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 Tawm Ntawm Lanpas

¹Yakhauj hnov Lanpas cov tub hais tias, “Yakhauj tau muab txhua yam uas yog peb txiv li tug coj mus tas huv tibsi lawm. Nws muaj txiag npluanuj twb yog tau los ntawm peb txiv nkaus xwb.” ²Thiab nws paub hais tias, Lanpas tsis nrog nws sib raug zoo li ibtxwm muaj yav tas los lawm. ³Ces tus TSWV thiaj hais rau Yakhauj hais tias, “Koj cia li rov qab mus rau tim koj txiv thiab koj cov kwvtij lub tebchaws. Kuv yuav nrog nraim koj.”
⁴Yog li ntawd, Yakhauj thiaj tso neeg mus hais rau Laxees thiab Le-as, kom nkawd tuaj ntsib nws rau tom teb uas yog qhov chaw cov tsiaj nyob. ⁵Nws thiaj hais rau nkawd hais tias, “Kuv paub lawm hais tias, neb txiv tsis nrog kuv sib raug zoo li ibtxwm uas nws ua rau kuv los lawm, tiamsis kuv txiv tus Vajtswv yeej ibtxwm nrog nraim kuv. ⁶Neb yeej paub zoo lawm hais tias, kuv rau siab ntso ua haujlwm rau neb txiv kawg kuv lub dag lub zog li. ⁷Txawm yog kuv twb ua npaum li ntawd los nws tseem nyiag thiab hloov txo kuv tej nqi zog kaum zaus lawm. Tiamsis Vajtswv tsis pub nws ua phem rau kuv. ⁸Thaum uas Lanpas hais tias, ‘Muab cov tshis uas txaij tej teev ua nqi zog rau koj,’ ces cov tsiaj txawm yug tau menyuam txaij tagnrho. Thaum nws hais tias, ‘Muab cov tshis uas txaij tej kab ua nqi zog rau koj,’ ces cov tsiaj txawm yug tau menyuam txaij ua tej kab tagnrho. ⁹Vajtswv tau muab cov tsiaj ntawd tshem tawm ntawm neb txiv thiab coj los rau kuv.
¹⁰“Thaum txog caij uas cov tsiaj sib tshov kuv txawm ua ib zaj npau suav, kuv pom cov laug tshis uas tabtom ntaus maum ntawd yog cov txaij ua tej teev thiab txaij ua tej kab. ¹¹Vajtswv ib tug timtswv los hais rau kuv hauv zaj npau suav ntawd hais tias, ‘Yakhauj!’ Kuv teb hais tias, ‘kuv nyob ntawm no.’ ¹²Nws hais ntxiv tias, ‘Koj saib maj cov laug tshis uas tabtom ntaus maum ntawd puavleej yog cov txaij ua tej teev thiab txaij ua tej kab xwb. Kuv tabtom ua kom muaj tej no tshwmsim los rau qhov kuv pom tej uas Lanpas ua tsis zoo rau koj. ¹³Kuv yog tus Vajtswv uas los tshwm rau koj pom nram Npethees, ntawm thaj chaw uas koj muab lub pobzeb los teeb ua chaw nco txog uas koj muab roj txiv ntoo hliv rau saud ua khoom fij thiab yog thaj chaw uas koj coglus rau kuv ntag. Nimno koj cia li npaj kom txhij thiab rov qab mus rau nram lub tebchaws uas yug koj.’ ”
¹⁴Laxees thiab Le-as teb Yakhauj hais tias, “Wb yeej tsis tshuav ib yam qubtxeeg qubteg uas wb txiv tseg rau wb nyob hauv wb txiv tsev li lawm. ¹⁵Nws saib wb ib yam li yog neeg txawv tebchaws xwb. Nws muab wb muag, thiab nimno nws muab tej nyiaj uas yog wb tej nqi ntawd siv tas huv tibsi lawm. ¹⁶Txhua yam uas Vajtswv muab ntawm wb txiv los lawm, puavleej yog peb thiab peb tej menyuam tug lawm. Koj cia li ua raws li tus TSWV tau hais rau koj lawm.”
^17-18Yog li ntawd, Yakhauj thiaj sawbsim txhij thiab rov qab mus cuag nws txiv rau nram tebchaws Kana-as. Nws muab nws cov menyuam thiab nws ob tug pojniam tsaws caij saum cov ntxhuav nraubqaum, thiab tav tagnrho nws cov tsiaj mus ua nws ntej, thiab coj txhua yam uas nws khwv tau hauv tebchaws Mexuputamias los. ¹⁹Lanpas tabtom mus txiav plaub yaj lawm, ces thaum uas nws tsis nyob hauv tsev lawm, Laxees txawm mus nyiag tau nws txiv cov mlom zov tsev coj mus lawm. ²⁰Yakhauj nyiag kev khiav ntsiag to tsis qhia rau Lanpas paub hais tias nws khiav mus lawm. ²¹Yakhauj coj txhua yam uas yog nws tug thiab maj ceev nrooj mus hla tus Dej Efalates thiab taug kev mus rau tim lub laj roob Nkile-as lawm.

