1 And in the seventh year, Ya’aqoḇ’s service which he served Laḇan was completed. And Ya’aqoḇ said to Laḇan, “Give me my wife, for the days of my service are fulfilled.” And Laḇan did so, and Laḇan and Ya’aqoḇ assembled all the people of that place and they made a feast.
2 And in the evening Laḇan came to the house, and afterward Ya’aqoḇ came there with the people of the feast, and Laḇan put out all the lights that were there in the house.
3 And Ya’aqoḇ said to Laḇan, “Why do you do this matter to us?” and Laḇan answered, “Such is our custom to do in this land.”
4 And afterward Laḇan took his daughter Lĕ’ah, and he brought her to Ya’aqoḇ. And he came to her but Ya’aqoḇ did not know that she was Lĕ’ah.
5 And Laḇan gave his daughter Lĕ’ah his female servant Zilpah for a female servant.
6 And all the people at the feast knew what Laḇan had done to Ya’aqoḇ, but they did not tell the matter to Ya’aqoḇ.
7 And all the neighbours came that night to Ya’aqoḇ’s house, and they ate and drank and rejoiced, and played before Lĕ’ah on timbrels, and with dances. And they responded before Ya’aqoḇ, “Hĕlĕ’ah! Hĕlĕ’ah!”
8 And Ya’aqoḇ heard their words but did not understand their meaning, but he thought such might be their custom in this land.
9 And the neighbours spoke these words before Ya’aqoḇ during the night, and Laḇan had put out all the lights that were in the house that night.
10 And in the morning, when daylight appeared, Ya’aqoḇ turned to his wife and he looked, and see, it was Lĕ’ah that had been lying in his bosom! And Ya’aqoḇ said, “See, now I know what the neighbour said last night: ‘Hĕlĕ’ah’, they said, and I did not know it!”
11 And Ya’aqoḇ called to Laḇan, and said to him, “What is this that you did to me? I only served you for Raḥĕl, but why did you deceive me and give me Lĕ’ah?”
12 And Laḇan answered Ya’aqoḇ, saying, “It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the elder. Now therefore, if you desire to take her sister likewise, take her unto you for the service which your will serve me for another seven years.”
13 And Ya’aqoḇ did so, and he also took Raḥĕl for a wife. And he served Laḇan seven years more, and Ya’aqoḇ also came to Raḥĕl, and he loved Raḥĕl more than Lĕ’ah. And Laḇan gave her his female servant Bilhah for a female servant.
14 And when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 saw that Lĕ’ah was hated, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 opened her womb, and she conceived and bore Ya’aqoḇ four sons in those days.
15 And these are their names: Re’uḇĕn, Shim’on, Lĕwi, and Yahuḏah, and afterward she ceased bearing.
16 And at that time Raḥĕl was barren, and she had no offspring, and Raḥĕl envied her sister Lĕ’ah. And when Raḥĕl saw that she bore no children to Ya’aqoḇ, she took her female servant Bilhah, and she bore Ya’aqoḇ two sons, Dan and Naphtali.
17 And when Lĕ’ah saw that she had ceased bearing, she also took her female servant Zilpah, and she gave her to Ya’aqoḇ for a wife. And Ya’aqoḇ also came to Zilpah, and she also bore Ya’aqoḇ two sons, Gaḏ and Ashĕr.
18 And Lĕ’ah again conceived and bore Ya’aqoḇ two sons and one daughter in those days, and these are their names: Yissasḵar, Zeḇulun, and their sister Dinah.
19 But Raḥĕl was still barren in those days, and Raḥĕl prayed to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 at that time, and she said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim remember me and visit me please, for now my husband will cast me off, for I have borne him no children.
20 “Now O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim, hear my supplication before you, and see my affliction, and give me children like one of the female servants, that I may no longer bear my reproach.”
21 And Elohim heard her and opened her womb, and Raḥĕl conceived and bore a son, and she said, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 has taken away my reproach.” And she called his name Yosĕph, saying, “May 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 add to me another son.” And Ya’aqoḇ was ninety-one years old when she bore him.
22 At that time Ya’aqoḇ’s mother, Riḇqah, sent her nurse Deḇorah the daughter of Uts, and two of Yitsḥaq’s servants to Ya’aqoḇ.
23 And they came to Ya’aqoḇ to Ḥaran and they said to him, “Riḇqah has sent us to you that you return to your father’s house to the land of Kena’an.” And Ya’aqoḇ listened to them in this which his mother had spoken.
24 At that time, the other seven years which Ya’aqoḇ served Laḇan for Raḥĕl were completed. And it came to be at the end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Ḥaran that Ya’aqoḇ said to Laḇan, “Give me my wives and send me away, that I may go to my land, for see, my mother sent to me from the land at Kena’an that I should return to my father’s house.”
