| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired 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 the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him 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 family, 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 to the field, to his flock, | 4So Jacob sent a message for Rachel and Leah to come to the field where his flocks were. |
| 5and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as 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. |
| 6And you know that with all my might I have served your father. | 6You know that I've worked for your father as hard as I could, |
| 7Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt 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 thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. | 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. |
| 9So 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. |
| 10“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. | 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 spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘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 your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; 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 the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ” | 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 still any portion or inheritance for 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 considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. | 15Hasn't he treated us like foreigners? He not only sold us, but completely wasted the money paid for us! |
| 16For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.” | 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." |
| 17Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. | 17So Jacob immediately put his children and his wives on the camels. |
| 18And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. | 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. |
| 19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s. | 19While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father. |
| 20And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. | 20Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was leaving. |
| 21So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead. | 21He left with all he owned. He quickly crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead. |
| 22And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. | 22Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. |
| 23Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains 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 had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor 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." |
| 25So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains 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 stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with 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 away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? | 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 you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing. | 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 that you speak to Jacob neither good nor 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 surely gone because you greatly long 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?" |
| 31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps 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. |
| 32With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For 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.) |
| 33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. | 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 idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched 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 it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols. | 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 was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so 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? |
| 37Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! | 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 their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. | 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. |
| 39That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, 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! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. | 40I was consumed by scorching heat during the day and by piercing cold at night, and I went without sleep. |
| 41Thus I have been in your house twenty years; 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! |
| 42Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen 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." |
| 43And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; 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? | 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? |
| 44Now therefore, come, 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. |
| 46Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on 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. |
| 48And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, | 48Laban said, "This pile of stones is a witness of our agreement today." That is why it was called Galeed. |
| 49also Mizpah, because he said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. | 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 afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man 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, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed 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 this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for 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, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And 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. |
| 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. | 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. |
| 55And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place. | 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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