| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 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.” | 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!" |
| 2And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. | 2When Jacob saw the look on Laban's face, he could tell his attitude toward him had changed. |
| 3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” | 3The LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives. I will be with you." |
| 4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was | 4So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah to come to the field where his flocks were. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 6You know that I have served your father with all my strength, | 6You know that I've worked for your father as hard as I could, |
| 7yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. | 7but your father has humiliated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not permitted him to do me any harm. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 9Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. | 9In this way God has snatched away your father's livestock and given them to me. |
| 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. | 10"Once during breeding season I saw in a dream that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted. |
| 11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ | 11In the dream the angel of God said to me, 'Jacob!' 'Here I am!' I replied. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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.’” | 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.'" |
| 14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house? | 14Then Rachel and Leah replied to him, "Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father's house? |
| 15Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. | 15Hasn't he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted the money paid for us! |
| 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.” | 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." |
| 17So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. | 17So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 19Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods. | 19While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father. |
| 20And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. | 20Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. |
| 21He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead. | 21He left with all he owned. He quickly crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead. |
| 22When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, | 22Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. |
| 23he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. | 23So he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days. He caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. |
| 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.” | 24But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, "Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob." |
| 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. | 25Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. |
| 26And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? | 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! |
| 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? | 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? |
| 28And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. | 28You didn't even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren good-bye. You have acted foolishly! |
| 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.’ | 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.' |
| 30And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?” | 30Now I understand that you have gone away because you longed desperately for your father's house. Yet why did you steal my gods?" |
| 31Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. | 31"I left secretly because I was afraid!" Jacob replied to Laban. "I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force. |
| 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. | 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.) |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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? | 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? |
| 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. | 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! |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 40There I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. | 40I was consumed by scorching heat during the day and by piercing cold at night, and I went without sleep. |
| 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. | 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! |
| 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.” | 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." |
| 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? | 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? |
| 44Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I. And let it be a witness between you and me.” | 44So now, come, let's make a formal agreement, you and I, and it will be proof that we have made peace." |
| 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. | 45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial pillar. |
| 46And Jacob said to his kinsmen, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. | 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. |
| 47Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. | 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. |
| 48Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he named it Galeed, | 48Laban said, "This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement today." That is why it was called Galeed. |
| 49and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between you and me, when we are out of one another’s sight. | 49It was also called Mizpah because he said, "May the LORD watch between us when we are out of sight of one another. |
| 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.” | 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." |
| 51Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and the pillar, which I have set 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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, | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 55Early in the morning Laban arose and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned home. | 55Early in the morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. |
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