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

Yaakopv Biaux Laa^mbaan

¹Yaakopv haiz gorngv Laa^mbaan nyei dorn ngopv. Ninh mbuo gorngv, “Yaakopv nzaeng nzengc aa die nyei jaa-dingh ga'naaiv. Ninh butv zoih daaih maaih nyei nyungc-nyungc se yiem mbuo nyei die daaih.” ²Yaakopv yaac zieqv duqv Laa^mbaan nyei eix leiz maiv hnangv zinh ndaangc wuov nor, pioux camv haic aqv.
³Ziouv gorngv mbuox Yaakopv, “Nzuonx meih nyei cien-ceqv nyei deic-bung wuov oc. Yie oix caux meih yiem.”
⁴Yaakopv ziouc bun waac mingh mbuox Laasen caux Le^aa daaih ninh nyei ba'gi yungh yiem nyei ciangv. ⁵Yaakopv gorngv mbuox ninh nyei auv mbuo, “Yie buatc meih nyei die nyei eix leiz caux yie maiv hnangv zinh ndaangc. Mv baac yie nyei die nyei Tin-Hungh caux yie yiem. ⁶Meih mbuo yaac hiuv duqv yie longc nzengc qaqv tengx meih mbuo nyei die zoux gong. ⁷Mv baac meih mbuo nyei die corc pienx yie. Ninh tiuv yie nyei gong-zinh duqv ziepc nzunc aqv. Mv baac Tin-Hungh maiv bun ninh zoux haaix nyungc hoic yie. ⁸Se gorngv ninh gorngv, ‘Yungh maaih diemv nyei oix zuqc funx meih nyei gong-zinh,’ yietc zungv yungh njiec dorn maaih diemv nyei hnangv. Se gorngv ninh gorngv, ‘Yungh ben oix zuqc funx meih nyei gong-zinh,’ ziangh guanh yungh ziouc kungx njiec dorn ben nyei hnangv. ⁹Hnangv naaic, Tin-Hungh zorqv meih nyei die nyei buonc saeng-kuv bun yie nzengc mi'aqv.
¹⁰“Yungh saeng nyei ziangh hoc, yie mbeix buatc tiux yungh nyeiz nyei yungh gouv, maaih deix ben nyei, maaih deix maaih diemv cou nyei, maaih deix maaih diemv muonc nyei. ¹¹Mbeix buatc jienv nyei ziangh hoc, Tin-Hungh nyei fin-mienh heuc yie, ‘Yaakopv aac.’ Yie dau, ‘Oeix! Yie yiem naaiv oc.’ ¹²Ninh gorngv, ‘Mangc gaax maah! Tiux yungh nyeiz nyei yietc zungv yungh gouv maaih deix ben nyei, maaih deix diemv muonc nyei, maaih deix diemv cou nyei, weic zuqc Laa^mbaan zoux bun meih nyei yietc zungv yie buatc nzengc. ¹³Yie se Tin-Hungh, dongh yiem Mbetc^en hinc cuotv bun meih buatc wuov dauh. Yiem Mbetc^en meih liepc norm la'bieiv don jienv ⟨dox youh⟩ fungx bun yie,⚓ yaac yiem wuov ⟨dox youh⟩ Mingh aqv. Ih zanc cuotv naaiv norm deic-bung nzuonx meih cuotv seix nyei deic-bung.’+”
¹⁴Laasen caux Le^aa dau Yaakopv, “Yie mbuo nyei die nyei jaa-dingh ih zanc zungv maiv maaih yie mbuo nzipc nyei buonc. ¹⁵Ninh zoux bun yie mbuo hnangv benx ganh fingx mienh nor. Ninh yaac maaic yie mbuo nyei m'nqorngv daaih yaac naqv nzengc mi'aqv. ¹⁶Tin-Hungh bun meih duqv yie mbuo nyei die nyei ga'naaiv se benx yie mbuo nyei yaac benx yie mbuo nyei fu'jueiv nyei. Ih zanc Tin-Hungh hnangv haaix nor mbuox meih, gunv hnangv wuov nor zoux.”
¹⁷Yaakopv ziouc mbenc ziangx ga'naaiv. Ninh bun ninh nyei auv-jueiv geh jienv lorh torh, ¹⁸yaac zunc jienv saeng-kuv mingh ndaangc. Aengx dorh jienv ninh yiem Batc^ndaan Aalam zornc duqv daaih nyei yietc zungv ga'naaiv cuotv jauv nzuonx Kaa^naa^an Deic-Bung, ninh nyei die, I^sakc, wuov.
¹⁹Wuov zanc Laa^mbaan cuotv mingh japv ninh nyei ba'gi yungh biei. Laasen bangc wuov norm ziangh hoc nimc ninh nyei die yiem biauv zaangc nyei miuc-fangx. ²⁰Yaakopv yaac nduov ninh nyei ong-daa, Aalam Mienh, Laa^mbaan, weic zuqc ninh bingx jienv biaux, maiv mbuox. ²¹Ninh dorh jienv ninh maaih nyei yietc zungv ga'naaiv biaux jiex ziqc Yu^fe^ditc Ndaaih, hungx jienv Gi^le^aatc nyei mbong-aiv dorngx mingh.

