| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.” | 1Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father." |
| 2And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before. | 2And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been. |
| 3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.” | 3Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you." |
| 4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, | 4So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. |
| 5and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me. | 5He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. |
| 6And you know that with all my might I have served your father. | 6You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength, |
| 7Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me. | 7yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. |
| 8If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. | 8If 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,' then all the flocks bore streaked young. |
| 9So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. | 9So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me. |
| 10“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. | 10"In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. |
| 11Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ | 11The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.' |
| 12And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. | 12And he said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. |
| 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ” | 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'" |
| 14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? | 14Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate? |
| 15Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. | 15Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. |
| 16For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.” | 16Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you." |
| 17Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. | 17Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, |
| 18And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. | 18and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. |
| 19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. | 19When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods. |
| 20And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. | 20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. |
| 21So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. | 21So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. |
| 22And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. | 22On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. |
| 23Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. | 23Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. |
| 24But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” | 24Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad." |
| 25So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead. | 25Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. |
| 26And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? | 26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war. |
| 27Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? | 27Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? |
| 28And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. | 28You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. |
| 29It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ | 29I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.' |
| 30And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” | 30Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's household. But why did you steal my gods?" |
| 31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ | 31Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. |
| 32With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them. | 32But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. 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. |
| 33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. | 33So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent. |
| 34Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. | 34Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing. |
| 35And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols. | 35Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." So he searched but could not find the household gods. |
| 36Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? | 36Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. "What is my crime?" he asked Laban. "How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? |
| 37Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! | 37Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us. |
| 38These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. | 38"I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. |
| 39That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. | 39I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. |
| 40There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. | 40This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. |
| 41Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. | 41It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. |
| 42Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.” | 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you." |
| 43And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; 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? | 43Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? |
| 44Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.” | 44Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us." |
| 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. | 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. |
| 46Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. | 46He said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. |
| 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. | 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. |
| 48And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, | 48Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." That is why it was called Galeed. |
| 49also Mizpah, because he said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. | 49It was also called Mizpah, because he said, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. |
| 50If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!” | 50If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me." |
| 51Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. | 51Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. |
| 52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. | 52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. |
| 53The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. | 53May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. |
| 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. | 54He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there. |
| 55And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place. | 55Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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