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.
Yakobo Ateekateeka Okudda Ewaabwe
1Awo Yakobo n’awulira nga batabani ba Labbaani bagamba nti, “Yakobo atutte ebyo byonna ebyali ebya kitaffe, era mu byali ebya kitaffe mw’aggye obugagga buno bwonna.” 2Era Yakobo n’alaba nga Labbaani takyamufaako nga bwe yali olubereberye.
331:3 a nny 13; Lub 32:9 b Lub 21:22; 26:3; 28:15Awo Mukama n’agamba Yakobo nti, “Ddayo mu nsi ya bajjajjaabo, mu bantu bo, era nnaabeeranga naawe.” 4Awo Yakobo kwe kutumya Laakeeri ne Leeya ku ttale gye baalundiranga ekisibo. 531:5 Lub 21:22; 26:3Bwe baatuuka n’abagamba nti, “Ndaba nga kitammwe takyanfaako nga bwe yakolanga olubereberye, naye Katonda wa kitange abadde nange. 631:6 Lub 30:29Mumanyi bwe naweerea kitammwe n’amaanyi gange gonna. 731:7 a nny 41; Yob 19:3 b Yob 19:52; Zab 37:28; 105:14Kyokka ye kitammwe yandyazaamanya n’akyusa empeera yange n’agikendeeza emirundi kkumi; wabula Katonda n’atamukkiriza kundeetako kabi. 831:8 Lub 30:32Kale bwe yagambanga nti, ‘Eza bugondogondo ze zinaabanga ezizo ekisibo kyonna ne kizaala eza bugondogondo, era bwe yayogeranga nti eza biwuuga ze zinaabanga ezizo ekisibo kyonna ne kizaala eza biwuuga.’ 931:9 nny 1, 16; Lub 30:42Bw’atyo Katonda aggye ku kitammwe ensolo ze n’azimpa.
10“Mu kiseera ensolo mwe ziwakira, naloota nga nnyimusa amaaso gange nga ndaba embuzi ennume nga zirinyira enkazi eza biwuuga n’eza bugondogondo n’eza kiweewoweewo. 1131:11 Lub 16:7; 48:16Ne mu kirooto ekyo malayika wa Katonda n’ampita nti, ‘Yakobo.’ Ne nziramu nti, ‘Nze nzuuno.’ 1231:12 Kuv 3:7N’aŋŋamba nti, ‘Yimusa amaaso go olabe, embuzi zonna ezirinnyira ekisibo bwe ziri eza biwuuga, eza bugondogondo n’eza kiweewoweewo; kubanga ndabye ebyo byonna Labbaani by’akukoze. 1331:13 a Lub 28:10-22 b nny 3; Lub 32:9Nze Katonda w’e Beseri gye wafukira amafuta ku jjinja lye wasimba, gye weeyamira obweyamo. Kale kaakano golokoka ove mu nsi muno, oddeyo mu nsi gye wazaalirwa.’ ”
14Awo Laakeeri ne Leeya ne bamuddamu nti, “Ekyo kituufu kubanga tetulina mugabo, mu busika bwa kitaffe. 1531:15 Lub 29:20Era atutwala ng’abatali ba mu nnyumba ye. Kubanga yatutunda, era ebyatuvaamu bya badde akozesa. 16Eby’obugagga byonna Katonda bya muggyeko, bifuuse byaffe n’abaana baffe. Kale kaakano buli Katonda ky’akugambye okukola kikole.”
Yakobo Adduka Okuva ku Labbaani
17Awo Yakobo n’agolokoka, n’ateeka batabani be ne bakazi be ku ŋŋamira; 1831:18 a Lub 35:27 b Lub 10:19n’agoba ente ze zonna, n’ebisolo bye ebirala byonna bye yafuna: obugagga bwe bwonna bwe yafunira mu Padanalaamu, agende mu nsi ya Kanani eri kitaawe Isaaka.
