Bereshis 31-33
Orthodox Jewish Bible
31 And he heard the divrei Bnei Lavan, saying, Ya’akov hath taken away all that belonged to avinu; and of that which belonged to avinu hath he gotten all this kavod.
2 And Ya’akov beheld the countenance of Lavan, and, hinei, it was not toward him as before.
3 And Hashem said unto Ya’akov, Shuv el Eretz Avoteicha! And to thy moledet; and I will be with thee.
4 And Ya’akov sent and called Rachel and Leah to the sadeh unto his tzon,
5 And said unto them, I see penei avichen, that it is not toward me as before; but Elohei Avi is with me.
6 And ye know that with all my koach I have served avichen.
7 And avichen hath deceived me, and changed my sachar aseret monim but Elohim allowed him not to harm me.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy sachar; then all the tzon bore speckled; and if he said thus, The streaked shall be thy sachar; then bore all the tzon streaked.
9 Thus Elohim hath taken away the mikneh of your av, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the tzon breed, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a chalom, and, hinei, the male goats mounting the tzon were streaked, speckled, and spotted.
11 And the Malach HaElohim spoke unto me in a chalom saying, Ya’akov: And I said, Hineni.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the male goats leaping upon the tzon are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Lavan doeth unto thee.
13 I am HaEl Beit-El, where thou anointedst a matzevah (pillar), and where thou vowedst a neder (vow) unto Me: now arise, get thee out from HaAretz Hazot, and return unto thy eretz moledet.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any chelek or nachalah for us in bais avinu?
15 Are we not regarded by him nokhriyyot (foreigners, strangers)? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our kesef.
16 For all the oisher Elohim hath taken from avinu, that belongs to us and baneinu; so then, whatsoever Elohim hath said unto thee, do.
17 Then Ya’akov rose up, and set his banim and his nashim upon the gemalim;
18 And he drove all his mikneh, and all his goods which he had gotten, the mikneh of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan Aram, for to go to Yitzchak aviv in Eretz Kena’an.
19 And Lavan went to shear his tzon; and Rachel had stolen the terafim that belong to her av.
20 Unawares to Lavan HaArami, Ya’akov stole away, in that he told him not that he was fleeing.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the Nahar [i.e. the Euphrates], and set his face toward Har Gil’ad.
22 And it was told Lavan on Yom HaShlishi that Ya’akov was fled.
23 And he took his achim with him, and pursued after him derech shivat yamim; and they overtook him at Har Gil‘ad.
24 And Elohim came to Lavan HaArami in a chalom halailah, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Ya’akov either tov or rah.
25 Then Lavan overtook Ya’akov. Now Ya’akov had pitched his ohel on the har; and Lavan with his achim encamped in Har Gil‘ad.
26 And Lavan said to Ya’akov, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my banot, like shevuyot (captives) taken with the cherev?
27 Why didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with simchah, and with shirim (songs), with tof (timbrel, tambourine) and with kinnor (harp)?
28 And hast not allowed me to kiss my banim (grandchildren) and my banot? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
29 It is in the power of my yad to do you rah; but Elohei Avichem spoke unto me emesh (last night), saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Ya’akov either tov or rah.
30 And now, though thou had to go, because thou greatly longedst after bais avicha, yet why hast thou stolen elohai?
31 And Ya’akov answered and said to Lavan, Because I was afraid; for I said, Thou wouldest take by force thy banot from me.
32 With whomsoever thou findest eloheicha, let him not live; before acheinu discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Ya’akov knew not that Rachel had played the ganav with them.
33 And Lavan went into the ohel Ya’akov, and into the ohel Leah and into the ohel shtei ha’amahot; but he found them not. Then went he out of the ohel Leah, and entered into the ohel Rachel.
34 Now Rachel had taken the terafim, and put them in the saddle of the gamal, and sat upon them. And Lavan searched all the ohel, but found them not.
35 And she said to her av, Let it not displease adoni that I cannot rise up in thy presence; for the derech nashim is upon me. And he searched but found not the terafim.
36 And Ya’akov was in wrath, and upbraided Lavan: and Ya’akov answered and said to Lavan, What is my peysha? What is my chattat, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37 Whereas thou hast searched through all that I own, what hast thou found of all thy kelei bais? Set it here before my achim and thy achim, that they may judge between us both.
38 These esrim shanah have I been with thee; recheleicha (thy ewes) and thy female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of thy tzon have I not eaten.