Lanpas Caum Yakhauj

²²Tau peb hnub tom qab muaj neeg mus qhia rau Lanpas paub hais tias, Yakhauj twb khiav lawm. ²³Nws thiaj txhij nws cov neeg nrog nws mus caum Yakhauj qab tau xya hnub, lawv thiaj caum cuag Yakhauj rau ntawm lub roob Nkile-as. ²⁴Hmo ntawd Vajtswv los hais rau Lanpas hauv nruab npau suav hais tias, “Koj ceevfaj tsis txhob mus thab Yakhauj hlo li.” ²⁵Yakhauj thiaj rub tsevntaub so saum laj roob, Lanpas thiab nws cov neeg kuj rub tsevntaub so rau saum lub laj roob Nkile-as ntawd thiab.
²⁶Lanpas hais rau Yakhauj hais tias, “Vim li cas koj nyiag kev khiav tawm ntawm kuv thiab coj kuv ob tug ntxhais khiav ib yam li tej pojniam uas luag ntes tau hauv tshavrog los? ²⁷Vim li cas koj ua lub siab dub nyiag kev khiav ntsiag to tsis qhia rau kuv paub? Yog koj qhia kuv paub, kuv yuav xa koj sawv kev los ntawm kev zoo siab nrog tej suab hu nkauj lomzem thiab nkauj nogncas. ²⁸Koj txawm tsis pub kuv nwj kuv cov xeebntxwv thiab kuv ob tug ntxhais ua kev sib ncaim li. Qhov uas koj ua tas los ntawd mas yog ruam kawg nkaus li! ²⁹Kuv muaj cuabkav yuav ua rau koj raug kev puastsuaj tau, tiamsis nag hmo koj txiv tus Vajtswv los txwv tsis pub kuv ua li cas rau koj hlo li. ³⁰Kuv paub qhov uas koj khiav, rau qhov koj maj rov qab mus txog tsev heev, tiamsis vim li cas koj nyiag kuv cov mlom los lawm thiab?”
³¹Yakhauj teb hais tias, “Rau qhov kuv ntshai nyob tsam koj coj koj ob tug ntxhais khiav tawm ntawm kuv mus, mas kuv thiaj tsis qhia rau koj. ³²Tiamsis yog koj nrhiav tau peb cov ntawm no leejtwg tau coj koj cov mlom los lawm, cia li muab tus ntawd tua povtseg. Peb cov neeg puavleej nyob ntawm no nrog ua timkhawv, tshawb txhua yam uas yog koj tug nqa huv tibsi rov qab mus.” Yakhauj tsis paub hais tias, Laxees yog tus nyiag Lanpas cov mlom ntawd los.
³³Lanpas thiaj mus tshawb hauv Yakhauj tej tsevntaub tas, ces nws mam mus tshawb hauv Le-as lub tsevntaub, thiab hauv ob tug ntxhais qhev ob lub tsevntaub, tiamsis nws nrhiav tsis tau nws cov mlom ntawd li. Ces nws mam mus tshawb hauv Laxees lub tsevntaub. ³⁴Laxees yeej tau muab cov mlom uas zov tsev ntawd thiab nws muab qhwv ntsaws rau hauv lub nra ntxhuav thiab nws zaum rawv saud. Lanpas mus tshawb thoob plaws hauv cov tsevntaub, tiamsis nws nrhiav tsis pom cov mlom ntawd li. ³⁵Laxees hais rau nws txiv tias, “Txiv, thov koj tsis txhob chim rau kuv, qhov uas kuv tsis muaj cuabkav los sawv ntawm koj xubntiag, twb yog kuv tabtom coj khaubncaws.” Lanpas nrhiav kawg tiamsis tsis pom nws cov mlom ntawd li.
³⁶Yakhauj chim heev tswj tsis tau nws lub siab li lawm. Nws thiaj nug npautaws yos hais tias, “Kuv tau ua txhaum koj dabtsi? Kuv tau ua txhaum txoj cai twg thiaj ua rau koj muaj cai tuaj caum kuv txog qhov no? ³⁷Nimno koj twb tshawb tas kuv tej khoom huv tibsi lawm, koj puas pom muaj ib yam khoom twg uas yog koj li? Cia li muab rho tawm los tso tabmeeg rau koj cov neeg thiab kuv cov neeg pom, thiab cia lawv txiav txim rau wb ob tug no saib leejtwg thiaj ua yog. ³⁸Kuv nrog koj nyob tau nees nkaum xyoo, ua rau koj tej yaj tej tshis huamvam tsis tu ncua, thiab kuv yeej tsis tau tua koj tej yaj ib tug noj li. ³⁹Thaum uas ib tug yaj twg raug tsiaj qus tom lawm, kuv yeej them tus ntawd huv tibsi rau koj. Kuv tsis tau coj los qhia rau koj rau qhov tsis yog tim kuv. Koj tseem yuam kom kuv them tej tsiaj uas tubsab nyiag nruab hnub thiab hmo ntuj lawm huv tibsi rau koj. ⁴⁰Ntau zaus kuv tiv tshav ntuj kub thaum nruab hnub thiab tiv no thaum tsaus ntuj. Kuv tsis tau zoo pw tsaug zog hlo li. ⁴¹Yeej zoo li no los tau nees nkaum xyoo uas kuv nrog koj nyob. Kuv ua haujlwm kaum plaub xyoo los pauv koj ob tug ntxhais, thiab rau xyoo los tu koj cov tsiaj nkaus xwb. Ua npaum li ntawd los koj tseem hloov thiab txo kuv tej nqi zog kaum zaus lawm. ⁴²Yog kuv txiv tus Vajtswv, Anplahas thiab Ixaj tus Vajtswv, tsis nrog kuv nyob, ces ntshai koj twb muab kuv xa rov qab tes dawb tes npliag lawm. Tiamsis Vajtswv pom kuv tej kev nyuaj siab thiab tej haujlwm uas kuv tau ua tas los lawm, nag hmo nws thiaj tau los txiav txim.”

