So that day he took all the he-goats which were banded or coloured, and all the she-goats which were marked or coloured or had white marks, and all the black sheep, and gave them into the care of his sons;

And sent them three days' journey away: and Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flock.

And he put the banded sticks in the drinking-places where the flock came to get water; and they became with young when they came to the water.

And because of this, the flock gave birth to young which were marked with bands of colour.

These lambs Jacob kept separate; and he put his flock in a place by themselves and not with Laban's flock.

And whenever the stronger ones of the flock became with young, Jacob put the sticks in front of them in the drinking-places, so that they might become with young when they saw the sticks.

But when the flocks were feeble, he did not put the sticks before them; so that the feebler flocks were Laban's and the stronger were Jacob's.

So Jacob's wealth was greatly increased; he had great flocks and women-servants and men-servants and camels and asses.

Now it came to the ears of Jacob that Laban's sons were saying, Jacob has taken away all our father's property, and in this way he has got all this wealth.

And Jacob saw that Laban's feeling for him was no longer what it had been before.

Then the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers, and to your relations, and I will be with you.

And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.

And he said to them, It is clear to me that your father's feeling is no longer what it was to me; but the God of my father has been with me

And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father,

But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.

If he said, All those in the flock which have marks are to be yours, then all the flock gave birth to marked young; and if he said, All the banded ones are to be yours, then all the flock had banded young.

So God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me.

And at the time when the flock were with young, I saw in a dream that all the he-goats which were joined with the she-goats were banded and marked and coloured.

And in my dream the angel of the Lord said to me, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.

And he said, See how all the he-goats are banded and marked and coloured: for I have seen what Laban has done to you.

I am the God of Beth-el, where you put oil on the pillar and took an oath to me: now then, come out of this land and go back to the country of your birth.

Then Rachel and Leah said to him in answer, What part or heritage is there for us in our father's house?

Are we not as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up.

For the wealth which God has taken from him is ours and our children's; so now, whatever God has said to you, do.

Then Jacob put his wives and his sons on camels;

And sending on before him all his cattle and his property which he had got together in Paddan-aram, he made ready to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

And Jacob went away secretly, without giving news of his flight to Laban the Aramaean.

So he went away with all he had, and went across the River in the direction of the hill-country of Gilead.

And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight.

And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him for seven days and overtook him in the hill-country of Gilead.

Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead.

And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war?

Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music?

You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.

And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods?

And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force.

As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them.

So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.

Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them.

And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.

Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?

Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us.

These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food.

This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes.

These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.

Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children?

Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us.

Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar.

And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones.

And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.

And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed,

And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings.

And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me;

They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose.

May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.

And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain.

And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.

And on his way Jacob came face to face with the angels of God.

And when he saw them he said, This is the army of God: so he gave that place the name of Mahanaim.

And he gave them orders to say these words to Esau: Your servant Jacob says, Till now I have been living with Laban:

And I have oxen and asses and flocks and men-servants and women-servants: and I have sent to give my lord news of these things so that I may have grace in his eyes.

When the servants came back they said, We have seen your brother Esau and he is coming out to you, and four hundred men with him.

Then Jacob was in great fear and trouble of mind: and he put all the people and the flocks and the herds and the camels into two groups;

And said, If Esau, meeting one group, makes an attack on them, the others will get away safely.

Then Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, the God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, Go back to your country and your family and I will be good to you:

I am less than nothing in comparison with all your mercies and your faith to me your servant; for with only my stick in my hand I went across Jordan, and now I have become two armies.

Be my saviour from the hand of Esau, my brother: for my fear is that he will make an attack on me, putting to death mother and child.

And you said, Truly, I will be good to you, and make your seed like the sand of the sea which may not be numbered.

Then he put up his tent there for the night; and from among his goods he took, as an offering for his brother Esau,

Two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats, two hundred females and twenty males from the sheep,

Thirty camels with their young ones, forty cows, ten oxen, twenty asses, and ten young asses.

These he gave to his servants, every herd by itself, and he said to his servants, Go on before me, and let there be a space between one herd and another.

And he gave orders to the first, saying, When my brother Esau comes to you and says, Whose servant are you, and where are you going, and whose are these herds?

Then say to him, These are your servant Jacob's; they are an offering for my lord, for Esau; and he himself is coming after us.

And he gave the same orders to the second and the third and to all those who were with the herds, saying, This is what you are to say to Esau when you see him;

And you are to say further, Jacob, your servant, is coming after us. For he said to himself, I will take away his wrath by the offering which I have sent on, and then I will come before him: it may be that I will have grace in his eyes.

So the servants with the offerings went on in front, and he himself took his rest that night in the tents with his people.

And in the night he got up, and taking with him his two wives and the two servant-women and his eleven children, he went over the river Jabbok.

He took them and sent them over the stream with all he had.

Then Jacob was by himself; and a man was fighting with him till dawn.

And he said to him, Let me go now, for the dawn is near. But Jacob said, I will not let you go till you have given me your blessing.

Then he said, What is your name? And he said, Jacob.

And he said, Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel: for in your fight with God and with men you have overcome.

Then Jacob said, What is your name? And he said, What is my name to you? Then he gave him a blessing.

And Jacob gave that place the name of Peniel, saying, I have seen God face to face, and still I am living.

And while he was going past Peniel, the sun came up. And he went with unequal steps because of his damaged leg.

Then Jacob, lifting up his eyes, saw Esau coming with his four hundred men. So he made a division of the children between Leah and Rachel and the two women-servants.

He put the servants and their children in front, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph at the back.

And he himself, going before them, went down on his face to the earth seven times till he came near his brother.

Then Esau came running up to him, and folding him in his arms, gave him a kiss: and the two of them were overcome with weeping.

Then Esau, lifting up his eyes, saw the women and the children, and said, Who are these with you? And he said, The children whom God in his mercy has given to your servant.

Then the servants and their children came near, and went down on their faces.

And Leah came near with her children, and then Joseph and Rachel, and they did the same.

And he said, What were all those herds which I saw on the way? And Jacob said, They were an offering so that I might have grace in my lord's eyes.

And Jacob said, Not so; but if I have grace in your eyes, take them as a sign of my love, for I have seen your face as one may see the face of God, and you have been pleased with me.

Take my offering then, with my blessing; for God has been very good to me and I have enough: so at his strong request, he took it.

And he said, Let us go on our journey together, and I will go in front.

But Jacob said, My lord may see that the children are only small, and there are young ones in my flocks and herds: one day's over-driving will be the destruction of all the flock.