25 And Laḇan said to him, “No, please. If I have found favour in your sight do not leave me. Appoint me your wages and I will give them, and remain with me.”
26 And Ya’aqoḇ said to him, “This is what you shall give me for wages: that I shall this day pass through all your flock and take away from them every lamb that is speckled and spotted and such as are brown among the sheep, and among the goats, and if you will do this matter for me I will return and feed your flock and keep them as at first.”
27 And Laḇan did so, and Laḇan removed from his flock all that Ya’aqoḇ had said, and gave them to him.
28 And Ya’aqoḇ placed all that he had removed from Laḇan’s flock in the hands of his sons, and Ya’aqoḇ was feeding the remainder of Laḇan’s flock.
29 And when the servants of Yitsḥaq which he had sent to Ya’aqoḇ saw that Ya’aqoḇ would not then return with them to the land of Kena’an to his father, they then went away from him, and they returned home to the land of Kena’an.
30 But Deḇorah remained with Ya’aqoḇ in Ḥaran , and she did not return with the servants of Yitsḥaq to the land of Kena’an, and Deḇorah resided with Ya’aqoḇ’s wives and children in Ḥaran.
31 And Ya’aqoḇ served Laḇan six years longer, and when the sheep brought forth, Ya’aqoḇ removed from them such as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Laḇan. And Ya’aqoḇ did so with Laḇan for six years, and the man increased abundantly and he had cattle and female servants and male servants, camels, and donkeys.
32 And Ya’aqoḇ had two hundred drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size and of good-looking appearance and were very productive. And all the clans of the sons of men desired to get some of the cattle of Ya’aqoḇ, for they were exceedingly prosperous.
33 And many of the sons of men came to obtain some of Ya’aqoḇ’s flock, and Ya’aqoḇ gave them a sheep for a man servant or a female servant or for a donkey or a camel, or whatever Ya’aqoḇ desired from them they gave him.
34 And Ya’aqoḇ obtained riches and honour and possessions by means of these matters with the sons of men, and the children of Laḇan envied him of this honour.
35 And in the course of time he heard the words of Laḇan’s sons, saying, “Ya’aqoḇ has taken away all that was our father’s, and by that which was our father’s has he acquired all this esteem.”
36 And Ya’aqoḇ saw the appearance of Laḇan and of his children, and see, it was not toward him in those days as it had been before.
37 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 appeared to Ya’aqoḇ at the passing of the six years, and said to him, “Arise, go forth out of this land, and return to the land of your birthplace and I will be with you.”
38 And Ya’aqoḇ rose up at that time and he mounted his children and wives and all belonging to him on camels, and he went out to go to the land of Kena’an to his father Yitsḥaq.
39 And Laḇan did not know that Ya’aqoḇ had gone from him, for Laḇan had been sheep-shearing that day.
40 And Raḥĕl stole her father’s images, and she took them and she concealed them on the camel upon which she sat, and she went on.
41 And this is the manner of the images: in taking a man who is the first-born and slaying him and taking the hair off his head, and taking salt and salting the head and anointing it in oil. Then taking a small tablet of copper or a tablet of gold and writing the name on it, and placing the tablet under his tongue, and taking the head with the tablet under the tongue and putting it in the house, and lighting lights before it and bowing down to it.
42 And at the time when they bow down to it, it speaks to them in all matters that they ask of it, through the power of the name which is written on it.
43 And some make them in the figures of men, of gold and silver, and go to them in times known to them, and the figures receive the influence of the stars, and tell them matters to come. And such were the images which Raḥĕl stole from her father.
44 And Raḥĕl stole these images which were her father’s, in order that Laḇan might not know through them where Ya’aqoḇ had gone.
45 And Laḇan came home and he asked concerning Ya’aqoḇ and his household, but he was not to be found. And Laḇan sought his images to know where Ya’aqoḇ had gone, and could not find them, and he went to some other images, and he inquired of them and they told him that Ya’aqoḇ had fled from him to his father – to the land of Kena’an.
46 And Laḇan then rose up and he took his brothers and all his servants, and he went forth and pursued Ya’aqoḇ. And he overtook him in mount Gil’aḏ.
47 And Laḇan said to Ya’aqoḇ, “What is this you have done to me to flee and deceive me, and lead my daughters and their children as captives taken by the sword?
48 “And you did not allow me to kiss them and send them away with joy, and you stole my mighty ones and went away!”
49 And Ya’aqoḇ answered Laḇan, saying, “Because I was afraid lest you would take your daughters by force from me. And now, with whoever you find your mighty ones, he shall die.”
50 And Laḇan searched for the images and he looked in all Ya’aqoḇ’s tents and furniture, but could not find them.
51 And Laḇan said to Ya’aqoḇ, “We will make a covenant together and it shall be a witness between you and I. If you shall afflict my daughters, or shall take other wives besides my daughters, even Elohim shall be a witness between you and I in this matter.”
