31

Jacob Flees from Laban

¹Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this ⚓wealth.” ²And Jacob saw the ⚓countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not ⚓favorable toward him as before. ³Then the Lord said to Jacob, ⚓“Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will ⚓be with you.”
⁴So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, ⁵and said to them, ⚓“I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father ⚓has been with me. ⁶And ⚓you know that with all my might I have served your father. ⁷Yet your father has deceived me and ⚓changed my wages ⚓ten times, but God ⚓did not allow him to hurt me. ⁸If 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. ⁹So God has ⚓taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
¹⁰“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. ¹¹Then ⚓the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ ¹²And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for ⚓I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. ¹³I am the God of Bethel, ⚓where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now ⚓arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ”
¹⁴Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, ⚓“Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? ¹⁵Are we not considered strangers by him? For ⚓he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. ¹⁶For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
¹⁷Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. ¹⁸And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of ⚓Canaan. ¹⁹Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the ⚓household idols that were her father’s. ²⁰And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. ²¹So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and ⚓headed toward the mountains of Gilead.

Laban Pursues Jacob

²²And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. ²³Then he took ⚓his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. ²⁴But God ⚓had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you ⚓speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”
²⁵So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.
²⁶And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and ⚓carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? ²⁷Why 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? ²⁸And you did not allow me ⚓to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now ⚓you have done foolishly in so doing. ²⁹It is in my power to do you harm, but the ⚓God of your father spoke to me ⚓last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ ³⁰And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you ⚓steal my gods?”
³¹Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was ⚓afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ ³²With 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.
³³And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them. ³⁵And she said to her father, “Let it not displease 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.
³⁶Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? ³⁷Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! ³⁸These 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. ⁴⁰There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. ⁴¹Thus 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-handed. ⚓God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and ⚓rebuked you last night.”

Laban’s Covenant with Jacob

⁴³And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; 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? ⁴⁴Now therefore, come, ⚓let us make a covenant, ⚓you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”
⁴⁵So Jacob ⚓took a stone and set it up as a pillar. ⁴⁶Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. ⁴⁷Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. ⁴⁸And Laban said, ⚓“This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, ⁴⁹also ⚓Mizpah, because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. ⁵⁰If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”
⁵¹Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. ⁵²This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. ⁵³The 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. ⁵⁴Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. ⁵⁵And early in the morning Laban arose, and ⚓kissed his sons and daughters and ⚓blessed them. Then Laban departed and ⚓returned to his place.

