And
he heard the words of Labans sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all
that was our fathers; and of that which was our
fathers 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 fathers
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 fathers 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 childrens: 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 fathers.
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 fathers 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 Jacobs tent, and into
Leahs tent, and into the two maidservants tents; but he found them
not. Then went he out of Leahs tent, and entered into Rachels tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in
the camels 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.