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Genesis 30-31
Contemporary English Version

Problems between Rachel and Leah

30 Rachel was very jealous of Leah for having children, and she said to Jacob, “I'll die if you don't give me some children!”

2 But Jacob became upset with Rachel and answered, “Don't blame me! I'm not God.”

3 “Here, take my servant Bilhah,” Rachel told him. “Have children by her, and I'll let them be born on my knees to show that they are mine.”

4 Then Rachel let Jacob marry Bilhah, 5 and they had a son. 6 Rachel named him Dan,[a] because she said, “God has answered my prayers. He judged in my favor and has given me a son.” 7 When Bilhah and Jacob had a second son, 8 Rachel said, “I've struggled hard with my sister, and I've won!” So she named the boy Naphtali.[b]

9 When Leah realized she could not have any more children, she let Jacob marry her servant Zilpah, 10 and they had a son. 11 “I'm really lucky,” Leah said, and she named the boy Gad.[c] 12 When they had another son, 13 Leah exclaimed, “I'm happy now, and all the women will say how happy I am.” So she named him Asher.[d]

Love Flowers

14 During the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben found some love flowers[e] and took them to his mother Leah. Rachel asked Leah for some of them, 15 but Leah said, “It's bad enough that you stole my husband! Now you want my son's love flowers too.”

“All right,” Rachel answered. “Let me have the flowers, and you can sleep with Jacob tonight.”

16 That evening when Jacob came in from the fields, Leah told him, “You're sleeping with me tonight. I hired you with my son's love flowers.”

They slept together that night, 17 and God answered Leah's prayers by giving her a fifth son. 18 Leah shouted, “God has rewarded me for letting Jacob marry my servant,” and she named the boy Issachar.[f]

19 When Leah had another son, 20 she exclaimed, “God has given me a wonderful gift, and my husband will praise me for giving him six sons.” So she named the boy Zebulun.[g] 21 Later, Leah had a daughter and named her Dinah.

22-23 Finally, God remembered Rachel—he answered her prayer by giving her a son. “God has taken away my disgrace,” she said. 24 “I'll name the boy Joseph,[h] and I'll pray that the Lord will give me another son.”

Jacob and Laban

25 After Joseph was born, Jacob said to Laban, “Release me from our agreement[i] and let me return to my own country. 26 You know how hard I've worked for you, so let me take my wives and children and leave.”

27-28 But Laban told him, “If you really are my friend, stay on, and I'll pay whatever you ask. I'm sure[j] the Lord has blessed me because of you.”

29 Jacob answered:

You've seen how hard I've worked for you, and you know how your flocks and herds have grown under my care. 30 You didn't have much before I came, but the Lord has blessed everything I have ever done for you. Now it's time for me to start looking out for my own family.

31 “How much do you want me to pay you?” Laban asked.

Then Jacob told him:

I don't want you to pay me anything. Just do one thing, and I'll take care of your sheep and goats. 32 Let me go through your flocks and herds and take the sheep and goats that are either spotted or speckled[k] and the black lambs. That's all you need to give me. 33 In the future you can easily find out if I've been honest. Just look and see if my animals are either spotted or speckled, or if the lambs are black. If they aren't, they've been stolen from you.

34 “I agree to that,” was Laban's response. 35 Before the end of the day, Laban had separated his spotted and speckled animals and the black lambs from the others and had put his sons in charge of them. 36 Then Laban made Jacob keep the rest of the sheep and goats at a distance of three days' journey.

37 Jacob cut branches from some poplar trees and from some almond and evergreen trees. He peeled off part of the bark and made the branches look spotted and speckled. 38 Then he put the branches where the sheep and goats would see them[l] while they were drinking from the water trough. The goats mated there 39 in front of the branches, and their young were spotted and speckled.

40 Some of the sheep that Jacob was keeping for Laban were already spotted. And when the others were ready to mate, he made sure that they faced in the direction of the spotted and black ones. In this way, Jacob built up a flock of sheep for himself and did not put them with the other sheep.

41 When the stronger sheep were mating near the drinking place, Jacob made sure that the spotted branches were there. 42 But he would not put out the branches when the weaker animals were mating. So Jacob got all of the healthy animals, and Laban got what was left. 43 Jacob soon became rich and successful. He owned many sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys, as well as a lot of slaves.

