Study Desk

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

And he took his brothers with him and pursued him, seven days journey. And he overtook him in Mount Gilead.

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, Watch out for yourself, that you not speak with Jacob from good to evil.

And Laban overtook Jacob. And Jacob had pitched his tent at the Mount. And Laban with his brothers had pitched at Mount Gilead.

And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done? And you have deceived my heart and have taken my daughters like captives of the sword.

Why did you hide so as to flee, and have deceived me and have not told me. And I would have sent you away with rejoicing and with music, with tabret and with harp.

And you have not let me kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have been foolish to do this .

It is in the power of my hand to do you harm. But the God of your fathers spoke to me last night, saying, Watch out for yourself that you do not speak with Jacob from good to evil.

And now surely you have gone because you have longed after your father's house. Why have you stolen my gods?

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid. For I said, Lest by force you take your daughters from me.

With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live before our brothers here. See for yourself what is with me, and take it to you. For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

And Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two slave-girls; and he did not find. And he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent.

And Rachel had taken the household idols and put them into the camel's saddle; and she sat on them. And Laban felt around all the tent, but did not find.

And she said to her father, Let no anger be in the eyes of my lord, for I am not able to rise before your face, for the way of women is to me. And he searched for and did not find the household idols.

And Jacob was angry, and he argued with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression; what my sin that you have hotly pursued me?

For you have felt around all my articles; what have you found from all the articles of your house? Set it here before my brothers and your brothers and let them decide between the two of us.

Now I was with you twenty years. Your ewes and your she-goats have not failed to bear, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

I did not bring to you the mangled; I replaced it. From my hand you exacted it, that stolen by day and that stolen by night.

I was there; by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night. And my sleep fled from my eyes.

Now I have been twenty years 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.

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, truly now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hand, and last night He judged.