| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 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 what Laban's sons were saying: "Jacob has taken all that was our father's and has built this wealth from what belonged to our father." |
| 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 from Laban's face that his attitude toward him was not the same. |
| 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 him, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you." |
| 4Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was | 4Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the field where his flocks were. |
| 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. | 5He said to them, "I can see from your father's face that his attitude toward me is not the same, 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've worked hard for your father |
| 7Even so, your father has cheated me. He broke our wage agreement ten times. However, God didn't allow him to harm me. | 7and that he has cheated me and changed my wages 10 times. But God has not let him 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 sheep will be your wages,' then all the sheep were born spotted. If he said, 'The streaked sheep will be your wages,' then all the sheep were born streaked. |
| 9"So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me. | 9God has taken away your father's herds 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. | 10When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. |
| 11"Later, the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, 'Jacob.' "'Here I am,' I replied | 11In that dream the Angel of God said to me, '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, 'Look up and see: all the males that are mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been 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 poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to Me. Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.'" |
| 14Then Rachel and Leah asked him, "Do we have anything left of inheritance remaining in our father's house? | 14Then Rachel and Leah answered him, "Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father's household? |
| 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 outsiders? For he has sold us and has certainly spent 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." | 16In fact, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you." |
| 17So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels, | 17Then Jacob got up and put his children and wives on the 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 took all the livestock and possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, and he drove his herds to go to the land of his father Isaac in Canaan. |
| 19Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father's personal idols. | 19When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household idols. |
| 20Moreover, Jacob had deceived Laban the Aramean, because he had never told him that he was intending to leave. | 20And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, not telling him that he was fleeing. |
| 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 his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. |
| 22Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left, | 22On the third day Laban was told 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. | 23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him at Mount 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 at night. "Watch yourself!" God warned him. "Don't 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. | 25When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his brothers also pitched their 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, | 26Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war! |
| 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 secretly flee from me, deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and lyres, |
| 28As it is, you didn't even allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've acted foolishly. | 28but you didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted 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.' | 29I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me: 'Watch yourself. Don't 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?" | 30Now you have gone off because you long for your father--but why have you stolen my gods?" |
| 31"I was afraid," Jacob replied. "I thought you might take your daughters from me. | 31Jacob answered, "I was afraid, for I thought 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. | 32If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live! Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it." Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols. |
| 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, then Leah's tent, and then the tents of the two female slaves, but he found nothing. Then he left 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 Laban's household idols, put them in the saddlebag of the camel, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent but found nothing. |
| 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. | 35She said to her father, "Sir, don't be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence; I am having my period." So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols. |
| 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 incensed and brought charges against Laban. "What is my crime?" he said to Laban. "What is my sin, that you have 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! | 37You've searched all my possessions! Have you found anything of yours? Put it here before my relatives and yours, and let them decide between the two of us. |
| 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, | 38I've been with you these 20 years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock. |
| 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. | 39I did not bring you any of the flock torn by wild beasts; I myself bore the loss. You demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or 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--the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and 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. | 41For 20 years I have worked in your household--14 years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks--and you have changed my wages 10 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, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work, and He issued His verdict 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 Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters; the sons, my sons; and the flocks, my flocks! Everything you see is mine! But what can I do today for these daughters of mine or for the children 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's make a covenant, you and I. Let it be a witness between the two of us." |
| 45So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar. | 45So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker. |
| 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. | 46Then Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound. |
| 47Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed. | 47Laban named the mound Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named 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. | 48Then Laban said, "This mound is a witness between you and me today." Therefore the place was called 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 also Mizpah, for he said, "May the LORD watch between you and me when we are out of each other'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 mistreat my daughters or take other wives, though no one is with us, understand that God will be a 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. | 51Laban also said to Jacob, "Look at this mound and the marker I have set up 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 mound is a witness and the marker is a witness that I will not pass beyond this mound to you, and you will not pass beyond this mound and this marker to do me 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 gods of Nahor--the gods of their father--will judge between us." And 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. | 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. So they ate a meal and spent the night on the mountain. |
| 55 Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home. | 55Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home. |
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