Jacob upon displeasure departeth secretly.

1 ¶ And he heardºª² the wordsº of Laban'sº sons,º saying,ºª Jacobº hath taken awayºª² all² that² [was] our father's;º and of [that] which²² [was] our father'sº hath he gottenºª² all² this² glory.º 2 And Jacobº beheldºª² the countenanceº of Laban,º and, behold,² it [was] not² toward² him as¹ before.º² 3 And the LORDº saidºª unto² Jacob,º Returnºª unto² the landº of thy fathers,º and to thy kindred;º and I will be² with² thee. 4 And Jacobº sentºª and calledºª Rachelº and Leahº to the fieldº unto² his flock,º 5 And saidºª unto them, I² seeºª² your father'sº countenance,º that² it [is] not² toward² me as¹ before;º² but the Godº of my fatherº hath beenºª with² me. 6 And yeº knowºª that² with all² my powerº I have servedºª² your father.º 7 And your fatherº hath deceivedºª me, and changedºª² my wagesº tenº times;º but Godº suffered² him¹ª not² to hurtºª² me.¹ 8 If² he saidºª thus,² The speckledº shall be² thy wages;º then all² the cattleº bareºª speckled:º and if² he saidºª thus,² The ringstrakedº shall be² thy hire;º then bareºª all² the cattleº ringstraked.º 9 Thus Godº hath taken awayºª² the cattleº of your father,º and givenºª [them] to me. 10 And it came to pass² at the timeº that the cattleº conceived,ºª that I lifted upºª mine eyes,º and sawºª in a dream,º and, behold,² the ramsº which leapedºª upon² the cattleº [were] ringstraked,º speckled,º and grisled.º 11 And the angelº of Godº spakeºª unto² me in a dream,º [saying], Jacob:º And I said,ºª Here² [am] I. 12 And he said,ºª Lift upºª now² thine eyes,º and see,ºª all² the ramsº which leapºª upon² the cattleº [are] ringstraked,º speckled,º and grisled:º for² I have seenºª² all² that² Labanº doethºª unto thee. 13 I² [am] the Godº of Bethel,º where²² thou anointedstºª the pillar,º [and] where²² thou vowedstºª a vowº unto me: now² arise,ºª get thee outºª from² this² land,º and returnºª unto² the landº of thy kindred.º 14 And Rachelº and Leahº answeredºª and saidºª unto him, [Is there] yet² any portionº or inheritanceº for us in our father'sº house?º 15 Are we not² countedºª of him strangers?º for² he hath soldºª us, and hath quite¹ª devouredºª also²² our money.º 16 For² all² the richesº which² Godº hath takenºª from our father,º² that² [is] ours, and our children's:º now² then, whatsoever²² Godº hath saidºª unto² thee, do.ºª

17 ¶ Then Jacobº rose up,ºª and setºª² his sonsº and his wivesº upon² camels;º 18 And he carried awayºª² all² his cattle,º and all² his goodsº which² he had gotten,ºª the cattleº of his getting,º which² he had gottenºª in Padanaram,º for to goºª to² Isaacº his fatherº in the landº of Canaan.º

Rachel stealeth her father's images.

19 And Labanº wentºª to shearºª² his sheep:º and Rachelº had stolenºª² the imagesº that² [were] her father's.º 20 And Jacobº stole awayºª² unawaresº to Labanº the Syrian,º in thatº he toldºª him notº that² he² fled.ºª 21 So he² fledºª with all² that² he had; and he rose up,ºª and passed overºª² the river,º and setºª² his faceº [toward] the mountº Gilead.º

Laban pursueth after Jacob,

22 And it was toldºª Labanº on the thirdº dayº that² Jacobº was fled.ºª 23 And he tookºª² his brethrenº with² him, and pursuedºª after² him¹ sevenº days'º journey;º and they overtookºª him in the mountº Gilead.º 24 And Godº cameºª to² Labanº the Syrianº in a dreamº by night,º and saidºª unto him, Take heedºª that² thou speakºª not toº Jacobº either goodº² orº bad.º

25 ¶ Then Labanº overtookºª² Jacob.º Now Jacobº had pitchedºª² his tentº in the mount:º and Labanº with² his brethrenº pitchedºª in the mountº of Gilead.º

and complaineth of the wrong.

26 And Labanº saidºª to Jacob,º What² hast thou done,ºª that thou hast stolen awayºª² unawaresº to me, and carried awayºª² my daughters,º as captivesºª [taken] with the sword?º 27 Wherefore² didst thou flee away¹ª² secretly,¹ª² and steal awayºª from me; and didst not² tellºª me, that I might have sent thee awayºª with mirth,º and with songs,º with tabret,º and with harp?º 28 And hast not² sufferedºª me to kissºª my sonsº and my daughters?º thou hast now² done foolishlyºª in [so] doing.ºª 29 It isº in the powerº of my handº to doºª you hurt:º but the Godº of your fatherº spakeºª unto² me yesternight,º saying,ºª Take thou heedºª that thou speak²² not¹ª to² Jacobº either goodº² or² bad.º 30 And now,² [though] thou wouldest needs¹ª be gone,ºª because² thou sore¹ª longedstºª after thy father'sº house,º [yet] wherefore² hast thou stolenºª² my gods?º 31 And Jacobº answeredºª and saidºª to Laban,º Because² I was afraid:ºª for² I said,ºª Peradventureº thou wouldest take by forceºª² thy daughtersº from²² me. 32 With² whomsoeverº thou findestºª² thy gods,º let him not² live:ºª beforeº our brethrenº discernºª thou what² [is] thine with² me, and takeºª [it] to thee. For Jacobº knewºª not² that² Rachelº had stolenºª them. 33 And Labanº wentºª into Jacob'sº tent,º and into Leah'sº tent,º and into the twoº maidservants'º tents;º but he foundºª [them] not.² Then went² he out¹ª of Leah's¹ tent,º²² and enteredºª into Rachel'sº tent.º

