International Standard Version

English Standard Version

1Now Jacob used to listen while Laban's sons kept on complaining, "Jacob has taken over everything our father owns! He made himself wealthy from what belongs to our father!"

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.”

2Jacob also noticed that the way Laban had been looking at him wasn't as nice as it had been just two days earlier.

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

3Then the LORD ordered Jacob, "Go back to your father's territory and to your relatives. I'll 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.”

4Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was

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

5and informed them, "I've noticed that the way your father has been looking at us hasn't been as nice as it was just two days ago. But my father's God 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 I've been serving your father with all my heart.

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

7Even so, your father has cheated me. He broke our wage agreement ten times. However, God didn't allow 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.

8"When Laban said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flock gave birth to speckled ones. Then when he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' all the flock gave birth to 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.

9"So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me.

9Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

10As it was, when it was time for the livestock to breed, I once looked up in a dream, and the male goats that were mating with the flock were producing streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring.

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.

11"Later, the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, 'Jacob.' "'Here I am,' I replied

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

12"'Look around!' he said. 'Go ahead, look! All the male goats have been mating with the flock, producing offspring that are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I've been watching everything 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, the place where you consecrated that stone and made a vow to me. Now get up, leave this territory, 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.’”

14Then Rachel and Leah asked him, "Do we have anything left of inheritance remaining 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?

15He's treating us like foreigners. He sold us and spent all of the money that rightfully belonged to us.

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

16Furthermore, all of the wealth that God has stripped away from our father belongs to us now and to our children. So do everything that God tells you to do."

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.”

17So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels,

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

18and drove all his livestock ahead of him, with everything that belonged to him, including the livestock that he had bought and accumulated in Paddan-aram, intending to deliver them to his father Isaac in the land of 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.

19Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father's personal idols.

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

20Moreover, Jacob had deceived Laban the Aramean, because he had never told him that he was intending to leave.

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

21Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river, and headed to 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.

22Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left,

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

23so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob 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.

24That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, "Be careful what you say to Jacob, whether it's one word 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.”

25Meanwhile, Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, where Laban had caught up with him. Laban and his relatives encamped on that same mountain in the hill country of Gilead, too.

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 asked Jacob, "What did you do? You deceived me, carried off my daughters like you would war captives,

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

27ran away from me secretly, and stole from me by not keeping me informed. Otherwise, I could have sent you off with a party and singing, accompanied by a band playing 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?

28As it is, you didn't even allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've acted foolishly.

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

29It's actually in my power to do some serious evil to you, but last night the God of your father told me, 'Be careful what you say to Jacob whether good or evil.'

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 can go if you must go, because you certainly are longing to go to your father's house. But why did you steal 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 replied. "I thought you might take your daughters from me.

31Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

32Now as to your gods, if you find someone has them in their possession, he's a dead man. Take our relatives as witnesses, search through our belongings, and take whatever belongs to you that's in my possession." But Jacob didn't 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 entered Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn't find them. 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.

34Meanwhile, Rachel had taken the idols, placed them inside the saddle of her camel, and sat on them. Laban searched through the whole 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.

35Then Rachel told her father, "Sir, please don't be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It's that time of the month." So Laban searched for the idols, but never did 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.

36Then Jacob got angry and started an argument with Laban. "What have I done?" he demanded. "What's my crime that would cause you to come pursue me so violently?

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?

37Now that you've searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives and we'll let them judge between 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.

38Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I've been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from 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.

39and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the 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, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.

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

41I've lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you 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, the God whom Isaac feared—had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty handed. But God saw my misery and how hard I've worked with my own hands—and he rebuked you last night."

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 women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and 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, let's make a covenant just between you and me. 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 took a stone and raised it as a pillar.

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

46Then Jacob told his relatives, "Go gather some stones." So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones.

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

47Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.

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

48Then Laban said, "This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today." That's how the place came to be named 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 watch between you and me, when we are estranged 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 if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching us, keep in mind that God stands as 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.”

51"Look!" Laban added, "Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I've 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 stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm.

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 Abraham's God and Nahor's god judge between us." So Jacob made an oath by his father's Fear,

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,

54offered sacrifices there on the mountain, and called on his relatives to eat some food. So they ate the food and 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.

55 Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home.

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

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

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.