Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

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.”

1Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has gained all this wealth.”

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

2And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before.

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

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

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

4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was

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.

5and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.

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

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

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

7yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me.

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.

8If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped.

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

9Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father 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.

10In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled.

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

11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’

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.

12And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.

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.’ ”

13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’”

14And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house?

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

15Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money.

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.”

16All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

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

17So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels.

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.

18He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.

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

19Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

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

20And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee.

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

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

22On the third day Laban was informed 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 in the hill country of Gilead.

23he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead.

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.”

24But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

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.

25And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead.

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

26And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword?

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.

27Why did you flee secretly and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?

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

28And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly.

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.’

29It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

30And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”

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

31Jacob answered and said 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 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.

32Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now 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 maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left 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 did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s.

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.

34Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them.

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.

35And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.

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

36Then Jacob became angry and berated Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?

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.

37For 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 have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

38These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.

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.

39What was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you. I bore the loss of it myself. From my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

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

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

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!

41These 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 have changed my wages ten times.

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.”

42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

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?

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

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

44Come now, 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 pillar,

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

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

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

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

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

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

48Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed,

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

49and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight.

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.”

50If you oppress my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness 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.

51Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and 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.

52This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm.

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.

53The 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. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

54and Jacob offered a sacrifice in the hill country and called his kinsmen to eat bread. They ate bread and spent the night in the hill country.

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

55Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.