Laa^mbaan Zunc Yaakopv

²²Yaakopv biaux mingh duqv buo hnoi, Laa^mbaan cingx hiuv duqv. ²³Ninh ziouc dorh jienv ninh nyei gorx-youz mingh zunc. Zunc siec hnoi ziouc zunc zaaic yiem Gi^le^aatc nyei mbong-aiv dorngx. ²⁴Wuov muonz Laa^mbaan⚓ mbeix buatc Tin-Hungh daaih gorngv mbuox ninh, “Faix fim oc. Maiv gunv longx fai ciouv, maiv dungx gorngv haaix nyungc bun Yaakopv.”
²⁵Laa^mbaan zunc zaaic Yaakopv wuov zanc, Yaakopv corng jienv ndopv-liuh yiem Gi^le^aatc nyei mbong-aiv dorngx. Laa^mbaan caux gan ninh mingh nyei gorx-youz yaac corng jienv ninh mbuo nyei ndopv-liuh wuov.
²⁶Laa^mbaan gorngv mbuox Yaakopv, “Meih fungc hnangv naaiv zoux? Meih nduov yie aengx guaaiv jienv yie nyei sieqv biaux hnangv mborqv jaax caangv duqv daaih nyei m'sieqv dorn nor. ²⁷Meih fungc hnangv naaiv nor nduov yie, bingx jienv biaux yaac maiv mbuox yietc joux yie? Se gorngv yie hiuv nor, yie zoux nauc nyitc bun mienh baaux nzung, mborqv lorh mborqv nzoz, patv daanh baah, fungx meih mbuo njien-youh nyei cuotv jauv. ²⁸Meih liemh maiv bun yie duqv zom yie nyei fun caux yie nyei sieqv. Naaiv meih zoux nyei jauv za'gengh hngongx haic. ²⁹Ih zanc meih yiem yie nyei buoz-ndiev. Yie oix zoux haaix nyungc hoic meih se zoux duqv nyei. Mv baac a'hmuangx meih nyei die nyei Tin-Hungh box mbeix mbuox yie, ‘Maiv gunv longx fai ciouv, maiv dungx gorngv haaix nyungc bun Yaakopv.’ ³⁰Yie hiuv duqv meih nyei hnyouv oix nzuonx meih nyei die nyei biauv cingx daaih biaux. Mv baac meih weic haaix diuc nimc yie yiem biauv zaangc nyei miuc-fangx?”
³¹Yaakopv dau Laa^mbaan, “Yie gamh nziex meih oix zorqv meih nyei sieqv nzuonx. ³²Mv baac meih nyei miuc-fangx aeqv, se gorngv lorz buatc yiem haaix dauh, maiv dungx liouh ninh nyei maengc aqv. Dorng jienv yie mbuo nyei zuangx gorx-youz sou cuotv meih nyei haaix nyungc ga'naaiv, gunv zorqv nzuonx aqv.” Yaakopv maiv hiuv duqv Laasen nimc ninh nyei die nyei miuc-fangx.
³³Laa^mbaan ziouc bieqc Yaakopv nyei ndopv-liuh caux Le^aa nyei ndopv-liuh caux wuov deix i dauh nouh beiz nyei ndopv-liuh sou mv baac sou maiv cuotv ninh nyei miuc-fangx. Ninh yiem Le^aa nyei ndopv-liuh cuotv daaih aengx bieqc Laasen nyei ndopv-liuh. ³⁴Laasen zorqv wuov deix yiem biauv zaangc nyei miuc-fangx dapv jienv lorh torh nyei dorx. Ninh ganh aeqv, zueiz jienv gu'nguaaic. Laa^mbaan sou nzengc Laasen nyei ndopv-liuh mv baac lorz maiv buatc. ³⁵Laasen gorngv mbuox ninh nyei die, “Aa die aac, meih maiv dungx nouz yie oc. Yie horpc zuqc jiez sin zipv die, mv baac yie nyei sin-yienc taux, yie jiez maiv duqv sin.” Laa^mbaan sou nzengc ga'naaiv yaac lorz maiv buatc ninh yiem biauv zaangc nyei miuc-fangx.
³⁶Yaakopv qiex jiez haic ziouc gorngv Laa^mbaan, “Yie zoux haaix nyungc dorngc meih, ziqc zuiz meih, meih cingx qaqv zunc jienv yie daaih? ³⁷Meih sou nzengc yie nyei ga'naaiv meih buatc haaix nyungc zeiz meih nyei ga'naaiv? Zorqv cuotv daaih an jienv naaiv maah! Bun meih nyei mienh caux yie nyei mienh lomh nzoih mangc. Ninh mbuo ziouc hiuv duqv yie caux meih, haaix dauh zoux horpc.
³⁸“Yie caux meih yiem duqv nyic ziepc hnyangx aqv. Meih nyei ba'gi yungh caux yungh maiv mbaang jiex dorn. Yietc dauh meih nyei ba'gi yungh gouv fai yungh gouv yie maiv nyanc jiex. ³⁹Se gorngv hieh ga'naaiv ngaatc, yie maiv dorh mingh bun meih mangc. Yie ganh laengz ndortv hnangv. Janx-zaqc nimc haaix nyungc, maiv gunv lungh hnoi zanc fai lungh muonz zanc, meih zungv heuc yie ganh tipv. ⁴⁰Lungh hnoi zanc yie diev nyutc pui, diev yuoqv. Lungh muonz zanc yaac diev juangv, guangc m'njormh jaax. ⁴¹Yie hnangv naaiv nor caux meih yiem buangv nyic ziepc hnyangx. Yie zoux gong ziepc feix hnyangx bietv meih nyei i dauh sieqv longc. Aengx zoux juqv hnyangx bietv meih nyei saeng-kuv. Meih corc tiuv yie nyei gong-zinh duqv ziepc nzunc mi'aqv. ⁴²Se gorngv maiv zeiz yie nyei die nyei Tin-Hungh, Apc^laa^ham nyei Tin-Hungh, dongh I^sakc zaangc nyei Tin-Hungh,⚓ caux yie yiem nor, meih zungv bun yie kungx-buoz baeqc zaux nyei cuotv hnangv. Mv baac Tin-Hungh buatc yie nyei kouv-zingh caux yie nyei buoz zoux nyei gong. A'hmuangx ninh ziouc baav jienv meih.”

