Jacob Flees From Laban
1Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.
3Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
4So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.
10“In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 12And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’ ”
14Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”
17Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, 18and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram,31:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
19When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. 21So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
25Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? 28You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. 29I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?”
31Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.
35Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.
36Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? 37Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.
38“I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. 40This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”
43Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”
45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
48Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 49It was also called Mizpah,31:49 Mizpah means watchtower. because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”
51Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”
So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.
55Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
Yakob Guan Fi Laban Nkyɛn
1Yakob tee sɛ Laban mmabarima no reka se, “Yakob afa yɛn agya ho nneɛma nyinaa. Nʼahonya nyinaa fi yɛn agya nneɛma a wafa no.” 2Yakob huu sɛ afei de, Laban ntew nʼanim nkyerɛ no sɛ kan no.
3Na Awurade ka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “San kɔ wʼabusuafo ne wo nkurɔfo asase so, na medi wʼakyi.”
4Enti Yakob soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ ne yerenom Rahel ne Lea se wɔmmra ne nkyɛn wɔ sare no so, faako a ɔne ne nguankuw no wɔ no. 5Wɔbae no, ɔka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Mahu sɛ afei de, mo agya Laban anim nyɛ me fɛ sɛ kan no, nanso Onyankopɔn a mʼagya Isak som no no ka me ho. 6Munim sɛ mayi me yam de mʼahoɔden nyinaa ayɛ adwuma ama mo agya; 7nanso mo agya nam asisi kwan so asesa mʼakatua mu mpɛn du. Nanso eyi nyinaa akyi no, Onyankopɔn amma no kwan amma wanyɛ me bɔne. 8Sɛ ɔka se, ‘Mmoa a wɔn ho yɛ ntokontrama no bɛyɛ wʼakatua,’ na sɛ mmoa no wo a, na wɔawo mma a wɔn ho yɛ ntokontrama. Sɛ ɔka se, ‘Mmoa a wɔn ho yɛ nsensanee no bɛyɛ wʼakatua’ a, na wɔawowo mma a wɔn ho yɛ nsensanee. 9Ɔkwan a Onyankopɔn nam so agye mo agya nsam nyɛmmoa no de wɔn ama me ama mayɛ ɔdefo no ne no.
10“Eduu bere a mmoa no hyia mu no, mesoo dae huu sɛ adwennini a wɔforo nguanbere no ho yɛ ntokontrama, nsensanee anaa nsisimu. 11Onyankopɔn bɔfo frɛɛ me wɔ dae no mu ka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Yakob!’ Na migyee so se, ‘Me ni!’ 12Na ɔsoro abɔfo no ka kyerɛɛ me se, ‘Hwɛ na hu sɛ adwennini a wɔforo nguanbere no nyinaa ho yɛ nsensanee, ntokontrama anaa nsisimu, na mahu ɔkwan a Laban de wo fa so no nyinaa. 13Mene Onyankopɔn a miyii me ho adi kyerɛɛ wo wɔ Bet-El, faako a wode ɔbo sii hɔ, hwiee ngo guu so, som me, hyɛɛ me bɔ sɛ, wobɛsom me no. Afei, tu fi saa asase yi so ntɛm ara, na san kɔ asase a wɔwoo wo wɔ so no so.’ ”
14Na Rahel ne Lea bisae se, “Enti saa tebea a yɛwɔ mu yi, yɛwɔ kyɛfa bi wɔ yɛn agya agyapade mu ana? 15Yɛn agya mfa yɛn sɛ yɛyɛ ahɔho? Watɔn yɛn, na yɛn ti sika a ogyee no nso, wadi. 16Ɛyɛ nokware turodoo sɛ yɛn agya ahode a Onyankopɔn gyei no nyinaa yɛ yɛn ne yɛn mma dea. Enti biribiara a Onyankopɔn aka akyerɛ wo sɛ yɛ no, yɛ.”
17Na Yakob de ne mma ne ne yerenom tenatenaa yoma so. 18Ɔkaa ne mmoa nyinaa, agyapade a wanya nyinaa ne mmoa a onyaa wɔ Paddan-Aram nyinaa dii nʼanim sɛ, ɔrekɔ nʼagya Isak nkyɛn wɔ Kanaan asase so.
19Bere a Laban kɔɔ wuram sɛ ɔrekotwitwa ne nguan ho nwi no, Rahel faa nʼakyi kowiaa nʼagya fi abosom. 20Yakob daadaa Aramni Laban a wamma wanhu sɛ ɔreguan. 21Yakob de nʼahode nyinaa guanee. Otwaa Asubɔnten Eufrate, de nʼani kyerɛɛ bepɔw asase Gilead no so.