Jacob Runs from Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban's sons were complaining, “Jacob is now a rich man, and he got everything he owns from our father.” 2 Jacob also noticed that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before. 3 One day the Lord said, “Jacob, go back to your relatives in the land of your ancestors, and I will be with you.”

4 Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to meet him in the pasture where he kept his sheep, 5 and he told them:

Your father isn't as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God my ancestors worshiped has been on my side. 6 You know that I have worked hard for your father 7 and that he keeps cheating me by changing my wages time after time. But God has protected me. 8 When your father said the speckled sheep would be my wages, all of them were speckled. And when he said the spotted ones would be mine, all of them were spotted. 9 That's how God has taken sheep and goats from your father and given them to me.

10 Once, when the flocks were mating, I dreamed that all the rams were either spotted or speckled. 11 Then God's angel called me by name. I answered, 12 and he said, “Notice that all the rams are either spotted or speckled. I know everything Laban is doing to you, 13 (A) and I am the God you worshiped at Bethel,[m] when you poured olive oil on a rock and made a promise to me. Leave here at once and return to the land where you were born.”

14 Rachel and Leah said to Jacob:

There's nothing left for us to inherit from our father. 15 He treats us like foreigners and has even cheated us out of the bride price[n] that should have been ours. 16 So do whatever God tells you to do. Even the property God took from our father and gave to you really belongs to us and our children.

17 Then Jacob, his wives, and his children got on camels and left 18 northern Syria[o] for the home of his father Isaac in Canaan. Jacob took along all his flocks, herds, and other property.

19 Before Rachel left, she stole the household idols[p] while Laban was out shearing his sheep.

20 Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean[q] by not saying that he intended to leave. 21 When Jacob crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead, he took with him everything he owned.

Laban Catches Up with Jacob

22 Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had gone. 23 So he took some of his relatives along and chased after Jacob for seven days, before catching up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God appeared to Laban in a dream that night and warned, “Don't say a word to Jacob. Don't make a threat or a promise.”

25 Jacob had set up camp in the hill country of Gilead, when Laban and his relatives came and set up camp in another part of the hill country. Laban went to Jacob 26 and said:

Look what you've done! You've tricked me and run off with my daughters like a kidnapper. 27 Why did you sneak away without telling me? I would have given you a going-away party with singing and with music on tambourines and harps. 28 You didn't even give me a chance to kiss my own grandchildren and daughters goodbye. That was really foolish. 29 I could easily hurt you, but the God your father worshiped has warned me not to make any threats or promises.

30 I can understand why you were eager to return to your father, but why did you have to steal my idols?

31 Jacob answered, “I left secretly because I was afraid you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 If you find that any one of us has taken your idols, I'll have that person killed. Let your relatives be witnesses. Show me what belongs to you, and you can take it back.” Jacob did not realize that Rachel had stolen the household idols.

33 Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two servant women,[r] but did not find the idols. Then he went to Rachel's tent. 34 She had already hidden them in the cushion she used as a saddle and was sitting on it. Laban searched everywhere and did not find them. 35 Rachel said, “Father, please don't be angry with me for not getting up; I'm having my period.” Laban kept on searching, but still did not find the idols.

36 Jacob became very angry and said to Laban:

What have I done wrong? Have I committed some crime? Is that why you hunted me down? 37 After searching through everything I have, did you find anything of yours? If so, put it here, where your relatives and mine can see it. Then we can decide what to do.

38 In all the 20 years that I've worked for you, not one of your sheep or goats has had a miscarriage, and I've never eaten even one of your rams. 39 If a wild animal killed one of your sheep or goats, I paid for it myself. In fact, you demanded the full price, whether the animal was killed during the day or at night.[s] 40 I sweated every day, and I couldn't sleep at night because of the cold.

41 I had to work 14 of these 20 long years to earn your two daughters and another 6 years to buy your sheep and goats. During that time you kept changing my wages. 42 If the fearsome God[t] worshiped by Abraham and my father Isaac had not been on my side, you would have sent me away without a thing. But God saw my hard work, and he knew the trouble I was in, so he helped me. Then last night he told you how wrong you were.

Jacob and Laban Make an Agreement

43 Laban said to Jacob, “Leah and Rachel are my daughters, and their children belong to me. All these sheep you are taking are really mine too. In fact, everything you have belongs to me. But there is nothing I can do to keep my daughters and their children. 44 So I am ready to make an agreement with you, and we will pile up some large rocks here to remind us of the agreement.”

