1 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.
2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it
was not toward him as before.
3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy
fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto
his flock,
5 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.
6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 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.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given
them to me.
10 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.
11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob:
And I said, Here am I.
12 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.
13 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.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there
yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us,
and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 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.
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 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.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen
the images that were her father's.
20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that
he told him not that he fled.
21 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.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him
seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 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.
25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent
in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount
of Gilead.
26 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?
27 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?
28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?
thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
29 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.
30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou
sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou
stolen my gods?
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid:
for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters
from me.
32 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.
33 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.
34 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.
35 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.
36 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?
37 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.
38 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.
39 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.
40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost
by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41 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.
42 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.
43 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?
44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou;
and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they
took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the
heap.
47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee
this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another.
50 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.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this
pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:
52 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.
53 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.
54 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.
55 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.
Chapter 32
1 And Jacob went on his way,
and the angels of God met him.
2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and
he called the name of that place Mahanaim.
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto
the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my
lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with
Laban, and stayed there until now:
5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants:
and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy
sight.
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy
brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred
men with him.
7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided
the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and
the camels, into two bands;
8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then
the other company which is left shall escape.
9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my
father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy
country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all
the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with
my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two
bands.
11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from
the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite
me, and the mother with the children.
12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy
seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which
came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes,
and twenty rams,
15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten
bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every
drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before
me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother
meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither
goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a
present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind
us.
19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that
followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto
Esau, when ye find him.
20 And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind
us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth
before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he
will accept of me.
21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that
night in the company.
22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his
two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the
ford Jabbok.
23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent
over that he had.
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him
until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched
the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was
out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said,
I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but
Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men,
and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy
name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after
my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have
seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he
halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which
shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day:
because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew
that shrank.
Chapter 33
1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes,
and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred
men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel,
and unto the two handmaids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and
Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground
seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his
neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children;
and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children
which God hath graciously given thy servant.
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and
they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves:
and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met?
And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast
unto thyself.
10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace
in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore
I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God,
and thou wast pleased with me.
11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because
God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough.
And he urged him, and he took it.
12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and
I will go before thee.
13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are
tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and
if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and
I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before
me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my
lord unto Seir.
15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk
that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find
grace in the sight of my lord.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and
made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place
is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in
the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched
his tent before the city.
19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his
tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father,
for an hundred pieces of money.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it EleloheIsrael. |