Genesis 31:43-55
English Standard Version
43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, (A)let us make a covenant, you and I. (B)And let it be a witness between you and me.” 45 So Jacob (C)took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,[a] but Jacob called it Galeed.[b] 48 Laban said, (D)“This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, 49 (E)and Mizpah,[c] for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are out of one another's sight. 50 If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, (F)God is witness between you and me.”
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 (G)This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the (H)Fear of his father Isaac, 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called (I)his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.
55 [d] Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed (J)his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 31:47 Aramaic the heap of witness
- Genesis 31:47 Hebrew the heap of witness
- Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchpost
- Genesis 31:55 Ch 32:1 in Hebrew
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.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Genesis 31:43 Lit sons
- Genesis 31:43 Lit sons
- Genesis 31:44 Lit I and you
- Genesis 31:44 Lit me and you
- Genesis 31:47 I.e., the heap of witness, in Aram
- Genesis 31:47 I.e., the heap of witness, in Heb
- Genesis 31:48 Lit me and you
- Genesis 31:49 Lit the Mizpah; i.e., the watchtower
- Genesis 31:49 Lit me and you
- Genesis 31:49 Lit hidden
- Genesis 31:50 Lit me and you
- Genesis 31:51 Lit me and you
- Genesis 31:54 Lit eat bread
- Genesis 31:54 Lit bread
- Genesis 31:55 Ch 32:1 in Heb
- Genesis 31:55 Lit sons
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
