Genesis 32:4 T 35
33 So 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 Le
ah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now 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.
35 Rachel 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.
36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my c rime?” he a
sked
Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? 37 Now that you
have s earched t hrough all my g
oods, what have you f ound that belongs to
your household? Put it here in f ront 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 s heep and g
oats have
not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your f locks. 39 I did not b
ring you
animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded pay
ment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. 40 This was my situa
tion: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at n
ight, and sleep
fled from my eyes. 41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your house
hold. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for
your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If 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 n
ight he rebuked you.”
43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are
my children, and the f locks are my f locks. All you see is mine. Yet what can
I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have
borne? 44 Come now, l et’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a
witness between us.”
45 So Jacob took a s tone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives,
“Gather some s tones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they
ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it
Galeed. a
48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is
why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also c alled Mizpah, b because he said, “May
the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.
50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daugh
ters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between
you and me.”
51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have
set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a wit
ness, 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. 53 May 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 I saac. 54 He of
fered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.
After they had eaten, they s pent the n
ight there.
55 Early the next morning Laban k
issed his grandchildren and his daughters
and blessed them. Then he left and returned home. c
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
32
d
Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When
Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that
place Mahanaim. e
3 Jacob sent messengers a
head of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir,
the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my
a 47
The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
Mizpah means watchtower. c 55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is
numbered 32:1. d In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33. e 2 Mahanaim
means two camps.
b 49