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)

⁴ So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. ⁵ He said to them, “I see that your father’s^(F) attitude toward me is not what it was before,^(G) but the God of my father has been with me.^{(H) 6} You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,^{(I) 7} yet your father has cheated^(J) me by changing my wages^(K) ten times.^(L) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.^{(M) 8} If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’^(N) then all the flocks bore streaked young. ⁹ So God has taken away your father’s livestock^(O) and has given them to me.^(P)

¹⁰ “In breeding season I once had a dream^(Q) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. ¹¹ The angel of God^(R) said to me in the dream,^(S) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’^{(T) 12} And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,^(U) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.^{(V) 13} I am the God of Bethel,^(W) where you anointed a pillar^(X) and where you made a vow^(Y) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.^(Z)’”

¹⁴ Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share^(AA) in the inheritance of our father’s estate? ¹⁵ Does he not regard us as foreigners?^(AB) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.^{(AC) 16} Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.^(AD) So do whatever God has told you.”

¹⁷ Then Jacob put his children and his wives^(AE) on camels,^{(AF) 18} and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated^(AG) in Paddan Aram,^[a](AH) to go to his father Isaac^(AI) in the land of Canaan.^(AJ)

¹⁹ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(AK) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.^{(AL) 20} Moreover, Jacob deceived^(AM) Laban the Aramean^(AN) by not telling him he was running away.^{(AO) 21} So he fled^(AP) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,^(AQ) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.^(AR)

Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees

¹³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!^(A) You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.^{(B) [14] [a]}

¹⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,^(C) and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell^(D) as you are.

¹⁶ “Woe to you, blind guides!^(E) You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’^{(F) 17} You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?^{(G) 18} You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by that oath.’ ¹⁹ You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?^{(H) 20} Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. ²¹ And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells^(I) in it. ²² And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.^(J)

²³ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth^(K) of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.^(L) You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. ²⁴ You blind guides!^(M) You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

²⁵ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish,^(N) but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.^{(O) 26} Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,^(P) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

²⁹ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets^(Q) and decorate the graves of the righteous. ³⁰ And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ ³¹ So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.^{(R) 32} Go ahead, then, and complete^(S) what your ancestors started!^(T)

³³ “You snakes! You brood of vipers!^(U) How will you escape being condemned to hell?^{(V) 34} Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;^(W) others you will flog in your synagogues^(X) and pursue from town to town.^{(Y) 35} And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel^(Z) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,^(AA) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.^{(AB) 36} Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.^(AC)

³⁷ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,^(AD) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(AE) and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^{(AF) 39} For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[b]”^(AG)

Laban Pursues Jacob

²² On the third day^(A) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^{(B) 23} Taking his relatives^(C) with him^(D), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^{(E) 24} Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(F) in a dream at night and said to him,^(G) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”^(H)

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

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(W) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(X) 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.^(Y)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(Z) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(AA) but he found nothing.^(AB) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(AC) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(AD) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(AE) 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;^(AF) I’m having my period.^(AG)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(AH)

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

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(AN) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(AO) 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^(AP) by day or night.^{(AQ) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(AR) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(AS) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(AT) and six years for your flocks,^(AU) and you changed my wages^(AV) ten times.^{(AW) 42} If the God of my father,^(AX) the God of Abraham^(AY) and the Fear of Isaac,^(AZ) had not been with me,^(BA) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(BB) and last night he rebuked you.^(BC)”

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(BD) 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,^(BE) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”^(BF)

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

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

⁵¹ Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,^(BP) and here is this pillar^(BQ) I have set up between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,^(BR) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap^(BS) and pillar to my side to harm me.^{(BT) 53} May the God of Abraham^(BU) and the God of Nahor,^(BV) the God of their father, judge between us.”^(BW)

So Jacob took an oath^(BX) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.^{(BY) 54} He offered a sacrifice^(BZ) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.^(CA) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

⁵⁵ Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters^(CB) and blessed^(CC) them. Then he left and returned home.^[c](CD)

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 ^[d]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God^(CE) met him. ² When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”^(CF) So he named that place Mahanaim.^[e](CG)

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you,^(A) brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,^(B) holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform^(C) to the pattern of this world,^(D) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(E) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(F)—his good, pleasing^(G) and perfect will.

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

³ For by the grace given me^(H) I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,^{(I) 5} so in Christ we, though many, form one body,^(J) and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts,^(K) according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying,^(L) then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith;^{(M) 7} if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;^{(N) 8} if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;^(O) if it is giving, then give generously;^(P) if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Love in Action

⁹ Love must be sincere.^(Q) Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.^{(R) 10} Be devoted to one another in love.^(S) Honor one another above yourselves.^{(T) 11} Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,^(U) serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope,^(V) patient in affliction,^(W) faithful in prayer.^{(X) 13} Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.^(Y) Practice hospitality.^(Z)

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you;^(AA) bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.^{(AB) 16} Live in harmony with one another.^(AC) Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.^(AD)

¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil.^(AE) Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.^{(AF) 18} If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.^{(AG) 19} Do not take revenge,^(AH) my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d](AI) says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.