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17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives(A) on camels,(B) 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated(C) in Paddan Aram,[a](D) to go to his father Isaac(E) in the land of Canaan.(F)
19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,(G) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.(H) 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived(I) Laban the Aramean(J) by not telling him he was running away.(K) 21 So he fled(L) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,(M) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.(N)
Laban Pursues Jacob
22 On the third day(O) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.(P) 23 Taking his relatives(Q) with him(R), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(S) 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean(T) in a dream at night and said to him,(U) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(V)
25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(W) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(X) You’ve deceived me,(Y) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(Z) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(AA) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(AB) and harps?(AC) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(AD) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(AE) but last night the God of your father(AF) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(AG) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(AH) But why did you steal(AI) my gods?(AJ)”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(AK) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(AL) 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.(AM)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(AN) and into the tent of the two female servants,(AO) but he found nothing.(AP) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(AQ) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(AR) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(AS) 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;(AT) I’m having my period.(AU)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(AV)
36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(AW) you that you hunt me down?(AX) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(AY) Put it here in front of your relatives(AZ) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(BA)
38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(BB) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(BC) 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(BD) by day or night.(BE) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(BF) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(BG) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(BH) and six years for your flocks,(BI) and you changed my wages(BJ) ten times.(BK) 42 If the God of my father,(BL) the God of Abraham(BM) and the Fear of Isaac,(BN) had not been with me,(BO) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(BP) and last night he rebuked you.(BQ)”
43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(BR) 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,(BS) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(BT)
45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(BU) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(BV) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[b](BW)
48 Laban said, “This heap(BX) is a witness between you and me today.”(BY) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[c](BZ) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(CA) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(CB) between you and me.”(CC)
51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(CD) and here is this pillar(CE) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(CF) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(CG) and pillar to my side to harm me.(CH) 53 May the God of Abraham(CI) and the God of Nahor,(CJ) the God of their father, judge between us.”(CK)
So Jacob took an oath(CL) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(CM) 54 He offered a sacrifice(CN) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(CO) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.
55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(CP) and blessed(CQ) them. Then he left and returned home.[d](CR)
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
32 [e]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God(CS) met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”(CT) So he named that place Mahanaim.[f](CU)
3 Jacob sent messengers(CV) ahead of him to his brother Esau(CW) in the land of Seir,(CX) the country of Edom.(CY) 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord(CZ) Esau: ‘Your servant(DA) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban(DB) and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.(DC) Now I am sending this message to my lord,(DD) that I may find favor in your eyes.(DE)’”
6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”(DF)
7 In great fear(DG) and distress(DH) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[g](DI) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[h] the group[i] that is left may escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,(DJ) God of my father Isaac,(DK) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’(DL) 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness(DM) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff(DN) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.(DO) 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid(DP) he will come and attack me,(DQ) and also the mothers with their children.(DR) 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand(DS) of the sea, which cannot be counted.(DT)’”
24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.(A) 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,(B) how much more the members of his household!
26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.(C) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One(D) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.(E) 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(F)
32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others,(G) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.(H)
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law(I)—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[b](J)
37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.(K) 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.(L) 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.(M)
40 “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,(N) and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.(O) 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”(P)
Jesus and John the Baptist(Q)
11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,(R) he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.[c]
2 When John,(S) who was in prison,(T) heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,(U) or should we expect someone else?”
4 Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: 5 The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[d] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.(V) 6 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”(W)
Psalm 13[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long,(A) Lord? Will you forget me(B) forever?
How long will you hide your face(C) from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts(D)
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?(E)
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