Yakhauj thiab Lanpas Sib Hais Haum

⁴³Lanpas teb Yakhauj hais tias, “Ob tug ntxhais no yog kuv ob tug, nkawd cov menyuam los yeej yog kuv tug, thiab tej tsiaj no los puavleej yog kuv li. Txhua yam uas koj qhovmuag pom ntawm no puavleej yog kuv tug. Tiamsis hnub no kuv yuav ua li cas tav tau kuv ob tug ntxhais thiab nkawd cov menyuam kev, ⁴⁴kuv thiaj npaj siab yuav nrog koj sib hais kom haum xwb. Cia wb khaws pobzeb los teeb ua ib qhov chaw nco txog wb cov lus cog tseg no.”
⁴⁵Yog li ntawd, Yakhauj thiaj khaws tau ib cov pobzeb los teeb cia ua lub cim nco txog. ⁴⁶Yakhauj thiaj hais kom nws cov neeg mus khaws pobzeb los teeb ua ib pawg cia. Ces lawv txawm rau mov noj ua ke nyob ntawm pawg pobzeb ntawd ib sab. ⁴⁷Yog li ntawd, Lanpas thiaj tis npe rau pawg pobzeb ntawd hu ua Yenkas Xahaduthas, tiamsis Yakhauj tis npe rau pawg pobzeb ntawd hu ua Nkale-es. ⁴⁸Lanpas hais rau Yakhauj hais tias, “Pawg pobzeb no yuav ua lub cim nco txog wb tej lus cog tseg.” Twb yog vim li no thiaj tis npe rau thaj chaw ntawd hu ua Nkale-es. ⁴⁹Lanpas hais ntxiv tias, “Thov kom tus TSWV tsomkwm wb thaum wb sib ncaim ib leeg mus nyob rau ib qho lawm.” Yog li ntawd, thiaj muab thaj chaw ntawd tis npe hu ua Mixepas. ⁵⁰Lanpas tseem hais ntxiv tias, “Yog koj tsimtxom kuv ob tug ntxhais lossis mus yuav niamyau, txawm yog kuv tsis paub txog tej uas koj ua ntawd los xij, kom koj nco ntsoov hais tias Vajtswv yeej saib ntsoov wb ob leeg huv tibsi. ⁵¹Ntawm no yog cov pobzeb uas kuv sau los teeb nruab nrab ntawm koj thiab kuv, thiab ntawm no yog tus ncej zeb uas ua lub cim coglus tseg cia. ⁵²Pawg pobzeb thiab tus ncej zeb no, yog ua lub cim uas nco ntsoov cia. Kuv yuav tsis hla pawg pobzeb no tuaj tua koj, thiab koj yuav tsis hla pawg pobzeb no lossis tus ncej zeb uas yog lub cim nco txog no tuaj tua kuv li. ⁵³Cia Anplahas tus Vajtswv thiab Nahaus tus Vajtswv ua tus txiav txim rau wb ob leeg huv tibsi.” Ces Yakhauj thiaj tuav Vajtswv tus uas nws txiv Ixaj pehawm lub npe coglus tseg. ⁵⁴Yakhauj thiaj muab ib tug tsiaj los tua fij rau saum lub roob ntawd, thiab nws caw tagnrho nws cov neeg los noj. Tom qab uas lawv noj mov tas lawm, lawv tseem rov pw ib hmos saum lub roob ntawd ntxiv thiab. ⁵⁵Hnub tom qab thaum sawv ntxov Lanpas thiaj mus nwj nws cov xeebntxwv thiab nws ob tug ntxhais thiab foom koob hmoov rau lawv tas, ces nws txawm ncaim lawv rov qab mus tsev lawm.