1931:19 nny 30, 32, 34-35; Lub 35:2; Bal 17:5; 1Sa 19:13; Kos 3:4Labbaani yali agenze kusala byoya ku ndiga ze, Laakeeri n’abba bakatonda b’omu nnyumba ya Labbaani. 2031:20 a Lub 27:36 b nny 27Yakobo n’adduka ku Labbaani Omusuuli, era teyamutegeeza nti amuvaako agende. 2131:21 Lub 37:25Yadduka ne byonna bye yalina, n’agolokoka n’asomoka omugga Fulaati, n’ayolekera Giriyaadi ensi ey’ensozi.
22Ku lunaku olwokusatu Labbaani bwe yategeezebwa nti Yakobo yamuddukako, 23Labbaani n’atwala basajja be, n’awondera Yakobo okumala ennaku musanvu, mu Giriyaadi ensi ey’ensozi. 2431:24 a Lub 20:3; Yob 33:15 b Lub 24:50Naye Katonda n’ajjira Labbaani, Omusuuli, mu kirooto, ekiro, n’amugamba nti, “Weegendereze, toyogera na Yakobo kigambo kyonna, ekirungi oba ekibi.”
25Awo Labbaani n’atuuka ku Yakobo, eyali akubye eweema ye mu nsi ey’ensozi, Labbaani ne basajja be nabo ne basiisira mu nsi ey’ensozi eya Giriyaadi. 2631:26 a Lub 27:36 b 1Sa 30:2-3Labbaani n’agamba Yakobo nti, “Okoze ki, okuntwalako bawala bange mu kyama ne babanga abanyage? 2731:27 a Kuv 15:20 b Lub 4:21Kiki ekyakuddusa mu kyama nga tombuuliddeko, ndyoke, nkusibule mu kinyumu: n’ennyimba, n’ebitaasa, n’ennanga. 2831:28 nny 55Kale lwaki tewaŋŋanya na kugwa mu kifuba bazzukulu bange ne bawala bange okubasiibula? Ekyo kye wakola si kya buntubulamu. 2931:29 a nny 7 b nny 53Mbadde nsobola okukukola akabi, wabula Katonda wa kitaawo yayogedde nange ekiro kino, n’aŋŋamba nti, ‘Weegendereze oleme okwogera ne Yakobo ekigambo kyonna, ekirungi oba ekibi.’ 3031:30 nny 19; Bal 18:24Ne kaakano ogenda kubanga wayagala nnyo okuddayo mu nnyumba ya kitaawo; naye wabbira ki bakatonda bange?”
31Yakobo n’addamu Labbaani nti, “Natya, kubanga n’alowooza nti oyinza okunnyagako bawala bo. 3231:32 Lub 44:9Naye gw’onoosanga ne bakatonda bo taabe mulamu; waakufa. Mu maaso ga bantu baffe bano, ndaga ekikyo kye nnina okitwale.” Yakobo teyamanya nti Laakeeri abbye bakatonda ba Labbaani.
33Labbaani n’ayingira mu weema ya Yakobo ne mu weema ya Leeya, ne mu weema ey’abaweereza bombi; naye n’atalaba bakatonda be. N’ava mu weema ya Leeya, n’ayingira mu ya Laakeeri. 3431:34 nny 37; Lub 44:12Laakeeri yali atutte bakatonda ba Labbaani, n’abateeka ku matandiiko g’eŋŋamira, n’abatuulako. Labbaani n’ayaza weema yonna naye n’atabalabamu.
3531:35 Kuv 20:12; Lv 19:3, 32Laakeeri n’agamba kitaawe nti, “Mukama wange aleme okusunguwala kubanga sisobola kuyimirira w’oli kubanga ndi mu mpisa y’abakazi.” Labbaani n’anoonya naye n’atalaba bakatonda be. 36Awo Yakobo n’alyoka ajjula obusungu ne yeejuumulira Labbaani, n’amugamba nti, “Nzizizza musango ki? Kibi ki kye nnina, olyoke ongoberere n’obukaali butyo? 3731:37 nny 23Bw’oyazizza mu bintu byange, kikyo ki ky’osanzemu? Kiteeke wano wakati mu maaso g’abantu bange n’ababo, balyoke basalewo omusobya ku fembi.