Laban Tiw Yakob
22Yakob ne nʼabusuafo guanee no, nnansa akyi ansa na Laban tee sɛ wɔkɔ. 23Laban faa ne fifo kaa ne ho, de anibere tiw Yakob. Nnanson akyi ansa na ɔkɔtoo Yakob ne ne nkurɔfo no wɔ bepɔw Gilead so. 24Saa da no ara anadwo, Onyankopɔn yii ne ho adi wɔ dae mu kyerɛɛ Aramni Laban. Ɔka kyerɛɛ no wɔ dae no mu se, “Hwɛ yiye na woankɔka asɛm biara; sɛ ɛyɛ asɛm pa anaa asɛmmɔne ankyerɛ Yakob.”
25Bere a Laban ne ne fifo kɔtoo Yakob no, na Yakob asisi ne ntamadan wɔ bepɔw Gilead atifi. Laban ne ne fifo no nso sisii wɔn ntamadan wɔ hɔ. 26Na Laban kɔɔ Yakob nkyɛn kobisaa no se, “Asɛm bɛn na wode adi me yi? Woadaadaa me, akyekyere me mmabea de wɔn reguan te sɛ nnommumfo. 27Adɛn nti na wodaadaa me, na wuguan fii me nkyɛn a woankra? Sɛ wokraa me a, anka mɛto wo pon, na mama nnipa abɛbɔ sanku, ato nnwom wɔ aponto no ase, de agya wo kwan. 28Woamma mankyiakyia me nenanom ne me mmabea yi nsam annya wɔn kwan mpo. Woadi nkwaseasɛm. 29Mewɔ tumi sɛ anka meyɛ wo bɔne, nanso nnɛra anadwo, Onyankopɔn a wo agya som no no ka kyerɛɛ me wɔ dae mu se, ‘Hwɛ yiye na woanka asɛm biara, sɛ ɛyɛ asɛm pa anaa asɛmmɔne ankyerɛ Yakob.’ 30Esiane sɛ wʼani agyina wʼagya fi nti, na ɛsɛ sɛ wokɔ ara. Na adɛn nti na wuwiaa mʼabosom de kaa wo nneɛma ho?”
31Yakob buaa Laban se, “Na misuro. Na ɛyɛ me sɛ wode tumi begye wo mmabea no afi me nsam. 32Nanso obiara a wubehu wʼabosom no wɔ ne nkyɛn no, ɔsɛ owu. Wʼankasa hwehwɛ sɛ wubehu biribiara a ɛyɛ wo de wɔ me nneɛma yi mu wɔ yɛn nuanom yi anim. Sɛ wuhu biribiara a ɛyɛ wo de a, fa wʼade.” Bere a Yakob kaa saa asɛm yi no, na onnim sɛ Rahel na wawia nʼagya Laban abosom no.
33Ɛno nti, Laban kɔɔ Yakob, Lea, ne nʼasomfo Bilha ne Silpa ntamadan mu kɔhwehwɛɛ hɔ, nanso wanhu biribiara. Afei, okowuraa Rahel ntamadan mu. 34Na Rahel awia abosom no de ahyehyɛ ne yoma no agua ase, atena so. Enti Laban kɔhwehwɛɛ nneɛma a ɛwɔ Rahel ntamadan no nyinaa mu, nanso wanhu abosom no.
35Rahel ka kyerɛɛ nʼagya se, “Agya, mma wo bo mfuw me sɛ mete hɔ wɔ wʼanim na mennsɔre nnyina hɔ, makɔ afikyiri.” Enti Laban toaa so hwehwɛɛ abosom no ara, nanso wanhu.
36Ɛyɛɛ saa no, Yakob bo fuw Laban yiye, bisaa no se, “Bɔne bɛn na mayɛ? Amumɔyɛsɛm bɛn na madi a ɛno nti, woataa me ara yi?” 37Wohwehwɛɛ me nneɛma nyinaa mu yi, dɛn ade na wuhuu a ɛyɛ wo ne wo fifo de? Nea wuhuu biara no, fa bɛto gua wɔ me nuanom ne wo nuanom a wɔahyia ha yi nyinaa anim, na wɔnkyerɛ nea ɛyɛ ne de.
