ח Heth

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons^(A) were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”^{(B) 2} And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.^(C)

³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back^(D) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”^(E)

¹⁷ Then Jacob put his children and his wives^(A) on camels,^{(B) 18} and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated^(C) in Paddan Aram,^[a](D) to go to his father Isaac^(E) in the land of Canaan.^(F)

¹⁹ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(G) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.^{(H) 20} Moreover, Jacob deceived^(I) Laban the Aramean^(J) by not telling him he was running away.^{(K) 21} So he fled^(L) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,^(M) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.^(N)

Laban Pursues Jacob

²² On the third day^(O) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^{(P) 23} Taking his relatives^(Q) with him^(R), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^{(S) 24} Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(T) in a dream at night and said to him,^(U) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”^(V)

²⁵ Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(W) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. ²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(X) You’ve deceived me,^(Y) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(Z) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(AA) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(AB) and harps?^{(AC) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(AD) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(AE) but last night the God of your father^(AF) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(AG) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(AH) But why did you steal^(AI) my gods?^(AJ)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(AK) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(AL) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(AM)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(AN) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(AO) but he found nothing.^(AP) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(AQ) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(AR) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(AS) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

³⁵ Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;^(AT) I’m having my period.^(AU)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(AV)

³⁶ Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged^(AW) you that you hunt me down?^{(AX) 37} Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(AY) Put it here in front of your relatives^(AZ) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(BA)

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(BB) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(BC) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. ³⁹ I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen^(BD) by day or night.^{(BE) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(BF) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(BG) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(BH) and six years for your flocks,^(BI) and you changed my wages^(BJ) ten times.^{(BK) 42} If the God of my father,^(BL) the God of Abraham^(BM) and the Fear of Isaac,^(BN) had not been with me,^(BO) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(BP) and last night he rebuked you.^(BQ)”

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(BR) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? ⁴⁴ Come now, let’s make a covenant,^(BS) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”^(BT)

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^{(BU) 46} He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(BV) and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[b](BW)

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap^(BX) is a witness between you and me today.”^(BY) That is why it was called Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah,^[c](BZ) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat^(CA) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(CB) between you and me.”^(CC)

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴ Make every effort to live in peace with everyone^(A) and to be holy;^(B) without holiness no one will see the Lord.^{(C) 15} See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God^(D) and that no bitter root^(E) grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶ See that no one is sexually immoral,^(F) or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son.^(G)