Genesis 31:43-55
Lexham English Bible
43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters and the grandsons[a] are my grandsons,[b] and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see, it is mine. Now, what can I do for these my daughters today, or for their children whom they have borne? 44 So now, come, let us make[c] a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between me and you.” 45 And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a stone pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a pile of stones, and they ate there by the pile of stones. 47 And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,[d] but Jacob called it Galeed.[e] 48 Then Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore its name is called Galeed,[f] 49 and Mizpah,[g] because he said, “Yahweh watch between me and you when we are out of sight of each other.[h] 50 If you mistreat my daughters, and if you take wives besides my daughters, when there is no man with us, see—God is a witness between me and you.” 51 And Laban said to Jacob, “See, this pile of stones, and see the pillar that I have set up between me and you. 52 This pile of stones is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile of stones to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile of stones and this pillar to me intending harm. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father[i] judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 And Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice on the hill, and he called his kinsmen to eat the meal.[j] And they ate the meal[k] and spent the night on the hill. 55 [l] And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his grandsons[m] and his daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his homeland.
Read full chapterNotas al pie
- Genesis 31:43 Or “sons”
- Genesis 31:43 Or “sons”
- Genesis 31:44 Literally “cut”
- Genesis 31:47 Aramaic for “the heap of witness”
- Genesis 31:47 Hebrew for “the heap of witness”
- Genesis 31:48 Hebrew for “the heap of witness”
- Genesis 31:49 Hebrew for “watchpost”
- Genesis 31:49 Literally “each from his neighbor is concealed”
- Genesis 31:53 That is, Terah
- Genesis 31:54 Or “food, bread”
- Genesis 31:54 Or “food, bread”
- Genesis 31:55 Genesis 31:55–32:32 in the English Bible is 32:1–33 in the Hebrew Bible
- Genesis 31:55 Or “sons”
Genesis 31:43-55
New Living Translation
Jacob’s Treaty with Laban
43 Then Laban replied to Jacob, “These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks—in fact, everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and their children? 44 So come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it will be a witness to our commitment.”
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument. 46 Then he told his family members, “Gather some stones.” So they gathered stones and piled them in a heap. Then Jacob and Laban sat down beside the pile of stones to eat a covenant meal. 47 To commemorate the event, Laban called the place Jegar-sahadutha (which means “witness pile” in Aramaic), and Jacob called it Galeed (which means “witness pile” in Hebrew).
48 Then Laban declared, “This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the covenant we have made today.” This explains why it was called Galeed—“Witness Pile.” 49 But it was also called Mizpah (which means “watchtower”), for Laban said, “May the Lord keep watch between us to make sure that we keep this covenant when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you marry other wives, God will see it even if no one else does. He is a witness to this covenant between us.
51 “See this pile of stones,” Laban continued, “and see this monument I have set between us. 52 They stand between us as witnesses of our vows. I will never pass this pile of stones to harm you, and you must never pass these stones or this monument to harm me. 53 I call on the God of our ancestors—the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of my grandfather Nahor—to serve as a judge between us.”
So Jacob took an oath before the fearsome God of his father, Isaac,[a] to respect the boundary line. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice to God there on the mountain and invited everyone to a covenant feast. After they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.
55 [b]Laban got up early the next morning, and he kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
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