31

Yakhauj khiav ntawm Lanpas

¹Yakhauj hnov hais tias Lanpas cov tub yws yws tias, “Yakhauj txeeb peb txiv cuab txhiaj cuab tam ib puas tsav yam tag lawm, thiab tej uas nws muaj ntawd puavleej yog tau peb txiv li xwb.” ²Yakhauj pom tias Lanpas tsis txaus siab rau nws tsis thooj li yav thaum ub lawm. ³Yawmsaub txawm hais rau Yakhauj tias, “Cia li rov qab mus nyob koj tej poj koob yawm txwv lub tebchaws mus nrog koj kw koj tig nyob. Kuv yuav nrog nraim koj.”
⁴Yakhauj thiaj txib neeg mus hu Lachee thiab Le‑a tuaj tom tshav zaub uas nws yug yaj yug tshis. ⁵Mas nws hais rau ob tug tias, “Kuv pom tias neb txiv tsis txaus siab rau kuv tsis thooj li yav thaum ub lawm. Tiamsis kuv txiv tus Vajtswv yeej nrog nraim kuv nyob. ⁶Neb yeej paub tias kuv ua neb txiv li haujlwm kawg dag kawg zog li, ⁷los neb txiv tseem ntxias kuv, txauv kuv nqe zog kaum zaus lawm. Tiamsis Vajtswv tsis kheev nws ua tau ib yam phem li cas rau kuv. ⁸Txiv hais tias tej tsiaj uas txaij ua tej teev mas muab ua nqe zog rau kuv, ces txhua tus tsiaj txawm xya menyuam txaij ua tej teev tag li. Txiv ho hais tias tej tsiaj uas txaij ua tej kab mas muab ua nqe zog rau kuv ces txhua tus tsiaj txawm xya menyuam txaij ua tej kab tag huvsi. ⁹Tej no yeej yog Vajtswv rho koj txiv tej tsiaj los pub rau kuv ntag. ¹⁰Thaum lub caij uas tej tsiaj txhu tshov kuv ua npau suav pom tias tej txiv tshis uas tshov pab tshis ntawd ib txhia txaij ua tej kab ib txhia txaij ua tej teev ib txhia txheeb. ¹¹Vajtswv tus tubtxib txawm hais rau kuv hauv zaj npau suav ntawd hais tias, ‘Yakhauj.’ Kuv teb tias, ‘Hav, kuv nyob no 'os.’ ¹²Nws hais tias, ‘Tsa muag ntsia txhua tus txiv tshis uas tshov pab tshis ntawd ib txhia txaij ua tej kab ib txhia txaij ua tej teev thiab ib txhia txheeb, rau qhov kuv twb pom txhua yam uas Lanpas ua rau koj lawm. ¹³Kuv yog tus Vajtswv ntawm Npe‑ee uas koj muab roj hliv ywg tus ncej zeb txhos cia thiab koj tau cog lus tseg rau kuv. Nimno koj cia li sawv tsees tawm hauv lub tebchaws no rov qab mus nyob rau lub tebchaws uas yug koj.’ ”
¹⁴Lachee thiab Le‑a ob tug teb tias, “Wb ciav tsis muaj feem tau wb txiv tej qub txeeg qub teg. ¹⁵Txiv kuj muab wb saib yam li yog lwm haiv neeg thiab xwb. Txiv twb muab wb muag thiab muab wb nqe noj tag. ¹⁶Ib puas tsav yam nplua mias uas Vajtswv rho ntawm txiv los ntawd yeej yog peb li thiab peb tej menyuam li. Nimno Vajtswv hais kom koj ua li cas kuj ua raws li ntawd.”
¹⁷Ces Yakhauj txawm sawv tsees muab nws tej pojniam menyuam caij ntxhuav, ¹⁸thiab raws nws tej tsiaj txhu huvsi ua nws ntej mus, yog tej qhov txhia chaw huvsi thiab nws tej tsiaj txhu uas nws tau hauv lub tebchaws Pada Alas rov qab mus rau nws txiv Yiha rau hauv tebchaws Khana‑as. ¹⁹Lub sijhawm ntawd Lanpas mus txiav plaub yaj lawm ces Lachee cia li nyiag kiag nws txiv cov dab mlom uas teev hauv tsev coj mus. ²⁰Yakhauj kuj dag Lanpas uas yog neeg Alas, Yakhauj tsis qhia rau Lanpas paub tias nws yuav khiav li. ²¹Yakhauj txawm coj ib puas tsav yam qhov txhia chaw tag nrho khiav mus hla tus dej Yufeti ncaj nraim mus rau pem toj siab Kile‑a tebchaws.