39 That which was terefah (torn of beasts) I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it; of my yad didst thou require it, whether stolen by yom, or stolen by lailah.
40 Thus I was; in the yom the chorev (heat) consumed me, and the kerach (cold) by lailah; and my sheynah (sleep) departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus have I been esrim shanah in thy bais; I served thee arba-esreh shanah for thy two banot, and shesh shanim for thy tzon: and thou hast changed my sachar aseret monim.
42 Except Elohei Avi, Elohei Avraham, and the Pachad of Yitzchak had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty handed. Elohim hath seen mine oni and the toil of my palms, and rebuked thee emesh (last night).
43 And Lavan answered and said unto Ya’akov, These banot are my banot, and these banim are my banim, and this tzon is my tzon, and all that thou seest is mine; yet what can I do today about these my banot, or about their banim which they have born?
44 Now therefore come thou, let us cut a brit, I and thou; and let it be for an ed between me and thee.
45 And Ya’akov took an even, and set it up for a matzevah (pillar).
46 And Ya’akov said unto his achim, Gather avanim; and they took avanim, and made a gal (heap, mound); and they did eat there upon the gal.
47 And Lavan called it Yegar Sahaduta; but Ya’akov called it Gale’ed ("Heap of Witness").
48 And Lavan said, This gal (heap, mound) is an ed (witness) between me and thee this day. Therefore was shmo called Gale’ed;
49 And Mitzpah (Watch); for he said, Hashem watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If thou shalt afflict my banot, or if thou shalt take nashim besides my banot, no man is with us; see, Elohim ed beini uveinecha (Elohim is witness between me and you).
51 And Lavan said to Ya’akov, Hinei this gal (heap, mound), and hinei the matzevah (pillar), which I have cast between me and thee;
52 This gal (heap, mound) be ed (witness), and this matzevah (pillar) be edah (witness), that for ra’ah I will not pass over this gal to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this gal and this matzevah unto me.
53 The Elohei Avraham, and Elohei Nachor, Elohei Avihem judge between us. And Ya’akov swore by the Pachad Aviv Yitzchak.
54 Then Ya’akov offered zavach upon the har, and called his achim to eat lechem; and they did eat lechem, and tarried all night on the har.
55 And early in the boker (morning) Lavan rose up, and kissed his banim and his banot, and made on them a brocha; and Lavan departed, and returned unto his makom.
32 And Ya’akov went on his derech, and the malachim of Elohim met him.
2 (3) And when Ya’akov saw them, he said, This is Mahaneh Elohim; and he called the shem of that makom (place) Machanayim.
[VAYISHLAH]
3 (4) And Ya’akov sent malachim before him to Esav achiv unto Eretz Seir, the country of Edom.
4 (5) And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto adoni Esav; Thy eved Ya’akov saith thus, I have sojourned with Lavan, and stayed there until now;
5 (6) And I have shor (oxen), and chamor, tzon, and eved, and shifchah; and I have sent to tell adoni, that I may find chen (grace) in thy sight.
6 (7) And the malachim returned to Ya’akov, saying, We came to Esav achicha, and also he cometh to meet thee, and arba me’ot ish with him.
7 (8) Then Ya’akov was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided HaAm that was with him, and the tzon, and bakar, and the gemalim, into two machanot;
8 (9) And said, If Esav come to the one machaneh, and attack it, then the other machaneh which is left shall escape.
9 (10) And Ya’akov said, O Elohei Avi Avraham, and Elohei Avi Yitzchak, Hashem which saidst unto me, Shuv l’aretzecha and to thy moledet (kindred), and I will deal well with thee;
10 (11) I am not worthy of the least of all the chasadim, and of all the emes, which Thou hast showed unto Thy eved; for with my makal (rod, staff) I passed over this Yarden; and now I am become two machanot.
11 (12) Save me, now, from the yad achi, from the yad Esav; for I fear him, lest he will come and attack me, em with banim.
12 (13) But Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy zera as the chol of the yam, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
13 (14) And he spent there that same night; and took of that which came to his yad a minchah for Esav achiv;
14 (15) Two hundred female goats, and twenty male goats, two hundred rechelim (ewes), and twenty eilim (rams),
15 (16) Thirty nursing gemalim with their colts, forty parot (cows), and ten parim (bulls), twenty female donkeys, and ten male donkeys.
16 (17) And he delivered them into the yad of his avadim, every herd by itself; and said unto his avadim, Pass over before me, and keep a space between herd and herd.