Rachel's policy to hide the images.

34 Now Rachelº had takenºª² the images,º and putºª them in the camel'sº furniture,º and satºª upon² them. And Labanº searchedºª² all² the tent,º but foundºª [them] not.² 35 And she saidºª to² her father,º Let it not² displeaseººª my lordº that² I cannotºª² rise upºª before²² thee;¹ for² the customº of womenº [is] upon me. And he searched,ºª but foundºª not²² the images.º

Jacob's complaint of Laban.

36 ¶ And Jacobº was wroth,ºª and chodeºª with Laban:º and Jacobº answeredºª and saidºª to Laban,º What² [is] my trespass?º what² [is] my sin,º that² thou hast so hotly pursuedºª after² me?¹ 37 Whereasº thou hast searchedºª² all² my stuff,º what² hast thou foundºª of all²² thy householdº stuff?º setºª [it] hereº before² my brethrenº and thy brethren,º that they may judgeºª betwixtº us both.º 38 This² twentyº yearsº [have] I² [been] with² thee; thy ewesº and thy she goatsº have not² cast their young,ºª and the ramsº of thy flockº have I not² eaten.ºª 39 That which was tornº [of beasts] I broughtºª not² unto² thee; I² bare the lossºª of it; of my handº² didst thou requireºª it, [whether] stolenºª by day,º or stolenºª by night.º 40 [Thus] I was;² in the dayº the droughtº consumedºª me, and the frostº by night;º and my sleepº departedºª from mine eyes.º² 41 Thus² have I been twentyº yearsº in thy house;º I served² thee¹ª fourteenºº yearsº for thy twoº daughters,º and sixº yearsº for thy cattle:º and thou hast changedºª² my wagesº tenº times.º 42 Exceptº the Godº of my father,º the Godº of Abraham,º and the fearº of Isaac,º had been² with me, surely² thou hadst sent me awayºª now² empty.º Godº hath seenºª² mine afflictionº and the labourº of my hands,º and rebukedºª [thee] yesternight.º

The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed.

43 ¶ And Labanº answeredºª and saidºª unto² Jacob,º [These] daughtersº [are] my daughters,º and [these] childrenº [are] my children,º and [these] cattleº [are] my cattle,º and all² that² thou² seestºª [is] mine: and what² can I doºª this dayº unto these² my daughters,º orº unto their childrenº which² they have born?ºª 44 Now² therefore come² thou,¹ª let us makeºª a covenant,º I² and thou;² and let it be² for a witnessº between² me and thee. 45 And Jacobº tookºª a stone,º and set it upºª [for] a pillar.º 46 And Jacobº saidºª unto his brethren,º Gatherºª stones;º and they tookºª stones,º and madeºª an heap:º and they did eatºª there² upon² the heap.º 47 And Labanº calledºª it Jegarsahadutha:º but Jacobº calledºª it Galeed.º 48 And Labanº said,ºª This² heapº [is] a witnessº between² me and thee this day.º Therefore²² was the nameº of it calledºª Galeed;º 49 And Mizpah;º forº he said,ºª The LORDº watchºª between² me and thee, when² we are absentºª oneº from another.º² 50 If² thou shalt afflictºª² my daughters,º or if² thou shalt takeºª [other] wivesº besideº my daughters,º no² manº [is] with² us; see,ºª Godº [is] witnessº betwixt² me and thee. 51 And Labanº saidºª to Jacob,º Behold² this² heap,º and behold² [this] pillar,º which² I have castºª betwixt² me and thee; 52 This² heapº [be] witness,º and [this] pillarº [be] witness,º that² I² will not² pass overºª² this² heapº to² thee, and that² thou² shalt not² pass overºª² this² heapº and this² pillarº unto² me, for harm.º 53 The Godº of Abraham,º and the Godº of Nahor,º the Godº of their father,º judgeºª betwixt² us. And Jacobº swareºª by the fearº of his fatherº Isaac.º 54 Then Jacobº offeredºª sacrificeº upon the mount,º and calledºª his brethrenº to eatºª bread:º and they did eatºª bread,º and tarried all nightºª in the mount.º 55 And early¹ª in the morningº Labanº rose up,ºª and kissedºª his sonsº and his daughters,º and blessedºª them: and Labanº departed,¹ª² and returnedºª unto his place.º