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43 Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”

45 Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 46 Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,[a] but Jacob called it Galeed.[b] 48 Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed 49 and Mizpah, for he said, “Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.” 51 Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you. 52 May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac. 54 Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain. 55 Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.

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Footnotes

  1. 31:47 “Jegar Sahadutha” means “Witness Heap” in Aramaic.
  2. 31:47 “Galeed” means “Witness Heap” in Hebrew.

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 31:43 Lit sons
  2. Genesis 31:43 Lit sons
  3. Genesis 31:44 Lit I and you
  4. Genesis 31:44 Lit me and you
  5. Genesis 31:47 I.e., the heap of witness, in Aram
  6. Genesis 31:47 I.e., the heap of witness, in Heb
  7. Genesis 31:48 Lit me and you
  8. Genesis 31:49 Lit the Mizpah; i.e., the watchtower
  9. Genesis 31:49 Lit me and you
  10. Genesis 31:49 Lit hidden
  11. Genesis 31:50 Lit me and you
  12. Genesis 31:51 Lit me and you
  13. Genesis 31:54 Lit eat bread
  14. Genesis 31:54 Lit bread
  15. Genesis 31:55 Ch 32:1 in Heb
  16. Genesis 31:55 Lit sons