38“Mfirihyia aduonu a wo ne me tenae, wo nguan ne wo mmirekyi abere no ampɔmpɔn, na mankum wʼadwennini yi bi amfi wo nguankuw yi mu anwe da. 39Mamfa wʼaboa biara a akekaboa bi atetew ne mu ammrɛ wo; wɔn a mmoa kum wɔn no, mʼankasa mehyɛɛ anan mu. Afei sɛ ɛba sɛ wowia wo mmoa no bi, anadwo anaa awia a, woma mitua ka. 40Eyi ne tebea a na mewɔ mu: Meyɛɛ wʼadwuma awia maa owia hyee me ne anadwo maa awɔw dee me; nam so maa nna yera fii mʼaniwa mu. 41Tebea a na mewɔ mu mfirihyia aduonu a metenaa wo nkyɛn no nyinaa ni. Mede mfirihyia dunan na ɛyɛɛ adwuma maa wo, de waree wo mmabea baanu no. Na mede mfirihyia asia nso hwɛɛ wo nguan, na wosesaa mʼakatua mpɛn du. 42Sɛ ɛnyɛ Onyankopɔn a mʼagya som no, Onyankopɔn a Abraham som no a ɔwɔ mʼafa ne suro a misuro mʼagya Isak a, anka nokware ni, wopam me maa mede me nsa pan kɔe. Nanso Onyankopɔn huu mʼamanehunu ne me nsa ano adwuma nti na nnɛra anadwo ɔkaa wʼanim no.”
Laban Ne Yakob Yɛ Apam
43Laban buaa Yakob se, “Mmea no yɛ me mmabea, mmofra no nso yɛ me nenanom, na nguankuw no nso yɛ me nguankuw. Nneɛma a wuhu yi nyinaa yɛ me de. Ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi ayɛ mʼankasa me mmabea ne me nenanom bɔne? 44Afei, bra na me ne wo nyɛ apam a ebedi me ne wo ntam adanse. Saa apam no so na yebedi wɔ yɛn asetena nyinaa mu.”
45Enti Yakob faa ɔbo de sii hɔ yɛɛ nkaedum. 46Yakob kyerɛɛ ne nuanom no se, “Montase abo!” Enti wɔtasee abo boaa ano, na wɔn nyinaa tenaa ho didii. 47Laban frɛɛ abo kuw no Yegar-Sahaduta a ne nkyerɛase ne Adanse Kuw. Yakob nso frɛɛ saa abo kuw no Gal-Ed, a ne nkyerɛase ne Adanse Kuw saa ara.
48Laban kae se, “Abo Kuw yi na edi me ne wo ntam adanse nnɛ!” Ɛno nti na wɔfrɛ no Gal-Ed no. 49Na wɔsan frɛ abo nkaedum no nso bio sɛ, “Mispa” efisɛ Laban kae se, “Awurade mmoa yɛn, na sɛ yɛn ntam tetew mpo a, yɛn mu biara bedi saa apam yi so. 50Sɛ woanhwɛ me mmabea yi yiye anaasɛ woware mmea foforo ka me mmabea yi ho a, ɛwɔ mu sɛ merenhu, nanso Onyankopɔn de, obehu.”
51Laban san ka kyerɛɛ Yakob se, “Abo Kuw yi ni. Nkaedum a mede asi me ne wo ntam no nso ni. 52Abo Kuw yi, ne nkaedum yi nyɛ adanse sɛ, me Laban, merentra saa Abo Kuw yi ne nkaedum yi mma baabi a wowɔ mmɛtoa wo. Na wo Yakob nso, worentra saa Abo kuw yi ne nkaedum yi mma baabi a mewɔ mmɛtoa me. 53Ma Abraham Nyankopɔn ne Nahor31.53 Na Nahor yɛ Abraham nuabarima (11.26) na ɔyɛ Laban nena (24.24,29). Laban som anyame bebree. Nyankopɔn, wɔn agyanom Nyankopɔn nyɛ otemmufo wɔ me ne wo ntam.”
Enti Yakob de nʼagya Isak Nyankopɔn ho suro kaa ntam sɛ, ɔrentra ɔhye no. 54Yakob bɔɔ Onyankopɔn afɔre wɔ bepɔw no atifi, na ohyiahyiaa ne nnamfonom ma wobedidii. Ɛno akyi no, wɔdaa ne nkyɛn wɔ bepɔw no so.
55Laban sɔree anɔpatutuutu few ne nenanom ne ne mmabea no ano, hyiraa wɔn. Na ɔsan nʼakyi kɔɔ ne kurom.
