Study Desk

Jacob Flees From Laban

Jacob heard that Laban's sons^(a) were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father."^(b)

And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been.^(c)

Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Go back^(d) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."^(e)

So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.

He said to them, "I see that your father's^(f) attitude toward me is not what it was before,^(g) but the God of my father has been with me.^(h)

You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength,⁽ⁱ⁾

yet your father has cheated^(j) me by changing my wages^(k) ten times.^(l) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.^(m)

If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,'⁽ⁿ⁾ then all the flocks bore streaked young.

So God has taken away your father's livestock^(o) and has given them to me.^(p)

"In breeding season I once had a dream^(q) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted.

The angel of God^(r) said to me in the dream,^(s) ‘Jacob.' I answered, ‘Here I am.'^(t)

And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,^(u) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.^(v)

I am the God of Bethel,^(w) where you anointed a pillar^(x) and where you made a vow^(y) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.^(z)'"

Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share^(aa) in the inheritance of our father's estate?

Does he not regard us as foreigners?^(ab) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.^(ac)

Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.^(ad) So do whatever God has told you."

Then Jacob put his children and his wives^(ae) on camels,^(af)

and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated^(ag) in Paddan Aram,^[a](ah) to go to his father Isaac^(ai) in the land of Canaan.^(aj)

When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(ak) Rachel stole her father's household gods.^(al)

Moreover, Jacob deceived^(am) Laban the Aramean^(an) by not telling him he was running away.^(ao)

So he fled^(ap) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,^(aq) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.^(ar)

On the third day^(as) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^(at)

Taking his relatives^(au) with him^(av), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^(aw)

Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(ax) in a dream at night and said to him,^(ay) "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."^(az)

Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(ba) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too.

Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done?^(bb) You've deceived me,^(bc) and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war.^(bd)

Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me,^(be) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(bf) and harps?^(bg)

You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(bh) You have done a foolish thing.

I have the power to harm you;^(bi) but last night the God of your father^(bj) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'^(bk)

Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's household.^(bl) But why did you steal^(bm) my gods?^(bn)"

Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^(bo)

But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(bp) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it." Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(bq)

So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent^(br) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(bs) but he found nothing.^(bt) After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent.

Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(bu) and put them inside her camel's saddle^(bv) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(bw) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;^(bx) I'm having my period.^(by)" So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(bz)

Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. "What is my crime?" he asked Laban. "How have I wronged^(ca) you that you hunt me down?^(cb)

Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(cc) Put it here in front of your relatives^(cd) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(ce)

"I have been with you for twenty years now.^(cf) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(cg) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.

I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen^(ch) by day or night.^(ci)

This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^(cj)

It was like this for the twenty years^(ck) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(cl) and six years for your flocks,^(cm) and you changed my wages^(cn) ten times.^(co)

If the God of my father,^(cp) the God of Abraham^(cq) and the Fear of Isaac,^(cr) had not been with me,^(cs) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(ct) and last night he rebuked you.^(cu)"

Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(cv) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne?

Come now, let's make a covenant,^(cw) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us."^(cx)

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^(cy)

He said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(cz) and they ate there by the heap.

Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[b](da)

Laban said, "This heap^(db) is a witness between you and me today."^(dc) That is why it was called Galeed.

It was also called Mizpah,^[c](dd) because he said, "May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.

If you mistreat^(de) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(df) between you and me."^(dg)

Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this heap,^(dh) and here is this pillar^(di) I have set up between you and me.

This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,^(dj) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap^(dk) and pillar to my side to harm me.^(dl)

May the God of Abraham^(dm) and the God of Nahor,^(dn) the God of their father, judge between us."^(do) So Jacob took an oath^(dp) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.^(dq)

He offered a sacrifice^(dr) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.^(ds) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters^(dt) and blessed^(du) them. Then he left and returned home.^[d](dv)