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Genesis 31
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 31
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jacob Separates from Laban
31 Now Jacob heard what Laban’s sons were saying: “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s and has built this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob saw from Laban’s face that his attitude toward him was not the same.
3 Then the Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”(A)
4 Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the field where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I can see from your father’s face that his attitude toward me is not the same, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked hard[a] for your father(B) 7 and that he has cheated me and changed my wages 10 times. But God has not let him harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted sheep will be your wages,’ then all the sheep were born spotted. If he said, ‘The streaked sheep will be your wages,’ then all the sheep were born streaked.(C) 9 God has taken away your father’s herds and given them to me.
10 “When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. 11 In that dream the Angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Look up and see: all the males that are mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.(D) 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to Me.(E) Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’”
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father’s household? 15 Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? For he has sold us(F) and has certainly spent our money. 16 In fact, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you.”
17 Then Jacob got up and put his children and wives on the camels. 18 He took all the livestock and possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, and he drove his herds to go to the land of his father Isaac in Canaan. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.(G) 20 And Jacob deceived[b] Laban the Aramean, not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 He fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for[c] the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Overtakes Jacob
22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him at Mount Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself!” God warned him. “Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(H)
25 When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his brothers also pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war! 27 Why did you secretly flee from me, deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and lyres, 28 but you didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly. 29 I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me: ‘Watch yourself. Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father—but why have you stolen my gods?”(I)
31 Jacob answered, “I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live!(J) Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it.” Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two female slaves, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of the camel, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent but found nothing.
35 She said to her father, “Sir, don’t be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence;(K) I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.
Jacob’s Covenant with Laban
36 Then Jacob became incensed and brought charges against Laban. “What is my crime?” he said to Laban. “What is my sin, that you have pursued me? 37 You’ve searched all my possessions! Have you found anything of yours? Put it here before my relatives and yours, and let them decide between the two of us. 38 I’ve been with you these 20 years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock. 39 I did not bring you any of the flock torn by wild beasts; I myself bore the loss. You demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or by night. 40 There I was—the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 For 20 years I have worked in your household—14 years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks(L)—and you have changed my wages 10 times! 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work,[d] and He issued His verdict last night.”
43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters; the sons, my sons; and the flocks, my flocks! Everything you see is mine! But what can I do today for these daughters of mine or for the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I.(M) Let it be a witness between the two of us.”
45 So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker.(N) 46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound. 47 Laban named the mound Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.[e]
48 Then Laban said, “This mound is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore the place was called Galeed 49 and also Mizpah,[f](O) for he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, though no one is with us, understand that God will be a witness between you and me.”(P) 51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me. 52 This mound is a witness and the marker is a witness that I will not pass beyond this mound to you, and you will not pass beyond this mound and this marker to do me harm. 53 The God of Abraham, and the gods(Q) of Nahor—the gods of their father[g]—will judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. So they ate a meal and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [h]Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home.
Footnotes
- Genesis 31:6 Lit worked with all my strength
- Genesis 31:20 Lit And he stole the heart of
- Genesis 31:21 Lit and set his face to
- Genesis 31:42 Lit and the work of my hands
- Genesis 31:47 Jegar-sahadutha is Aram, and Galeed is Hb; both names = Mound of Witness
- Genesis 31:49 = Watchtower
- Genesis 31:53 Two Hb mss, LXX omit the gods of their father
- Genesis 31:55 Gn 32:1 in Hb
Genesis 31
New International Version
Genesis 31
New International Version
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)
Laban Pursues Jacob
22 On the third day(AS) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.(AT) 23 Taking his relatives(AU) with him(AV), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(AW) 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean(AX) in a dream at night and said to him,(AY) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(AZ)
25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(BA) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(BB) You’ve deceived me,(BC) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(BD) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(BE) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(BF) and harps?(BG) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(BH) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(BI) but last night the God of your father(BJ) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(BK) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(BL) But why did you steal(BM) my gods?(BN)”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(BO) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(BP) 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.(BQ)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(BR) and into the tent of the two female servants,(BS) but he found nothing.(BT) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(BU) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(BV) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(BW) 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;(BX) I’m having my period.(BY)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(BZ)
36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(CA) you that you hunt me down?(CB) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(CC) Put it here in front of your relatives(CD) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(CE)
38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(CF) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(CG) 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(CH) by day or night.(CI) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(CJ) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(CK) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(CL) and six years for your flocks,(CM) and you changed my wages(CN) ten times.(CO) 42 If the God of my father,(CP) the God of Abraham(CQ) and the Fear of Isaac,(CR) had not been with me,(CS) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(CT) and last night he rebuked you.(CU)”
43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(CV) 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,(CW) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(CX)
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(CY) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(CZ) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[b](DA)
48 Laban said, “This heap(DB) is a witness between you and me today.”(DC) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[c](DD) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(DE) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(DF) between you and me.”(DG)
51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(DH) and here is this pillar(DI) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(DJ) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(DK) and pillar to my side to harm me.(DL) 53 May the God of Abraham(DM) and the God of Nahor,(DN) the God of their father, judge between us.”(DO)
So Jacob took an oath(DP) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(DQ) 54 He offered a sacrifice(DR) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(DS) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.
