New American Standard Bible 1995

Berean Study Bible

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."

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.”

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

2And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and 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 and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,

4So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

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.

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.

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

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

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

7And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

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.

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.

9"Thus God has taken 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"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.

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

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

11In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

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.

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

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.’ ”

14Rachel and Leah said 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?

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

15Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.

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."

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.”

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

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

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.

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.

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

19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

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

20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

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.

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

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

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

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.

23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

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."

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 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.

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.

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

26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!

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;

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.

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

28But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

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.'

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.’

30"Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but 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?”

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

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

36Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?

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.

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"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.

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.

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.

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.

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

40As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

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.

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!

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."

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.”

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?

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?

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

44Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

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

45So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

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

46and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.

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

47Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.

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

49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

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."

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.”

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

51Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

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.

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.

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.

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 called his kinsmen to the meal; and 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 arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

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

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org

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