Holman Christian Standard Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Now Jacob heard what Laban's sons were saying: "Jacob has taken all that was our father's and has built this wealth from what belonged to our father."

1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth."

2And Jacob saw from Laban's face that his attitude toward him was not the same.

2Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly.

3Then the LORD said to him, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you."

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

4Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the field where his flocks were.

4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,

5He said to them, "I can see from your father's face that his attitude toward me is not the same, but the God of my father has been with me.

5and said to them, "I see your father's attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me.

6You know that I've worked hard for your father

6"You know that I have served your father with all my strength.

7and that he has cheated me and changed my wages 10 times. But God has not let him harm me.

7"Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to hurt me.

8If he said, 'The spotted sheep will be your wages,' then all the sheep were born spotted. If he said, 'The streaked sheep will be your wages,' then all the sheep were born streaked.

8"If he spoke thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth speckled; and if he spoke thus, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock brought forth striped.

9God has taken away your father's herds and given them to me."

9"Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.

10When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.

10"And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled.

11In that dream the Angel of God said to me, 'Jacob!' and I said, 'Here I am.'

11"Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'

12And He said, 'Look up and see: all the males that are mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

12"He said, 'Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

13I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to Me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.'"

13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.'"

14Then Rachel and Leah answered him, "Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father's household?

14Rachel and Leah said to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house?

15Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? For he has sold us and has certainly spent our money.

15"Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price.

16In fact, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you."

16"Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you."

17Then Jacob got up and put his children and wives on the camels.

17Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels;

18He took all the livestock and possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, and he drove his herds to go to the land of his father Isaac in Canaan.

18and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.

19When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household idols.

19When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father's.

20And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, not telling him that he was fleeing.

20And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.

21He fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

21So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

22On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

22When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,

23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him at Mount Gilead.

23then he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days' journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. "Watch yourself!" God warned him. "Don't say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."

24God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad."

25When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his brothers also pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead.

25Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead.

26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war!

26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?

27Why did you secretly flee from me, deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and lyres,

27"Why did you flee secretly and deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre;

28but you didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly.

28and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

29I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me: 'Watch yourself. Don't say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'

29"It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.'

30Now you have gone off because you long for your father--but why have you stolen my gods?"

30"Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal my gods?"

31Jacob answered, "I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

31Then Jacob replied to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

32If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live! Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

32"The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our kinsmen point out what is yours among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33So Laban went into Jacob's tent, then Leah's tent, and then the tents of the two female slaves, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's.

33So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

34Now Rachel had taken Laban's household idols, put them in the saddlebag of the camel, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent but found nothing.

34Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel's saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them.

35She said to her father, "Sir, don't be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence; I am having my period." So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

35She said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols.

36Then Jacob became incensed and brought charges against Laban. "What is my crime?" he said to Laban. "What is my sin, that you have pursued me?

36Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, "What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me?

37You've searched all my possessions! Have you found anything of yours? Put it here before my relatives and yours, and let them decide between the two of us.

37"Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.

38I've been with you these 20 years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock.

38"These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

39I did not bring you any of the flock torn by wild beasts; I myself bore the loss. You demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or by night.

39"That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40There I was--the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

40"Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

41For 20 years I have worked in your household--14 years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks--and you have changed my wages 10 times!

41"These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times.

42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and He issued His verdict last night."

42"If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He rendered judgment last night."

43Then Laban answered Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters; the sons, my sons; and the flocks, my flocks! Everything you see is mine! But what can I do today for these daughters of mine or for the children they have borne?

43Then Laban replied to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?

44Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I. Let it be a witness between the two of us."

44"So now come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me."

45So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker.

45Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

46Then Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound.

46Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.

47Laban named the mound Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.

47Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48Then Laban said, "This mound is a witness between you and me today." Therefore the place was called Galeed

48Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore it was named Galeed,

49and also Mizpah, for he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight.

49and Mizpah, for he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.

50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, though no one is with us, understand that God will be a witness between you and me."

50"If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, God is witness between you and me."

51Laban also said to Jacob, "Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me.

51Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between you and me.

52This mound is a witness and the marker is a witness that I will not pass beyond this mound to you, and you will not pass beyond this mound and this marker to do me harm.

52"This heap is a witness, and the pillar 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 pillar to me, for harm.

53The God of Abraham, and the gods of Nahor--the gods of their father--will judge between us." And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

53"The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. So they ate a meal and spent the night on the mountain.

54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his kinsmen to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain.

55Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home.

55Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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