17 (18) And he commanded the rishon, saying, When Esav achi meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? And to where goest thou? And whose are these [animals] before thee?
18 (19) Then thou shalt say, They are of thy eved Ya’akov; it is a minchah sent unto adoni Esav; and, hinei, also he is behind us.
19 (20) And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the adarim (herds), saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esav, when ye find him.
20 (21) And say ye moreover, Hinei, thy eved Ya’akov is behind us. For he said, Akhapperah (I will appease, pacify) his face with the minchah that goeth ahead of me, and afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.
21 (22) So went the minchah (present) over ahead of him; but he himself stayed balailah in the machaneh.
22 (23) And he rose up that night, and took his two nashim and his two shifchot, and his eleven yeladim, and passed over the ma’avar (ford) Yabbok.
23 (24) And he took them, and sent them over the stream, and sent over [all] that he had.
24 (25) And Ya’akov was left by himself; and there wrestled an ish with him until the shachar (dawn, sunup).
25 (26) And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he struck his hip socket; so Ya’akov’s hip socket dislocated while he wrestled with him.
26 (27) And he said, Let me go, for shachar breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, unless thou make a berakah upon me.
27 (28) And he said unto him, What is shemecha? And he said, Ya’akov.
28 (29) And he said, Shimcha shall be called no more Ya’akov, but Yisroel: for sarita im Elohim ([yisrah=to prevail + El=G-d = Yisroel] ye have striven with Elohim) and with anashim, and hast overcome.
29 (30) And Ya’akov asked him, and said, Tell me, now, shemecha. And he said, Why is it that thou dost ask after shmi? And he made a brocha upon him there.
30 (31) And Ya’akov called the shem of the makom (place) Peniel [Face of G-d): for I have seen Elohim panim el panim, and my nefesh is saved.
31 (32) And as he passed over Penuel the shemesh rose upon him, and he limped upon his hip.
32 (33) Therefore the Bnei Yisroel eat not of the sinew of the thigh vein (sciatic nerve) which is upon the hip socket, unto this day; because he touched the hip socket of Ya’akov in the sinew of the thigh vein.
33 And Ya’akov lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, hinei, Esav came, and with him arba me’ot ish (four hundred men). And he divided the yeladim unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two shefachot.
2 And he put the shefachot and their yeladim rishonah, and Leah and her yeladim acharonim, and Rachel and Yosef acharonim.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground sheva pe’amim, until he came near to achiv (his brother).
4 And Esav ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his tzavar (neck), and kissed him; and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the nashim and the yeladim; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The yeladim which Elohim hath graciously given thy eved.
6 Then the shefachot came near, they and their yeladim, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her yeladim came near, and bowed themselves; and after came Yosef near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this machaneh which I met? And he said, These are to find chen (grace) in the eyes of adoni.
9 And Esav said, I have enough, achi (my brother); keep that thou hast unto thyself.
10 And Ya’akov said, No, now, if I have found chen (grace) in thy sight, then receive my minchah at my yad inasmuch as I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the p’nei Elohim (the face of G-d) vatirtzeini (and thou wast pleased to accept me, thou wast appeased by me).
11 Accept, now, my brocha that is brought to thee; because Elohim hath dealt graciously with me, and because yesh li khol (there is to me all, my needs are met). And he urged him, and he accepted.
12 And he said, Nise’ah (let us take our journey), and let us go, I will go next to thee.
13 And he said unto him, Adoni knoweth that the yeladim are tender and the nursing tzon and bakar are upon me; and if men should overdrive them yom echad, all the tzon will die.
14 Let now adoni, pass over before his eved; and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the drove that goeth before me and the pace the yeladim are able to endure, until I come unto adoni at Seir.
15 And Esav said, Let me now leave with thee some of HaAm that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? Let me find chen in the sight of adoni.
16 So Esav returned that day on his derech unto Seir.
17 And Ya’akov journeyed to Sukkot, and built him a bais, and made sukkot for his mikneh; therefore the shem of the makom is called Sukkot.
18 And Ya’akov came shalem to Ir Shechem, which is in eretz Kena’an, when he came from Padan Aram; and encamped before the Ir.
19 And he bought a chelkat hasadeh (piece of land), where he had pitched there his ohel, from the yad Bnei Chamor Avi Shechem, for a hundred pieces of kesitah (money).
20 And he erected there a Mizbe’ach, and called it El Elohei Yisroel.
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