The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Kapitel 31 -

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, that they said, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and it is from our father’s possessions that he has gotten all this wealth.”

Jacob saw the look on Laban’s face. He saw that his attitude toward him had changed.

Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock

and said to them, “I see your father’s attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me.

You know that it is with all my strength that I have served your father.

Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not permitted him to hurt me.

If he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled young. If he said, ‘The striped will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore striped young.

In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

Once at the time of breeding season, I saw in a dream the male goats that were mating with the flock. The male goats were striped, speckled, and spotted.

The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I said, ‘Here I am.’

He said, ’Lift up your eyes and see all the male goats that are breeding with the flock. They are striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now rise up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth.’”

Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Are we not treated by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has also completely devoured our money.

For all the riches that God has taken away from our father are now ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

Then Jacob arose and placed his sons and his wives upon the camels.

He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all his property, including the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram. Then he set out to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was leaving.

So he fled with all that he had and quickly passed over the River, and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

Laban Pursues Jacob

On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

So he took his relatives with him and pursued him for a seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

Now God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead.

Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you deceived me and carried away my daughters like prisoners of war?

Why did you flee secretly and trick me and did not tell me? I would have sent you away with celebration and with songs, with tambourine and with harps.

You did not allow me to kiss my grandsons and my daughters good bye. Now you have done foolishly.

It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’

Now you have gone away because you longed to return to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”

Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid and thought that you would take your daughters from me by force I left secretly.

Whoever has stolen your gods will not continue to live. In the presence of our relatives, identify whatever with me is yours and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. He went out of Leah’s tent and entered into Rachel’s tent.

Now Rachel had taken the household gods, put them in a camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.

She said to her father, “Do not be angry, my master, that I cannot stand up before you, for I am having my period.” So he searched but did not find his household gods.

Jacob was angry and argued with Laban. He said to him, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

For you have searched all my possessions. What have you found of all your household goods? Set them here before our relatives, so that they may judge between us two.

For twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten any rams from your flocks.

What was torn by beasts I did not bring to you. Instead, I bore the loss of it. You always made me pay for every missing animal, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

There I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and I went without sleep.

These twenty years I have been in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. You have changed my wages ten times.

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my oppression and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”

Jacob’s Covenant with Laban

Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the grandchildren are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

So now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me.”

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a pile. Then they ate there by the pile.

Laban called it Jegar Saha Dutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore, its name was called Galeed.

It is also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me, when we are out of sight one from another.

If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this pile, and look at the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to me, to do harm.

May the God of Abraham, and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his relatives to eat a meal. They ate and spent the entire night on the mountain.

Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his grandsons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.

Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”

Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

The LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,

and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.

Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.

If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.

Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.

During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Aren’t we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money.

For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,

and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim

(a)

that were her father’s.

Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.

So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

Laban Pursues Jacob

Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?

Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;

and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.

It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”

Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’

Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.

Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.

She said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim.

Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?

Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.

“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks.

That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

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. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

Jacob’s Covenant with Laban

Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”

Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.

Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha,(b) but Jacob called it Galeed.(c)

Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed

and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”

Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.

Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.

Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.

Fußnoten

(a)31:19 teraphim were household idols that may have been associated with inheritance rights to the household property.

(b)31:47 “Jegar Sahadutha” means “Witness Heap” in Aramaic.