45 After Jacob had set up a large rock, 46 he told his men to get some more rocks and pile them up next to it. Then Jacob and Laban ate a meal together beside the rocks. 47 Laban named the pile of rocks Jegar Sahadutha.[u] But Jacob named it Galeed.[v] 48 Laban said to Jacob, “This pile of rocks will remind us of our agreement.” That's why the place was named Galeed. 49 Laban also said, “This pile of rocks means that the Lord will watch us both while we are apart from each other.” So the place was also named Mizpah.[w]

50 Then Laban said:

If you mistreat my daughters or marry other women, I may not know about it, but remember, God is watching us! 51-52 Both this pile of rocks and this large rock have been set up between us as a reminder. I must never go past them to attack you, and you must never come past them to attack me. 53 My father Nahor, your grandfather Abraham, and their ancestors all worshiped the same God, and he will make sure that we each keep the agreement.

Then Jacob made a promise in the name of the fearsome God[x] his father Isaac had worshiped. 54 Jacob killed an animal and offered it as a sacrifice there on the mountain, and he invited his men to eat with him. After the meal they spent the night on the mountain. 55 Early the next morning, Laban kissed his daughters and his grandchildren goodbye, then he left to go back home.

Footnotes

  1. 30.6 Dan: In Hebrew “Dan” means “judge.”
  2. 30.8 Naphtali: In Hebrew “Naphtali” means “struggle” or “contest.”
  3. 30.11 Gad: In Hebrew “Gad” means “lucky.”
  4. 30.13 Asher: In Hebrew “Asher” means “happy.”
  5. 30.14 love flowers: Also called “mandrakes,” a flowering plant that was thought to give sexual powers.
  6. 30.18 Issachar: In Hebrew “Issachar” sounds like “reward.”
  7. 30.20 Zebulun: In Hebrew “Zebulun” sounds like “give” and “praise.”
  8. 30.24 Joseph: In Hebrew “Joseph” sounds like “take away” and “add.”
  9. 30.25 Release … agreement: Jacob had agreed to work seven years for each of Laban's two daughters (see 29.18).
  10. 30.27,28 I'm sure: The Hebrew says he found this out by some kind of magic, such as fortunetelling.
  11. 30.32 spotted or speckled: In ancient times sheep were usually white, and goats were usually black or dark brown; only a few sheep would have black spots, and only a few goats would have white spots.
  12. 30.38 would see them: It was believed by some that what sheep and goats saw at the time of breeding would determine the color of their young.
  13. 31.13 you … Bethel: Or “who appeared to you at Bethel.”
  14. 31.15 bride price: Usually the husband-to-be paid a bride price to the father of the bride. But Jacob didn't pay Laban a bride price for either Rachel or Leah. Instead he was tricked into working 14 years to get the bride he loved. So there was no money for either of Laban's daughters.
  15. 31.18 northern Syria: See the note at 24.10.
  16. 31.19 household idols: These were thought to protect the household from danger. It is also possible that the person who had them would inherit the family property.
  17. 31.20 the Aramean: Meaning someone from northern Syria (see the note at 24.10).
  18. 31.33 two servant women: Bilhah and Zilpah (see 30.4,9).
  19. 31.39 you demanded … night: A shepherd was not responsible for sheep and goats killed by wild animals, if the shepherd could supply proof of how they were killed.
  20. 31.42 fearsome God: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  21. 31.47 Jegar Sahadutha: In Aramaic “Jegar Sahadutha” means “a pile of rocks to remind us.”
  22. 31.47 Galeed: In Hebrew “Galeed” means “a pile of rocks to remind us.”
  23. 31.49 Mizpah: In Hebrew “Mizpah” sounds like “a place from which to watch.”
  24. 31.53 fearsome God: See the note at 31.42.
Listen to Genesis 30-31
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Genesis 30-31
New International Version

30 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children,(A) she became jealous of her sister.(B) So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God,(C) who has kept you from having children?”(D)

3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah,(E) my servant.(F) Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”(G)

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife.(H) Jacob slept with her,(I) 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me;(J) he has listened to my plea and given me a son.”(K) Because of this she named him Dan.[a](L)

7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah(M) conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.”(N) So she named him Naphtali.[b](O)

9 When Leah(P) saw that she had stopped having children,(Q) she took her servant Zilpah(R) and gave her to Jacob as a wife.(S) 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah(T) bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[c] So she named him Gad.[d](U)

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me(V) happy.”(W) So she named him Asher.[e](X)