52 And they took stones and made a heap, and Laḇan said, “This heap is a witness between you and I, therefore he called the name of it Gil’aḏ.”
53 And Ya’aqoḇ and Laḇan offered upon the mountain, and they ate there by the heap, and they stayed on the mountain all night. And Laḇan rose early in the morning, and he wept with his daughters and kissed them, and he returned to his place.
54 And he hastened and sent off his son Be’or, who was seventeen years old, with Aḇiḥor son of Uts, son of Naḥor, and with them were ten men.
55 And they hastened and went and passed on the way before Ya’aqoḇ, and they came by another way to the land of Sĕ’ir.
56 And they came to Ĕsaw and said to him, “Thus spoke your brother and relative, your mother’s brother Laḇan, son of Bethu’ĕl, saying:
57 ‘Have you heard what Ya’aqoḇ your brother has done to me, who first came to me naked and bare? And I went to meet him, and brought him to my house with honour, and I made him great, and I gave him my two daughters for wives and also two of my female servants.
58 ‘And Elohim baraḵ him for my sake, and he increased abundantly, and had sons, daughters and female servants.
59 ‘He also has a large stock of flocks and herds, camels and donkeys, also silver and gold in great amount. But when he saw that his wealth increased, he left me while I went to shear my sheep, and he rose up and fled in secrecy.
60 ‘And he lifted his wives and children upon camels, and he led away all his cattle and property which he acquired in my land, and he lifted his face to go to his father Yitsḥaq, to the land of Kena’an.
61 ‘And he did not allow me to kiss my daughters and their children, and he led my daughters as captives taken by the sword, and he also stole my mighty ones and fled.
62 ‘And now I have left him in the mountain of the wadi Yabboq – he and all belonging to him – he lacks nothing.
63 ‘If it be your desire to go to him, go, then and there you will find him, and you can do to him as your being desires.’ ” and Laḇan’s messengers came and told Ĕsaw all these matters.
64 And Ĕsaw heard all the words of Laḇan’s messengers, and his wrath was greatly kindled against Ya’aqoḇ, and he remembered his hatred, and his wrath burned within him.
65 And Ĕsaw hastened and took his children and servants and the beings of his household – being sixty men – and he went and assembled all the children of Sĕ’ir the Ḥorite and their people – being three hundred and forty men – and took all this number of four hundred men with drawn swords, and he went to Ya’aqoḇ to smite him.
66 And Ĕsaw divided this number into divisions, and he took the sixty men of his children and servants and the beings of his household as one head, and gave them into the hand of Eliphaz his eldest son.
67 And the remaining heads he gave into the hand of the six sons of Sĕ’ir the Ḥorite, and he placed every man over his generations and children.
68 And the whole of this camp went as it was, and Ĕsaw went among them toward Ya’aqoḇ, and he brought them over with speed.
69 And Laḇan’s messengers departed from Ĕsaw and went to the land of Kena’an, and they came to the house of Riḇqah the mother of Ya’aqoḇ and Ĕsaw.
70 And they told her saying, “See, your son Ĕsaw has gone against his brother Ya’aqoḇ with four hundred men, for he heard that he was coming, and he has gone to fight against him, and to smite him and to take all that he has.”
71 And Riḇqah hastened and sent seventy-two men from the servants of Yitsḥaq to meet Ya’aqoḇ on the way; for she said, “Maybe Ĕsaw will fight on the way when he meets him.”
72 And these messengers went on the way to meet Ya’aqoḇ, and they met him on the way of the wadi on the opposite side of the wadi Yabboq. And when he saw them Ya’aqoḇ said, “This camp is appointed to me from Elohim.” and Ya’aqoḇ called the name of that place Maḥanayim.
73 And Ya’aqoḇ knew all his father’s people, and he kissed them and embraced them and came with them, and Ya’aqoḇ asked them concerning his father and mother, and they said, “They are well.”
74 And the messengers said to Ya’aqoḇ, “Riḇqah your mother has sent us to you, saying, ‘I have heard, my son, that your brother Ĕsaw has gone out against you on the way with men from the children of Sĕ’ir the Ḥorite.
75 ‘And therefore, my son, listen to my voice and see with your counsel what you will do. And when he comes up to you, ask peace of him, and do not speak rashly to him, and give him a present from what you possess, and from what Elohim has favoured you with.
76 ‘And when he asks you concerning your affairs, conceal nothing from him, maybe he may turn from his wrath against you and you will thereby save your being, you and all belonging to you, for it is your duty to honour him, for he is your elder brother.’ ”
77 And when Ya’aqoḇ heard the words of his mother which the messengers had spoken to him, Ya’aqoḇ lifted up his voice and wept bitterly, and did as his mother then commanded him.