Gênesis 31

Og Jakob læste i Labans Ansigt, at han ikke var sindet mod ham som tidligere.

Så sendte Jakob Bud og lod Rakel og Lea kalde ud på Marken til sin Hjord;

og I ved jo selv, at jeg har tjent eders Fader af al min Kraft,

medens eders Fader har bedraget mig og forandret min Løn ti Gange; men Gud tilstedte ham ikke at gøre mig Skade;

sagde han, at de spættede Dyr skulde være min Løn, så fødte hele Hjorden spættet Afkom, og sagde han, at de stribede skulde være min Løn, så fødte hele Hjorden stribet Afkom.

Således tog Gud Hjordene fra eders Fader og gav mig dem.

Og ved den Tid Dyrene parrede sig, så jeg i Drømme, at Bukkene, der sprang, var stribede, spættede og brogede

og Guds Engel sagde til mig i Drømme: Jakob! Jeg svarede: Se, her er jeg!

Da sagde han: Løft dit Blik og se, hvorledes alle Bukkene, der springer, er stribede, spættede og brogede, thi jeg har set alt, hvad Laban har gjort imod dig.

Har han ikke regnet os for fremmede Kvinder, siden han solgte os og selv brugte de Penge, han fik for os?

Så satte Jakob sine Børn og sine Hustruer på Kamelerne

og tog alt sit Kvæg med sig, og al den Ejendom, han havde samlet sig, det Kvæg, han ejede og havde samlet sig i Paddan-Aram, for at drage til sin Fader Isak i Kana'ans, Land.

Medens Laban var borte og klippede sine Får, stjal Rakel sin Faders Husgud.

Og Jakob narrede Aramæeren Laban, idet han ikke lod ham mærke, at han vilde flygte;

og han flygtede med alt, hvad han ejede; han brød op og satte over Floden og vandrede ad Gileads Bjerge til.

Tredjedagen fik Laban Melding om, at Jakob var flygtet;

han tog da sine Frænder med sig, satte efter ham så langt som syv Dagsrejser og indhentede ham: i Gileads Bjerge

Da Laban traf Jakob havde han opslået sit Telt på Bjerget. Laban med sine Frænder sit i Gileads Bjerge

Hvorfor har du holdt din Flugt hemmelig og narret mig og ikke meddelt mig det; så jeg kunde tage Afsked med dig med Lystighed og Sang, med Håndpauker og Harper?

Du lod mig ikke kysse mine Sønner og Døtre - sandelig, det var dårligt gjort af dig!

Det stod nu i min Magt at handle ilde med dig; men din Faders Gud sagde til mig i Nat: Vogt dig vel for at sige så meget som et ondt Ord til Jakob!

Laban gik nu ind og ledte i Jakobs, i Leas og i de to Tjenestekvinders Telte men fandt intet; og fra Leas gik han, til Rakels, Telt.

Men Rakel havde taget Husguden og lagt den i Kamelsadlen og sat sig på den. Da Laban nu havde gennemsøgt hele Teltet og intet fundet,

Du har jo nu gennemsøgt alle mine Ting! Hvad har du fundet af alle dine Sager? Læg det frem for mine Frænder og dine Frænder, at de kan dømme os to imellem!

I de tyve År, jeg har været hos dig, fødte dine Får og Geder ikke i Utide, din Hjords Vædre fortærede jeg ikke,

det sønderrevne bragte jeg dig ikke, men erstattede det selv; af min Hånd krævede du, hvad der blev stjålet både om Dagen og om Natten;

om Dagen fortærede Heden mig, om Natten Kulden, og mine Øjne kendte ikke til Søvn.

I tyve År har jeg tjent dig i dit Hus, fjorten År for dine to Døtre og seks År for dit Småkvæg, og ti Gange har du forandret min Løn.

Så tog Jakob en Sten og rejste den som en Støtte;

Laban kaldte den Jegar-Sahaduta, og Jakob kaldte den Galed.

Vidne er denne Dysse, og Vidne er denne Støtte på, at jeg ikke i fjendtlig Hensigt vil gå forbi denne Dysse ind til dig, og at du heller ikke vil gå forbi den ind til mig;

og derpå holdt Jakob Offerslagtning på Bjerget og indbød sine Frænder til Måltid; og de holdt Måltid og blev på Bjerget Natten over.

Tidligt næste Morgen kyssede Laban sine Sønner og Døtre, velsignede dem og drog bort; og Laban vendte tilbage til sin Hjemstavn,

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.

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it {was} not toward him as before. {as before: Heb. as yesterday and the day before}

And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

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.

And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

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.

Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given {them} to me.

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. {rams: or, he goats}

And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, {saying}, Jacob: And I said, Here {am} I.

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.

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.

And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, {Is there} yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

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.

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

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.

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that {were} her father's. {images: Heb. teraphim}

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. {unawares...: Heb. the heart of Laban}

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.

And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

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. {either...: Heb. from good to bad}

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

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?

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? {steal...: Heb. hast stolen me}

And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in {so} doing.

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.

And now, {though} thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, {yet} wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

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.

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.

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. {searched: Heb. felt}

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.

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?

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. {searched: Heb. felt}

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.

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.

{Thus} I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

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.

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.

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?

Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up {for} a pillar.

And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. {Jegarsahadutha: that is, The heap of witness, Chaldee} {Galeed: that is, The heap of witness, Heb.}

And Laban said, This heap {is} a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. {Mizpah: that is, A beacon, or, watchtower}

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.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold {this} pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

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.

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.

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. {offered...: or, killed beasts}

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.