55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(DT) and blessed(DU) them. Then he left and returned home.[d](DV)
Footnotes
- Genesis 31:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
- Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.
- Genesis 31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
Génesis 31
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica)
Génesis 31
La Palabra (Hispanoamérica)
Jacob huye de Labán
31 Jacob se enteró de que los hijos de Labán andaban diciendo:
— Jacob se ha ido apoderando de todo lo que era de nuestro padre; se ha hecho rico a su costa.
2 Advirtió también Jacob que Labán ya no lo trataba como antes. 3 Entonces el Señor le dijo a Jacob:
— Vuelve a la tierra de tus padres, donde están tus parientes, que yo estaré contigo.
4 Jacob mandó llamar a Raquel y a Lía para que fuesen al campo donde él tenía el rebaño, 5 y les dijo:
— Me he dado cuenta de que su padre ya no me mira con la benevolencia de antes; pero el Dios de mi padre ha estado conmigo. 6 Ustedes saben muy bien que yo he trabajado para su padre con todas mis fuerzas; 7 a pesar de ello, él me ha engañado y me ha estado cambiando continuamente el salario. Sin embargo, Dios jamás le permitió que me hiciese mal alguno; 8 al contrario, cuando Labán decía: “te voy a pagar con los corderos moteados”, todas las ovejas del rebaño parían corderos moteados; y cuando decía: “te voy a pagar con los rayados”, entonces todas parían crías rayadas. 9 Así Dios le ha ido quitando el ganado al padre de ustedes y me lo ha ido dando a mí. 10 Una vez, durante el período en que los animales estaban en celo, yo tuve un sueño. De pronto vi que los machos que cubrían a las ovejas eran todos rayados, manchados o moteados. 11 Y en el sueño, el ángel de Dios me dijo: “Jacob”. Yo le respondí: “Aquí estoy”. 12 Y él me dijo: “Echa una mirada y verás cómo todos los machos que cubren a las ovejas son rayados, manchados o moteados, porque he visto todo lo que Labán te ha estado haciendo. 13 Yo soy el Dios de Betel, el lugar donde ungiste una piedra votiva y me hiciste una promesa. Márchate, pues, de aquí y regresa a la tierra que te vio nacer”.
14 Raquel y Lía le respondieron:
— ¿Tenemos nosotras acaso parte o herencia en la casa de nuestro padre? 15 Al contrario, nos ha tratado como si fuésemos extrañas. No solo nos vendió, sino que además se ha gastado el dinero que recibió por nosotras. 16 Por tanto, toda la riqueza que Dios le ha quitado a nuestro padre es nuestra y de nuestros hijos. Así que haz todo lo que Dios te ha dicho.
17 Entonces Jacob se preparó para partir, montó a sus hijos y a sus mujeres en los camellos, 18 y se puso en marcha con todo su ganado y con todos los bienes que había acumulado en Parán Aram; luego se encaminó hacia la tierra de Canaán, donde vivía su padre Isaac.
19 Y sucedió que mientras Labán estaba ausente esquilando sus ovejas, Raquel robó los ídolos familiares de su padre.
20 De este modo Jacob se burló de Labán, el arameo, al no comunicarle que se marchaba; 21 además, huyó llevándose todo lo que le pertenecía. Nada más cruzar el río Éufrates, Jacob se encaminó hacia la región montañosa de Galaad.
Labán persigue a Jacob
22 Tres días después Labán recibió la noticia de que Jacob había huido. 23 Entonces, acompañado de sus parientes, salió en su búsqueda; después de siete días lo alcanzó en los montes de Galaad. 24 Pero esa misma noche Dios se apareció en sueños a Labán, el arameo, y le dijo:
— ¡Que no se te ocurra hacer reproche alguno a Jacob, ni para bien ni para mal!