Yaakopv Caux Laa^mbaan Laengz Jiez Ngaengc Waac

⁴³Laa^mbaan dau Yaakopv, “Naaiv deix sieqv se yie nyei sieqv. Naaiv deix fu'jueiv yaac yie nyei. Naaiv deix yungh guanh caux ba'gi yungh guanh yaac yie nyei. Meih buatc jienv nyei yietc zungv se yie nyei. Ih hnoi yie haih zoux haaix nyungc tengx yie nyei sieqv caux ninh mbuo nyei fu'jueiv? ⁴⁴Daaih maah! Meih caux yie oix zuqc liepc jiez ngaengc waac weic tengx mbuo i dauh zoux zorng-zengx.”
⁴⁵Yaakopv ziouc zorqv norm la'bieiv liepc jiez daaih don jienv zoux jangx-hoc, ⁴⁶aengx mbuox ninh nyei mienh, “Nzauz la'bieiv daaih maah!” Ninh mbuo ziouc nzauz la'bieiv daaih ndui jienv aqv. Ndui liuz, ninh mbuo ziouc lomh nzoih yiem wuov la'bieiv-ndui nyei ga'hlen nyanc hnaangx. ⁴⁷Laa^mbaan cuotv wuov norm dorngx nyei mbuox heuc Yegaa Saax^haax^ndu^taa,⚓ mv baac Yaakopv cuotv mbuox heuc Gaa^le^etc.⚓
⁴⁸Laa^mbaan gorngv, “Ih hnoi naaiv ndui la'bieiv zoux mbuo i dauh nyei zorng-zengx.” Weic naaiv wuov norm dorngx heuc Gaa^le^etc. ⁴⁹Aengx duqv mbuox heuc Mitv^baa,⚓ weic zuqc Laa^mbaan gorngv, “Mbuo leih nqoi doic mv baac tov Ziouv yiem meih caux yie mbuo mbu'ndongx zuov jienv. ⁵⁰Se gorngv meih zoux doqc yie nyei sieqv, fai cuotv liuz yie nyei sieqv meih aengx ganh longc dauh auv, maiv gunv yie maiv hiuv, jangx jienv oc, maaih Tin-Hungh tengx meih caux yie zoux zorng-zengx.”
⁵¹Laa^mbaan aengx gorngv mbuox Yaakopv, “Mangc gaax, naaiv se yie ndui nyei la'bieiv caux don jienv nyei la'bieiv-dongc yiem meih caux yie mbu'ndongx. ⁵²Naaiv ndui la'bieiv caux naaiv norm la'bieiv-dongc zoux zorng-zengx tengx mbuo jangx zuqc, yie maiv jiex meih wuov bung zoux haaix nyungc hoic meih. Meih yaac maiv jiex naaiv bung zoux haaix nyungc hoic yie. ⁵³Tov Apc^laa^ham nyei Tin-Hungh caux Naa^ho nyei Tin-Hungh, dongh ninh mbuo nyei die nyei Tin-Hungh, tengx mbuo dunx sic.”
Yaakopv ziouc ziangv jienv dongh ninh nyei die, I^sakc, zaangc nyei Tin-Hungh⚓ nyei mbuox ⟨laengz jiez ngaengc waac.⟩ ⁵⁴Ninh yaac yiem wuov norm mbong-aiv longc saeng-kuv ziec bun Tin-Hungh yaac heuc ninh nyei gorx-youz daaih lomh nzoih nyanc hnaangx. Nyanc liuz, ninh mbuo ziangh muonz yiem wuov norm mbong. ⁵⁵Da'nyeic ndorm nziouv nyei, Laa^mbaan zom ninh nyei sieqv caux ninh nyei fun yaac buang waac ninh mbuo, ziouc cuotv jauv nzuonx biauv aqv.