1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath
taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our
father's hath he gotten all this glory.
2 And
Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not
toward him as before.
3 And
the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy
kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 And
Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 And
said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not
toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And
ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And
your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered
him not to hurt me.
8 If
he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare
speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all
the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus
God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to
me.
10 And
it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine
eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked,
speckled, and grisled.
11 And
the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And
he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the
cattle are ringstraked,
speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the
God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where
thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return
unto the land of thy kindred.
14 And
Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us
in our father's house?
15 Are
we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured
also our money.
16 For
all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours,
and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
17 Then
Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 And
he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the
cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his
father in the land of Canaan.
19 And
Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her
father's.
20 And
Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he
fled.
21 So
he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and
set his face toward the
mount Gilead.
22 And
it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And
he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and
they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 And
God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed
that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
25 Then
Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban
with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 And
Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares
to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with
the sword?
27 Wherefore
didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me,
that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and
with harp?
28 And
hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done
foolishly in so doing.
29 It
is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake
unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either
good or bad.
30 And
now, though thou
wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore
hast thou stolen my gods?
31 And
Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said,
Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
32 With
whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern
thou what is thine
with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that
Rachel had stolen them.
33 And
Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two
maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent,
and entered into Rachel's tent.
34 Now
Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat
upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
35 And
she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up
before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found
not the images.
36 And
Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban,
What is my
trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly
pursued after me?
37 Whereas
thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household
stuff? set it here
before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38 This
twenty years have I been with
thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy
flock have I not eaten.
39 That
which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the
loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed
me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus
have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two
daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten
times.
42 Except
the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with
me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and
the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
43 And
Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my
daughters, and these children are my
children, and these cattle are my
cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto
these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
44 Now
therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a
witness between me and thee.
45 And
Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And
Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an
heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
47 And
Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 And
Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this
day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
49 And
Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one
from another.
50 If
thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives
beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness
betwixt me and thee.
51 And
Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar,
which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 This
heap be witness,
and this pillar be witness,
that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over
this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
53 The
God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt
us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then
Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread:
and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
55 And
early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and
blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