Lanpas caum Yakhauj qab

²²Twb tau peb hnub lawm li muaj neeg mus hais rau Lanpas paub tias Yakhauj khiav lawm. ²³Lanpas thiaj coj kwvtij caum qab tau xya hnub li caum cuag Yakhauj pem tej toj roob Kile‑a tebchaws. ²⁴Mas thaum hmo ntuj Vajtswv los hais rau Lanpas uas yog neeg Alas hauv npau suav hais tias, “Koj ceev faj zoo zoo tsis txhob mus hais dabtsi rau Yakhauj li, txawm yog lus zoo lus phem los tsis txhob hais li.”
²⁵Yakhauj mus tsa tsev ntaub tsuam chaw so rau pem toj siab Kile‑a tebchaws mas Lanpas kuj caum cuag Yakhauj. Lanpas thiab nws cov kwvtij kuj tsuam chaw so rau ntawd thiab. ²⁶Lanpas hais rau Yakhauj tias, “Koj ua dabtsi li no? Koj dag tau kuv lawm. Koj coj kuv tej ntxhais khiav yam nkaus li koj mus ntaus rog yeej es koj txeeb tau los. ²⁷Ua cas koj nyiag kev khiav kuv li no thiab dag kuv tsis qhia kuv paub li? Yog kuv paub, kuv tseem yuav pab xa koj ua xyiv fab hlo, tseem yuav hu nkauj nrov seev yees thiab yuav npuaj nruas ntaus nkauj nog ncas xa koj thiab los sas. ²⁸Ua li cas koj tsis kheev kuv nwj xa kuv tej tub tej ntxhais mus? Koj ua ruam kawg li. ²⁹Kuv yeej muaj peevxwm ua phem tau rau nej. Tiamsis yog nag hmo nej txiv tus Vajtswv hais rau kuv tias, ‘Koj ceev faj zoo zoo tsis txhob mus hais dabtsi rau Yakhauj li, txawm yog lus zoo lus phem los tsis txhob hais li.’ ³⁰Tej zaum qhov uas koj khiav yog koj nco txog vaj tse niam txiv heev, tiamsis ua cas koj tseem nyiag kuv tej dab mlom los lawm thiab nawj?” ³¹Yakhauj teb Lanpas hais tias, “Kuv ntshai vim kuv xav tias tsam koj ho txeeb kiag koj tej ntxhais rov qab. ³²Yog koj pom koj tej dab mlom nyob hauv leejtwg tes ces tsis txhob tseg tus ntawd siav li. Txwm kav xawb tab meeg hauv peb cov kwvtij neej tsa, yog pom ib yam dabtsi uas yog koj li nyob ntawm kuv kuj cia li coj mus.” Yakhauj tsis paub tias Lachee twb nyiag tej dab mlom ntawd los.
³³Lanpas txawm nkag rau hauv Yakhauj lub tsev ntaub thiab mus rau hauv Le‑a lub tsev ntaub thiab mus rau hauv ob tug nkauj qhev lub tsev ntaub los kuj tsis pom. Nws txawm tawm hauv Le‑a lub tsev ntaub mus nkag rau hauv Lachee lub tsev ntaub. ³⁴Tiamsis Lachee twb muab tej dab mlom ntawd coj mus zais rau hauv lub eeb ntxhuav nws txawm zaum saud lawm. Mas Lanpas mus tshawb nrhiav txhua zog hauv Lachee lub tsev ntaub los kuj tsis pom li. ³⁵Lachee txawm hais rau leej txiv hais tias, “Thov txiv tsis txhob chim siab. Kuv cev tsis huv kuv thiaj sawv tsis tau los fim txiv.” Ces Lanpas xawb tag los tsis pom nws tej dab mlom li.
³⁶Yakhauj txawm chim heev nws thiaj cem Lanpas tias, “Kuv ua txhaum li cas? Kuv muaj txim li cas es koj yuav siv zog caum kuv qab ua luaj li? ³⁷Txawm yog koj twb tshawb nrhiav hauv kuv tej nra huvsi lawm yog koj pom muaj dabtsi uas yog koj li? Cia li muab los txawb kiag rau ntawm no tab meeg peb cov kwvtij neej tsa ob tog es cia lawv txiav cai rau wb ob tog. ³⁸Kuv nrog koj nyob tau nees nkaum xyoo lawm. Koj tej yaj tej tshis tsis muaj ib tug ho menyuam