1 Now Jacob heard the words of Labans sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our fathers, and from what was our fathers he has acquired all this wealth.2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as before.3 And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.4 So Jacob sent and summoned Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock,5 and said to them, I see your fathers countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.6 And you know that with all my strength I have served your father.7 Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not allowed him to do evil to me.8 If he said thus: The speckled shall be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: The streaked shall be your wages, then all the flocks bore streaked.9 So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.10 And it happened, at the time when the flocks were in heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which mounted the flocks were streaked, speckled, and spotted.11 And the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob. And I said, Here am I.12 And He said, Lift up your eyes now and see, all the rams which mount the flocks are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you vowed a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your kindred.14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our fathers house?15 Are we not considered foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and also devoured and consumed our money.16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are ours and our sons. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.17 Then Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels.18 And he drove away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Paddan, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.19 And Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her fathers.20 And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he was fleeing.21 So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and set his face toward the mountains of Gilead.22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.23 And he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.24 And God come to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, Beware that you not speak to Jacob from good to evil.25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.26 And Laban said to Jacob: What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and led away my daughters like captives of the sword?27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.29 It is in the power of my hand to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Beware that you not speak to Jacob from good to evil.30 And now you have proceeded to depart because you have longed for your fathers house. But why have you stolen my gods?31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Lest you would take your daughters from me by force.32 With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you. For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.33 And Laban went into Jacobs tent, into Leahs tent, and into the two maidservants tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leahs tent and entered Rachels tent.34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camels saddle, and sat on them. And Laban groped all about the tent but did not find them.35 And she said to her father, Let it not burn in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me. And he searched but did not find the household idols.36 And Jacob was furious and complained to Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: What is my transgression? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?37 Although you have searched all my things, what of your household articles have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both!38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.39 That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.40 There I was: In the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and rebuked you last night.43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?44 Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and me, and let it be a witness between you and me.45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a monument.46 And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between you and me this day. Therefore its name was called Galeed;49 also, Mizpah; because he said, May Jehovah watch between you and me when we are hidden (being absent) one from another.50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us; consider that God is witness between you and me.51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap and this pillar, which I have cast between me and you:52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a testimony, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for evil.53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.54 And Jacob slaughtered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. And Laban departed and returned to his place.
1 Aftir that Jacob herde the wordis of the sones of Laban, that seiden, Jacob hath take awei alle thingis that weren oure fadris, and of his catel Jacob is maad riche, and noble.2 Also Jacob perseyuede the face of Laban, that it was not ayens hym as yistirdai, and the thridde dai agoon,3 moost for the Lord seide to hym, Turne ayen into the lond of thi fadris, and to thi generacioun, and Y shal be with thee.4 He sente, and clepide Rachel, and Lya, in to the feeld, where he kepte flockis, and he seide to hem,5 Y se the face of youre fadir, that it is not ayens me as `yisterdai and the thridde dai agoon; but God of my fadir was with me.6 And ye witen that with alle my strengthis Y seruede youre fadir;7 but and youre fadir disseyuyde me, and chaungide my meede ten sithis; and netheles God suffride not hym to anoye me.8 If he seide ony tyme, Dyuerse colourid sheep schulen be thi medis, alle sheep brouyten forth dyuerse colourid lambren; forsothe whanne he seide ayenward, Thou shalte take alle white for mede, alle