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
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.
Read full chapterNew American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
