Genesis 31:43-55

New American Standard Bible

The Covenant of Mizpah

⁴³ Then Laban replied to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the ^[a]children are my ^[b]grandchildren, ^(A)the flocks are my flocks, and everything that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these daughters of mine or to their children to whom they have given birth? ⁴⁴ So now come, let’s ^(B)make a covenant, ^[c]you and I, and ^(C)it shall be a witness between ^[d]you and me.” ⁴⁵ Then Jacob took ^(D)a stone and set it up as a memorial stone. ⁴⁶ Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Now Laban ^(E)called it ^[e]Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it ^[f]Galeed. ⁴⁸ Laban said, “^(F)This heap is a witness between ^[g]you and me this day.” Therefore it was named Galeed, ⁴⁹ and ^[h](G)Mizpah, for he said, “May the Lord keep watch between ^[i]you and me when we are ^[j]absent one from the other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, ^(H)God is witness between ^[k]you and me.” ⁵¹ Laban also said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the memorial stone which I have set between ^[l]you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and the memorial stone 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 memorial stone to me, for harm. ^53 (I)The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, ^(J)judge between us.” So Jacob swore by ^(K)the fear of his father Isaac. ⁵⁴ Then Jacob ^(L)offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to ^[m]the meal; and they ate ^[n]the meal and spent the night on the mountain. ^55 [o]Then early in the morning Laban got up, and ^(M)kissed his ^[p]grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.