25 Labán alcanzó a Jacob cuando este acababa de montar su campamento en el monte Galaad; entonces Labán y sus parientes montaron también allí su campamento. 26 Y Labán le preguntó a Jacob:
— ¿Por qué has hecho esto? Me has traicionado y te has llevado a mis hijas como si fueran prisioneras de guerra. 27 ¿Por qué has huido en secreto, con engaños y sin comunicármelo? Yo te habría despedido con festejos, con cánticos y al son de panderos y cítaras. 28 Pero ni siquiera me dejaste besar a mis hijas y a mis nietos. ¡Te has portado como un insensato! 29 Ahora yo podría castigarlos, pero anoche el Dios de tu padre me habló y me dijo que no se me ocurriera hacerte reproche alguno, ni para bien ni para mal. 30 Pero si te marchas porque añoras la casa de tu padre, ¿por qué me has robado mis dioses?
31 Entonces Jacob respondió a Labán:
— Es que tuve miedo. Pensé que tal vez me ibas a arrebatar por la fuerza a tus hijas. 32 Eso sí, aquel en cuyo poder se encuentren tus dioses, que lo pague con su vida. Pongo a nuestros parientes como testigos: busca si hay algo tuyo, y llévatelo.
Pero Jacob no sabía que los había robado Raquel.
33 Labán entró en la tienda de Jacob, luego en la de Lía, y también en la de las dos criadas, pero no encontró nada. Cuando salió de la tienda de Lía pasó a la de Raquel. 34 Pero Raquel ya había tomado los ídolos, los había escondido debajo de la montura del camello y se había sentado encima de ellos. Mientras tanto Labán registró toda la tienda y no encontró nada. 35 Entonces Raquel le dijo a su padre:
— No tome a mal mi señor que no me levante ante ti; tengo la menstruación.
Y por más que buscó, Labán no logró encontrar los ídolos.
36 Así que Jacob se enojó con Labán y le recriminó todo indignado:
— ¿Qué delito, qué falta he cometido para que me persigas así? 37 ¿Has encontrado algo que te pertenezca después de registrar todas mis cosas? Si lo has encontrado, enséñalo aquí, delante de tus parientes y los míos, y que sean ellos quienes decidan quién de los dos tiene razón. 38 Durante los veinte años que pasé contigo jamás tus ovejas o tus cabras abortaron ni yo jamás comí un carnero de tu rebaño; 39 jamás te traje un animal despedazado por las fieras, ya que te lo compensaba con uno de los míos, mientras tú me reclamabas si de día o de noche me robaban ganado. 40 De día me consumía el calor, de noche el frío, y no conciliaba el sueño. 41 Veinte años he estado en tu casa, y esto es lo que me ha tocado: trabajar catorce años a tu servicio por tus dos hijas, y seis años más por tu ganado; y tú continuamente me cambiabas el salario. 42 Si el Dios de mi padre —el Dios de Abrahán, el Terror de Isaac— no hubiera estado conmigo, es bien seguro que me habrías despedido con las manos vacías. Pero Dios vio mi aflicción y el trabajo de mis manos, y anoche salió en mi defensa.
Alianza de Labán y Jacob
43 Labán le replicó a Jacob:
— Estas mujeres son mis hijas, estos muchachos son mis nietos, este ganado también es mío y todo lo que aquí ves me pertenece. ¿Qué puedo hacer hoy por estas hijas mías y por los hijos que han dado a luz? 44 Hagamos una alianza tú y yo, y quede como testimonio entre nosotros.
45 Entonces Jacob tomó una piedra, la erigió a modo de piedra votiva, 46 y dijo a sus parientes:
— ¡Juntad piedras!
Y ellos recogieron piedras, hicieron un montón con ellas, y allí comieron, junto al majano. 47 Labán llamó a aquel lugar Jegar Saadutá, y Jacob lo llamó Galaad.
48 Labán añadió:
— Este majano es hoy un testimonio entre nosotros.
Por eso aquel lugar se llamó Galaad, 49 y también Mispá, porque Labán juró:
— ¡Que el Señor nos vigile cuando nos hayamos separado! 50 Si maltratas a mis hijas o si te casas con otras mujeres además de ellas, aunque nadie sea testigo de ello, Dios será testigo entre nosotros.
51 Y Labán siguió diciendo a Jacob:
— Mira el montón de piedras y la piedra votiva que he erigido entre nosotros; 52 que este majano y esta piedra votiva sean testigos de que ni tú ni yo traspasaremos esta línea para hacernos daño. 53 Y que el Dios de Abrahán y el Dios de Najor sea nuestro juez.
Entonces Jacob juró por el Terror de Isaac, su padre. 54 Luego ofreció Jacob un sacrificio en el monte e invitó a comer a sus parientes. Ellos comieron y pasaron la noche allí, en el monte.
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La Palabra (Hispanoamérica) (BLPH)
La Palabra, (versión hispanoamericana) © 2010 Texto y Edición, Sociedad Bíblica de España