1 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were saying, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father."2 And Jacob noticed that Laban's attitude toward him was not what it had been.3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.5 He said to them, "I see that your father's attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.6 You know that I've worked for your father with all my strength,7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me.8 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,' then all the flocks bore streaked young.9 So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me.10 "In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted.11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I answered, 'Here I am.'12 And he said, 'Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.'"14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate?15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you."17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, "to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods.20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.21 So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too.26 Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You've deceived me, and you've carried off my daughters like captives in war.27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn't you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps?28 You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing.29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father's household. But why did you steal my gods?"31 Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. 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.33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah's tent, he entered Rachel's tent.34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel's saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.35 Rachel said to her father, "Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I'm having my period." So he searched but could not find the household gods.36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. "What is my crime?" he asked Laban. "How have I wronged you that you hunt me down?37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.38 "I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.39 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 by day or night.40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you."43 Laban answered Jacob, "The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne?44 Come now, let's make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us."45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.46 He said to his relatives, "Gather some stones." So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap.47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed. [^2]48 Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." That is why it was called Galeed.49 It was also called Mizpah, "because he said, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me."51 Laban also said to Jacob, "Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me.52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me.53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. [^4]

1 فسمع كلام بني لابان قائلين اخذ يعقوب كل ما كان لابينا. ومما لابينا صنع كل هذا المجد.2 ونظر يعقوب وجه لابان واذا هو ليس معه كامس واول من امس.3 وقال الرب ليعقوب ارجع الى ارض آبائك والى عشيرتك. فاكون معك4 فارسل يعقوب ودعا راحيل وليئة الى الحقل الى غنمه.5 وقال لهما انا ارى وجه ابيكما انه ليس نحوي كامس واول من امس. ولكن اله ابي كان معي.6 وانتما تعلمان اني بكل قوتي خدمت اباكما.7 واما ابوكما فغدر بي وغيّر اجرتي عشر مرات. لكن الله لم يسمح له ان يصنع بي شرا.8 ان قال هكذا. الرقط تكون اجرتك ولدت كل الغنم رقطا. وان قال هكذا. المخطّطة تكون اجرتك ولدت كل الغنم مخطّطة.9 فقد سلب الله مواشي ابيكما واعطاني.10 وحدث في وقت توحّم الغنم اني رفعت عينيّ ونظرت في حلم واذا الفحول الصاعدة على الغنم مخططة ورقطاء ومنمّرة.11 وقال لي ملاك الله في الحلم يا يعقوب. فقلت هانذا.12 فقال ارفع عينيك وانظر. جميع الفحول الصاعدة على الغنم مخطّطة ورقطاء ومنمّرة. لاني قد رأيت كل ما يصنع بك لابان.13 انا اله بيت ايل حيث مسحت عمودا. حيث نذرت لي نذرا. الآن قم اخرج من هذه الارض وارجع الى ارض ميلادك14 فاجابت راحيل وليئة وقالتا له ألنا ايضا نصيب وميراث في بيت ابينا.15 ألم نحسب منه اجنبيتين. لانه باعنا وقد اكل ايضا ثمننا.16 ان كل الغنى الذي سلبه الله من ابينا هو لنا ولاولادنا. فالآن كل ما قال لك الله افعل17 فقام يعقوب وحمل اولاده ونساءه على الجمال.18 وساق كل مواشيه وجميع مقتناه الذي كان قد اقتنى. مواشي اقتنائه التي اقتنى في فدّان ارام. ليجيء الى اسحق ابيه الى ارض كنعان.19 واما لابان فكان قد مضى ليجزّ غنمه. فسرقت راحيل اصنام ابيها.20 وخدع يعقوب قلب لابان الارامي. اذ لم يخبره بانه هارب.21 فهرب هو وكل ما كان له وقام وعبر النهر وجعل وجهه نحو جبل جلعاد22 فأخبر لابان في اليوم الثالث بان يعقوب قد هرب.23 فأخذ اخوته معه وسعى وراءه مسيرة سبعة ايام. فادركه في جبل جلعاد.24 وأتى الله الى لابان الارامي في حلم الليل. وقال له احترز من ان تكلم يعقوب بخير او شر.25 فلحق لابان يعقوب ويعقوب قد ضرب خيمته في الجبل. فضرب لابان مع اخوته في جبل جلعاد26 وقال لابان ليعقوب ماذا فعلت وقد خدعت قلبي وسقت بناتي كسبايا السيف.27 لماذا هربت خفية وخدعتني ولم تخبرني حتى اشيعك بالفرح والاغاني بالدف والعود.28 ولم تدعني اقبّل بني وبناتي. الآن بغباوة فعلت.29 في قدرة يدي ان اصنع بكم شرا. ولكن اله ابيكم كلمني البارحة قائلا احترز من ان تكلم يعقوب بخير او شر.30 والآن انت ذهبت لانك قد اشتقت الى بيت ابيك. ولكن لماذا سرقت آلهتي31 فاجاب يعقوب وقال للابان اني خفت لاني قلت لعلك تغتصب ابنتيك مني.32 الذي تجد آلهتك معه لا يعيش. قدام اخوتنا انظر ماذا معي وخذه لنفسك. ولم يكن يعقوب يعلم ان راحيل سرقتها33 فدخل لابان خباء يعقوب وخباء ليئة وخباء الجاريتين ولم يجد. وخرج من خباء ليئة ودخل خباء راحيل.34 وكانت راحيل قد اخذت الاصنام ووضعتها في حداجة الجمل وجلست عليها. فجسّ لابان كل الخباء ولم يجد.35 وقالت لابيها لا يغتظ سيدي اني لا استطيع ان اقوم امامك لان عليّ عادة النساء. ففتّش ولم يجد الاصنام36 فاغتاظ يعقوب وخاصم لابان واجاب يعقوب وقال للابان ما جرمي ما خطيتي حتى حميت ورائي.37 انك جسست جميع اثاثي. ماذا وجدت من جميع اثاث بيتك. ضعه ههنا قدام اخوتي واخوتك. فلينصفوا بيننا الاثنين.38 الآن عشرين سنة انا معك. نعاجك وعنازك لم تسقط. وكباش غنمك لم آكل.39 فريسة لم احضر اليك. انا كنت اخسرها. من يدي كنت تطلبها. مسروقة النهار او مسروقة الليل.40 كنت في النهار يأكلني الحرّ وفي الليل الجليد. وطار نومي من عينيّ.41 الآن لي عشرون سنة في بيتك. خدمتك اربع عشرة سنة بابنتيك وست سنين بغنمك. وقد غيّرت اجرتي عشر مرات.42 لولا ان اله ابي اله ابراهيم وهيبة اسحق كان معي لكنت الآن قد صرفتني فارغا. مشقّتي وتعب يديّ قد نظر الله فوبّخك البارحة43 فاجاب لابان وقال ليعقوب البنات بناتي والبنون بنيّ والغنم غنمي وكل ما انت ترى فهو لي. فبناتي ماذا اصنع بهنّ اليوم او باولادهنّ الذين ولدن.44 فالآن هلم نقطع عهدا انا وانت. فيكون شاهدا بيني وبينك45 فأخذ يعقوب حجرا واوقفه عمودا.46 وقال يعقوب لاخوته التقطوا حجارة. فاخذوا حجارة وعملوا رجمة واكلوا هناك على الرجمة.47 ودعاها لابان يجرسهدوثا. واما يعقوب فدعاها جلعيد.48 وقال لابان هذه الرجمة هي شاهدة بيني وبينك اليوم. لذلك دعي اسمها جلعيد.49 والمصفاة. لانه قال ليراقب الرب بيني وبينك حينما نتوارى بعضنا عن بعض.50 انك لا تذلّ بناتي ولا تأخذ نساء على بناتي. ليس انسان معنا. انظر. الله شاهد بيني وبينك.51 وقال لابان ليعقوب هوذا هذه الرجمة وهوذا العمود الذي وضعت بيني وبينك.52 شاهدة هذه الرجمة وشاهد العمود اني لا اتجاوز هذه الرجمة اليك وانك لا تتجاوز هذه الرجمة وهذا العمود اليّ للشرّ.53 اله ابراهيم وآلهة ناحور آلهة ابيهما يقضون بيننا. وحلف يعقوب بهيبة ابيه اسحق.54 وذبح يعقوب ذبيحة في الجبل ودعا اخوته ليأكلوا طعاما. فأكلوا طعاما وباتوا في الجبل55 ثم بكّر لابان صباحا وقبّل بنيه وبناته وباركهم ومضى. ورجع لابان الى مكانه