altar} as a sacrifice{ to God} on the mountain. Then he invited his relatives to eat a meal{ together}{ there}. So they{ all} ate the meal{ together} and spent the night 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 UST Early the next morning Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters{ goodbye}{ on the cheeks} and asked God to bless them. Then he{ and his men} left{ from there} and returned home. BSB BSB: Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.