li, thiab koj tej txiv yaj kuv tsis tau noj ib tug li. ³⁹Tej uas tsiaj qus tom lawd kuv kuj tsis coj los rau koj, kuv tseem nrhiav kuv los ntxiv rau xwb. Tej uas tub sab nyiag tsis hais nyiag nruab hnub nyiag hmo ntuj koj kuj muab xam huvsi rau kuv them. ⁴⁰Kuv lub neej yeej zoo li no, nruab hnub kuv kuj tiv tshav ntuj kub hmo ntuj kuv kuj tiv no kuv twb pw tsis tsaug zog li. ⁴¹Kuv nrog koj tsev neeg nyob li no tau nees nkaum xyoo. Kuv ua koj zog kaum plaub xyoo yuav koj ob tug ntxhais thiab kuv ua koj zog rau xyoo yuav koj tej tsiaj txhu los koj tseem txauv kuv nqe zog kaum zaus. ⁴²Yog kuv txiv tus Vajtswv uas yog Aplahas tus Vajtswv thiab yog tus uas kuv txiv Yiha hwm thiab ntshai, tsis tuaj kuv tog ces zaum no koj yeej yuav ua kom kuv mus tes dawb tes npliag xwb lauj. Yog Vajtswv pom kuv txojkev txom nyem lwj siab thiab pom tej haujlwm uas kuv ua, nag hmo Vajtswv thiaj li txwv koj.”
⁴³Lanpas txawm teb Yakhauj tias, “Tej ntxhais no los yog kuv ntxhais, tej menyuam no los yog kuv menyuam, tej niag pab tsiaj no los yog kuv li, ib puas tsav yam uas nyob ntawm koj xubntiag no puavleej yog kuv li. Hnub no sub kuv nim ua tau li cas rau kuv tej ntxhais thiab tej menyuam uas lawv yug? ⁴⁴Cia li txav los es wb sib cog lus cia xwv tej lus cog tseg ntawd thiaj ua tau timkhawv rau kuv thiab koj.” ⁴⁵Yakhauj txawm muab ib txhib zeb los txhos ua ib tug ncej. ⁴⁶Yakhauj hais rau nws cov kwvtij neej tsa tias “Khaws pob zeb los.” Lawv txawm khaws pob zeb los tib ua ib pawg. Ces lawv txawm noj ib tsum mov rau ntawm pawg pob zeb ntawd. ⁴⁷Lanpas tis npe rau pawg pob zeb ntawd hais tias Yeka Xahadutha hos Yakhauj ho tis npe hais tias Kale‑e.⚓ ⁴⁸Lanpas hais tias, “Hnub no pawg pob zeb no ua timkhawv rau koj thiab kuv.” Vim li no thiaj hu qhov chaw ntawd ua Kale‑e, ⁴⁹thiab hu ua Mixapa,⚓ rau qhov Lanpas hais tias, “Txawm yog wb ob tog sib ncaim lawm los thov Yawmsaub zov rawv wb ob tog. ⁵⁰Yog koj tsim txom kuv tej ntxhais lossis koj yuav dua niam yau, txawm yog tsis muaj leejtwg nrog wb ob tog nyob los koj nco ntsoov tias Vajtswv ua timkhawv rau koj thiab kuv.”
⁵¹Lanpas kuj hais rau Yakhauj tias, “Saib pawg pob zeb thiab tus ncej zeb uas wb muab txhos kem koj thiab kuv no nawj. ⁵²Pawg pob zeb no ua timkhawv thiab tus ncej zeb ua timkhawv hais tias kuv yuav tsis hla pawg pob zeb no tuaj ua phem rau koj, thiab koj yuav tsis hla pawg pob zeb thiab tus ncej zeb no tuaj ua phem rau kuv. ⁵³Cia Aplahas thiab Nahau ob tug tus Vajtswv uas yog ob tug txiv tus Vajtswv ua tus uas txiav cai rau wb.” Yakhauj kuj tuav tus Vajtswv uas nws txiv Yiha hwm thiab ntshai lub npe cog lus twv thiab. ⁵⁴Yakhauj txawm tua tsiaj xyeem saum lub roob ntawd, thiab hu nws tej kwvtij neej tsa sawvdaws los noj ib tsum mov ua ke. Lawv noj mov nyob ib hmos saum lub roob ntawd.
⁵⁵Lanpas sawv ntxov ntxov los nwj xa nws tej xeeb ntxwv thiab nws tej ntxhais mus thiab foom koob hmoov rau lawv tag ces nws txawm rov mus tsev lawm.