14 During wheat harvest,(Y) Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants,(Z) which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough(AA) that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”(AB)

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.”(AC) So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah,(AD) and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.”(AE) So she named him Issachar.[f](AF)

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor,(AG) because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[g](AH)

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.(AI)

22 Then God remembered Rachel;(AJ) he listened to her(AK) and enabled her to conceive.(AL) 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son(AM) and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.”(AN) 24 She named him Joseph,[h](AO) and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”(AP)

Jacob’s Flocks Increase

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way(AQ) so I can go back to my own homeland.(AR) 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you,(AS) and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes,(AT) please stay. I have learned by divination(AU) that the Lord has blessed me because of you.”(AV) 28 He added, “Name your wages,(AW) and I will pay them.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you(AX) and how your livestock has fared under my care.(AY) 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been.(AZ) But now, when may I do something for my own household?(BA)”

31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat.(BB) They will be my wages.(BC) 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored,(BD) will be considered stolen.(BE)”

34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs,(BF) and he placed them in the care of his sons.(BG) 36 Then he put a three-day journey(BH) between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond(BI) and plane trees(BJ) and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches.(BK) 38 Then he placed the peeled branches(BL) in all the watering troughs,(BM) so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat(BN) and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches.(BO) And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted.(BP) 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals(BQ) that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat,(BR) Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches,(BS) 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob.(BT) 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.(BU)

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons(BV) were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”(BW) 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.(BX)

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back(BY) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”(BZ)

4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s(CA) attitude toward me is not what it was before,(CB) but the God of my father has been with me.(CC) 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,(CD) 7 yet your father has cheated(CE) me by changing my wages(CF) ten times.(CG) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.(CH) 8 If 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,’(CI) then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock(CJ) and has given them to me.(CK)

10 “In breeding season I once had a dream(CL) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God(CM) said to me in the dream,(CN) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’(CO) 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,(CP) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.(CQ) 13 I am the God of Bethel,(CR) where you anointed a pillar(CS) and where you made a vow(CT) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.(CU)’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share(CV) in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners?(CW) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.(CX) 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.(CY) So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives(CZ) on camels,(DA) 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated(DB) in Paddan Aram,[i](DC) to go to his father Isaac(DD) in the land of Canaan.(DE)

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,(DF) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.(DG) 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived(DH) Laban the Aramean(DI) by not telling him he was running away.(DJ) 21 So he fled(DK) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,(DL) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.(DM)

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 On the third day(DN) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.(DO) 23 Taking his relatives(DP) with him(DQ), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(DR) 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean(DS) in a dream at night and said to him,(DT) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(DU)

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(DV) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(DW) You’ve deceived me,(DX) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(DY) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(DZ) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(EA) and harps?(EB) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(EC) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(ED) but last night the God of your father(EE) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(EF) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(EG) But why did you steal(EH) my gods?(EI)”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(EJ) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(EK) 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.(EL)

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(EM) and into the tent of the two female servants,(EN) but he found nothing.(EO) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(EP) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(EQ) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(ER) 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;(ES) I’m having my period.(ET)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(EU)

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(EV) you that you hunt me down?(EW) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(EX) Put it here in front of your relatives(EY) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(EZ)

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(FA) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(FB) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen(FC) by day or night.(FD) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(FE) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(FF) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(FG) and six years for your flocks,(FH) and you changed my wages(FI) ten times.(FJ) 42 If the God of my father,(FK) the God of Abraham(FL) and the Fear of Isaac,(FM) had not been with me,(FN) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(FO) and last night he rebuked you.(FP)”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(FQ) 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, let’s make a covenant,(FR) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(FS)

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(FT) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(FU) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[j](FV)

48 Laban said, “This heap(FW) is a witness between you and me today.”(FX) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[k](FY) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(FZ) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(GA) between you and me.”(GB)

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(GC) and here is this pillar(GD) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(GE) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(GF) and pillar to my side to harm me.(GG) 53 May the God of Abraham(GH) and the God of Nahor,(GI) the God of their father, judge between us.”(GJ)

So Jacob took an oath(GK) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(GL) 54 He offered a sacrifice(GM) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(GN) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(GO) and blessed(GP) them. Then he left and returned home.[l](GQ)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
  2. Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
  3. Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
  4. Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
  5. Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
  6. Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
  7. Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
  8. Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.
  9. Genesis 31:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  10. Genesis 31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
  11. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.
  12. Genesis 31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
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