38“Emyaka gino gyonna amakumi abiri gye mbadde naawe, endiga zo ne mbuzi zo tezisowolanga, era siryanga ndiga mu kisibo kyo. 3931:39 Kuv 22:13Eyo eyataagulwanga ensolo enkambwe ey’omu nsiko saagikuleeteranga, nze nafiirwanga, waginsabanga, wadde eyo eyabbibwanga ekiro oba emisana nayo yabalirwanga ku nze. 40Ekyo ne kindeetera essana okunzigwerangako, n’okubeeranga mu mpewo ekiro, n’otulo ne tumbula. 4131:41 a Lub 29:30 b nny 7Emyaka gino amakumi abiri mbadde mu nnyumba yo; n’akuweereza emyaka kkumi n’ena olwa bawala bo bombi, ate ne nkuweereza emyaka mukaaga mu kisibo kyo, kyokka okyusizza empeera yange emirundi kkumi. 4231:42 a nny 5; Kuv 3:15; 1By 12:17 b Kuv 3:53; Is 8:13 c Zab 124:1-2 d Lub 29:32Singa Katonda wa kitange, era Katonda wa Ibulayimu, Katonda Entiisa ya Isaaka teyali ku lwange, mazima ddala wandinsiibudde ngalo nsa! Katonda yalabye okubonaabona n’okutegana kwange, kyeyavudde akunenya ekiro.”
Endagaano wakati wa Yakobo ne Labbaani
43Awo Labbaani n’addamu Yakobo nti, “Bano bawala bange, n’abaana baabwe bazzukulu bange, n’ebisibo, bisibo byange era ne byonna byolaba byange. Naye bawala bange n’abaana baabwe be bazadde, nnyinza kubakolera ki leero? 4431:44 a Lub 21:27; 26:28 b Yos 24:27Kale jjangu tukole endagaano gwe nange, ebeere omujulirwa wakati wo nange.” 4531:45 Lub 28:18Awo Yakobo n’addira ejjinja n’alisimba ng’empagi. 46N’agamba abantu be nti, “Mukuŋŋaanye amayinja.” Ne bagakuŋŋaanya ne bagatuuma entuumo, ne baliira31:46 Endagaano zaakakasibwanga na kijjulo. awo awali entuumo. 47Labbaani entuumu n’agiyita Yegalusakadusa, ye Yakobo n’agiyita Galeedi.
48Labbaani n’agamba nti, “Entuumo eno ye mujulirwa wakati wo nange leero.” Kyeyava agiyita Galeedi, 4931:49 Bal 11:29; 1Sa 7:5-6n’empagi n’agiyita Mizupa, kubanga yayogera nti, “Mukama atunulenga wakati wo nange, nga twawukanye omu okuva ku munne. 5031:50 Yer 29:23; 42:5Bw’oliyisa obubi bawala bange, oba bw’olibawasizaako abakazi abalala, newaakubadde nga tewali muntu n’omu wakati waffe, ojjukire nti Katonda ye mujulirwa wakati wo nange.”
5131:51 Lub 28:18Awo Labbaani n’agamba Yakobo nti, “Laba entuumu eno n’empagi bye ntadde wakati wo nange. 5231:52 a Lub 21:30 b nny 7; Lub 26:29Entuumu eno ye mujulirwa era n’empagi nayo mujulirwa nga nze sirisukka ntuumu eno na mpagi eno okukukola akabi. 5331:53 a Lub 28:13 b Lub 16:5 c Lub 21:23, 27 d nny 42Katonda wa Ibulayimu, era Katonda wa Nakoli,31:53 Nakoli yali muganda wa Ibulayimu (11:26) ate era jjajja wa Labbaani (24:24, 29). Labbaani yasinzanga bakatonda bangi. Katonda wa kitaabwe atulamule.”
Yakobo naye n’alayirira bw’atyo Katonda, Entiisa ya kitaawe Isaaka. 54Yakobo n’awaayo ssaddaaka ku lusozi; n’ayita abantu be okulya; ne balya, ne basula ku lusozi ekiro ekyo.
5531:55 a nny 28 b Lub 18:33; 30:25Ku makya ennyo Labbaani n’agolokoka n’asiibula bazzukulu be ne bawala be ng’abagwa mu kifuba; n’abawa omukisa, n’addayo ewuwe.
