Study Desk

Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his ^[o]kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead.

Then Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done ^[p]by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?

Why did you flee secretly and ^[q]deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with ^(w)timbrel and with ^(x)lyre;

and did not allow me ^(y)to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

It is in ^[r]my power to do you harm, but ^(z)the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘^[s](aa)Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.'

Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house; but why did you steal ^(ab)my gods?"

Then Jacob replied to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

^(ac)The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our ^[t]kinsmen ^[u]point out what is yours ^[v]among my belongings and take it for yourself." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.