the flockis brouyten forth white beestis;9 and God took a wey the substaunce of youre fadir, and yaf to me.10 For aftir that the tyme of conseyuyng of sheep cam, Y reiside myn iyen, and seiy in sleep malis dyuerse, and spotti, and of dyuerse colouris, stiynge on femalis.11 And the aungel of the Lord seide to me in sleep, Jacob! and Y answeride, Y am redy.12 Which seide, Reise thin iyen, and se alle malis dyuerse, byspreynt, and spotti, stiynge on femalis; for Y seiy alle thingis whiche Laban dide to thee;13 Y am God of Bethel, where thou anoyntidist a stoon, and madist auow to me. Now therefor rise thou, and go out of this lond, and turne ayen in to the lond of thi birthe.14 And Rachel and Lya answeriden, Wher we han ony thing residue in the catels, and eritage of oure fadir?15 Wher he `arettide not vs as aliens, and selde, and eet oure prijs?16 But God took awei the richessis of oure fadir, and yaf tho to vs, and to oure sones; wherfor do thou alle thingis whiche God hath comaundide to thee.17 Forsothe Jacob roos, and puttide hise fre children and wyues on camels, and yede forth;18 and he took al his catel, flockis, and what euer thing he hadde gete in Mesopotanye, and yede to Isaac, his fadir, into the lond of Canaan.19 In that tyme Laban yede to schere scheep, and Rachel stal the idols of hir fadir.20 And Jacob nolde knouleche to the fadir of his wijf, that he wolde fle;21 and whanne he hadde go, as wel he as alle thingis that weren of his riyt, and whanne he hadde passid the water, and he yede ayens the hil of Galaad,22 it was teld to Laban, in the thridde dai, that Jacob fledde.23 And Laban took his britheren, and pursuede hym seuene daies, and took hym in the hil of Galaad.24 And Laban seiy in sleep the Lord seiynge to him, Be war that thou speke not ony thing sharpli ayens Jacob.25 And thanne Jacob hadde stretchid forth the tabernacle in the hil; and whanne he hadde sued Jacob with his britheren, `he settide tente in the same hil of Galaad; and he seide to Jacob,26 Whi hast thou do so, that the while I wiste not thou woldist dryue awey my douytris as caitifs by swerd?27 Whi woldist thou fle the while Y wiste not, nether woldist shewe to me, that Y shulde sue thee with ioie, and songis, and tympans, and harpis?28 Thou suffridist not that Y schulde kisse my sones and douytris; thou hast wrouyt folili.29 And now sotheli myn hond mai yelde yuel to thee, but the God of thi fadir seide to me yisterdai, Be war that thou speke not ony harder thing with Jacob.30 Suppose, if thou coueitedist to go to thi kynesmen, and the hows of thi fadir was in desir to thee, whi hast thou stole my goddis?31 Jacob answeride, That Y yede forth while thou wistist not, Y dredde lest thou woldist take awey thi douytris violentli;32 sotheli that thou repreuest me of thefte, at whom euer thou fyndist thi goddis, be he slayn bifor oure britheren; seke thou, what euer thing of thine thou fyndist at me, and take awei. Jacob seide these thingis, and wiste not that Rachel stal the idols.33 And so Laban entride into the tabernacle of Jacob, and of Lya, and of euer eithir meyne, and foond not; and whanne Laban hadde entrid in to the tente of Rachel,34 sche hastide, and hidde the idols vndur the strewyngis of the camel, and sat aboue. And sche seide to Laban, sekynge al the tente and fyndynge no thing,35 My lord, be not wrooth that Y may not rise bifore thee, for it bifelde now to me bi the custom of wymmen; so the bisynesse of the sekere was scorned.36 And Jacob bolnyde, and seide with strijf, For what cause of me, and for what synne of me, hast thou come so fersly aftir me,37 and hast souyt al `the portenaunce of myn hous? What `hast thou founde of al the catel of thin hows? Putte thou here bifore my britheren and thi britheren, and deme thei betwixe me and thee.38 Was I with thee herfore twenti yeer? Thi sheep and geet weren not bareyn, Y eet not the rammes of thi flok,39 nether Y schewide to thee ony thing takun of a beeste; Y yeldide al harm; what euer thing perischide bi thefte, thou axidist of me;40 Y was angwischid in dai and nyyt with heete and frost, and sleep fledde fro myn iyen;41 so Y seruede thee bi twenti yeer in thin hows, fourtene yeer for thi douytris, and sixe yeer for thi flockis; and thou chaungidist my mede ten sithis.42 If God of my fadir Abraham, and the drede of Isaac hadde not helpid me, perauenture now thou haddist left me nakid; the Lord bihelde my turmentyng and the traueyl of myn hondis, and repreuyde thee yistirdai.43 Laban answeride hym, The douytris, and thi sones, and flockis, and alle thingis whiche thou seest, ben myne, what mai Y do to my sones, and to the sones of sones?44 Therfor come thou, and make we boond of pees, that it be witnessyng bitwixe me, and thee.45 And so Jacob took a stoon, and reiside it in to a signe, and seide to hise britheren,46 Brynge ye stoonus; whiche gadriden, and maden an heep, and eten on it.47 And Laban clepide it the heep of wittnesse, and Jacob clepide it the heep of witnessyng; euer eithir clepide bi the proprete of his langage.48 And Laban seide, This heep schal be witnesse bytwixe me and thee to day, and herfor the name therof was clepid Galaad, that is, the heep of witnesse.49 And Laban addide, The Lord biholde, and deme bitwixe vs, whanne we schulen go awei fro yow;50 if thou schalt turmente my douytris, and if thou schal brynge yn othere wyues on hem, noon is witnesse of oure word, outakun God, whiche is present, and biholdith.51 And eft he seide to Jacob, Lo! this heep, and stoon, whiche Y reiside bitwixe me and thee, schal be witnesse;52 sotheli this heep, and stoon be in to witnessyng, forsothe if Y schal passe it, and go to thee, ether thou shalt passe, and thenke yuel to me.53 God of Abraham, and God of Nachor, God of the fadir of hem, deme bitwixe vs. Therfor Jacob swoor by the drede of his fadir Ysaac;54 and whanne slayn sacrifices weren offrid in the hil, he clepyde his britheren to ete breed, and whanne thei hadden ete, thei dwelliden there.55 Forsothe Laban roos bi nyyt, and kisside his sones, and douytris, and blesside hem, and turnede ayen in to his place.