Daily Bread

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons^(A) were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”^{(B) 2} And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.^(C)

³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back^(D) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”^(E)

⁴ So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. ⁵ He said to them, “I see that your father’s^(F) attitude toward me is not what it was before,^(G) but the God of my father has been with me.^{(H) 6} You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,^{(I) 7} yet your father has cheated^(J) me by changing my wages^(K) ten times.^(L) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.^{(M) 8} If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’^(N) then all the flocks bore streaked young. ⁹ So God has taken away your father’s livestock^(O) and has given them to me.^(P)

¹⁰ “In breeding season I once had a dream^(Q) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. ¹¹ The angel of God^(R) said to me in the dream,^(S) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’^{(T) 12} And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,^(U) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.^{(V) 13} I am the God of Bethel,^(W) where you anointed a pillar^(X) and where you made a vow^(Y) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.^(Z)’”

¹⁴ Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share^(AA) in the inheritance of our father’s estate? ¹⁵ Does he not regard us as foreigners?^(AB) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.^{(AC) 16} Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.^(AD) So do whatever God has told you.”

¹⁷ Then Jacob put his children and his wives^(AE) on camels,^{(AF) 18} and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated^(AG) in Paddan Aram,^[a](AH) to go to his father Isaac^(AI) in the land of Canaan.^(AJ)

¹⁹ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(AK) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.^{(AL) 20} Moreover, Jacob deceived^(AM) Laban the Aramean^(AN) by not telling him he was running away.^{(AO) 21} So he fled^(AP) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,^(AQ) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.^(AR)

Laban Pursues Jacob

²² On the third day^(AS) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^{(AT) 23} Taking his relatives^(AU) with him^(AV), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^{(AW) 24} Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(AX) in a dream at night and said to him,^(AY) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”^(AZ)

²⁵ Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(BA) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. ²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(BB) You’ve deceived me,^(BC) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(BD) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(BE) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(BF) and harps?^{(BG) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(BH) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(BI) but last night the God of your father^(BJ) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(BK) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(BL) But why did you steal^(BM) my gods?^(BN)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(BO) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(BP) 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.^(BQ)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(BR) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(BS) but he found nothing.^(BT) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(BU) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(BV) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(BW) 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;^(BX) I’m having my period.^(BY)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(BZ)

³⁶ Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged^(CA) you that you hunt me down?^{(CB) 37} Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(CC) Put it here in front of your relatives^(CD) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(CE)

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(CF) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(CG) 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^(CH) by day or night.^{(CI) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(CJ) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(CK) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(CL) and six years for your flocks,^(CM) and you changed my wages^(CN) ten times.^{(CO) 42} If the God of my father,^(CP) the God of Abraham^(CQ) and the Fear of Isaac,^(CR) had not been with me,^(CS) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(CT) and last night he rebuked you.^(CU)”

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(CV) 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,^(CW) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”^(CX)

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^{(CY) 46} He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(CZ) and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[b](DA)

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap^(DB) is a witness between you and me today.”^(DC) That is why it was called Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah,^[c](DD) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat^(DE) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(DF) between you and me.”^(DG)

⁵¹ Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,^(DH) and here is this pillar^(DI) I have set up between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,^(DJ) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap^(DK) and pillar to my side to harm me.^{(DL) 53} May the God of Abraham^(DM) and the God of Nahor,^(DN) the God of their father, judge between us.”^(DO)

So Jacob took an oath^(DP) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.^{(DQ) 54} He offered a sacrifice^(DR) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.^(DS) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

⁵⁵ Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters^(DT) and blessed^(DU) them. Then he left and returned home.^[d](DV)