| NET Bible | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Jacob heard that Laban's sons were complaining, "Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father! He has gotten rich at our father's expense!" | 1Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.” |
| 2When Jacob saw the look on Laban's face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. | 2And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed. |
| 3The LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you." | 3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” |
| 4So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah to come to the field where his flocks were. | 4So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were, |
| 5There he said to them, "I can tell that your father's attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me. | 5and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me. |
| 6You know that I've worked for your father as hard as I could, | 6You know that I have served your father with all my strength. |
| 7but your father has humiliated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. | 7And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me. |
| 8If he said, 'The speckled animals will be your wage,' then the entire flock gave birth to speckled offspring. But if he said, 'The streaked animals will be your wage,' then the entire flock gave birth to streaked offspring. | 8If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring. |
| 9In this way God has snatched away your father's livestock and given them to me. | 9Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. |
| 10"Once during breeding season I saw in a dream that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. | 10When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. |
| 11In the dream the angel of God said to me, 'Jacob!' 'Here I am!' I replied. | 11In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’ |
| 12Then he said, 'Observe that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, or spotted, for I have observed all that Laban has done to you. | 12‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you. |
| 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the sacred stone and made a vow to me. Now leave this land immediately and return to your native land.'" | 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’ ” |
| 14Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house? | 14And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house? |
| 15Hasn't he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted the money paid for us! | 15Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us. |
| 16Surely all the wealth that God snatched away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now do everything God has told you." | 16Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.” |
| 17So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. | 17Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels, |
| 18He took away all the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram and all his moveable property that he had accumulated. Then he set out toward the land of Canaan to return to his father Isaac. | 18and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan. |
| 19While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father. | 19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. |
| 20Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. | 20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away. |
| 21He left with all he owned. He quickly crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead. | 21So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. |
| 22Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. | 22On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled. |
| 23So he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days. He caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. | 23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. |
| 24But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, "Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob." | 24But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.” |
| 25Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. | 25Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well. |
| 26"What have you done?" Laban demanded of Jacob. "You've deceived me and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war! | 26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war! |
| 27Why did you run away secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps? | 27Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps. |
| 28You didn't even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren good-bye. You have acted foolishly! | 28But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing. |
| 29I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, 'Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.' | 29I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ |
| 30Now I understand that you have gone away because you longed desperately for your father's house. Yet why did you steal my gods?" | 30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?” |
| 31"I left secretly because I was afraid!" Jacob replied to Laban. "I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force. | 31“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. |
| 32Whoever has taken your gods will be put to death! In the presence of our relatives identify whatever is yours and take it." (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.) | 32If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols. |
| 33So Laban entered Jacob's tent, and Leah's tent, and the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find the idols. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's. | 33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. |
| 34(Now Rachel had taken the idols and put them inside her camel's saddle and sat on them.) Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them. | 34Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing. |
| 35Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord. I cannot stand up in your presence because I am having my period." So he searched thoroughly, but did not find the idols. | 35Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols. |
| 36Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. "What did I do wrong?" he demanded of Laban. "What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? | 36Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me? |
| 37When you searched through all my goods, did you find anything that belonged to you? Set it here before my relatives and yours, and let them settle the dispute between the two of us! | 37You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us. |
| 38"I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. | 38I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock. |
| 39Animals torn by wild beasts I never brought to you; I always absorbed the loss myself. You always made me pay for every missing animal, whether it was taken by day or at night. | 39I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night. |
| 40I was consumed by scorching heat during the day and by piercing cold at night, and I went without sleep. | 40As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. |
| 41This was my lot for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave for you--fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! | 41Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times! |
| 42If the God of my father--the God of Abraham, the one whom Isaac fears--had not been with me, you would certainly have sent me away empty-handed! But God saw how I was oppressed and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night." | 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.” |
| 43Laban replied to Jacob, "These women are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, and these flocks are my flocks. All that you see belongs to me. But how can I harm these daughters of mine today or the children to whom they have given birth? | 43But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne? |
| 44So now, come, let's make a formal agreement, you and I, and it will be proof that we have made peace." | 44Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.” |
| 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. | 45So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar, |
| 46Then he said to his relatives, "Gather stones." So they brought stones and put them in a pile. They ate there by the pile of stones. | 46and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate. |
| 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. | 47Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. |
| 48Laban said, "This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement today." That is why it was called Galeed. | 48Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed. |
| 49It was also called Mizpah because he said, "May the LORD watch between us when we are out of sight of one another. | 49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other. |
| 50If you mistreat my daughters or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, realize that God is witness to your actions." | 50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.” |
| 51"Here is this pile of stones and this pillar I have set up between me and you," Laban said to Jacob. | 51Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me. |
| 52"This pile of stones and the pillar are reminders that I will not pass beyond this pile to come to harm you and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to come to harm me. | 52This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me. |
| 53May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us." Jacob took an oath by the God whom his father Isaac feared. | 53May 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 the meal. They ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain. | 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain. |
| 55Early in the morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. | 55Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home. |
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