Part 20 (1/2)

31:6. And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my power.

31:7. Yea your father hath also overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet G.o.d hath not suffered him to hurt me.

31:8. If at any time, he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalt take all the white one for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones.

31:9. And G.o.d hath taken your father's substance, and given it to me.

31:10. For after the time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep, that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled.

31:11. And the angel of G.o.d said to me in my sleep: Jacob. And I answered: Here I am.

31:12. And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee.

31:13. I am the G.o.d of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country.

31:14. And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father's house?

31:15. Hath he not counted us as strangers, and sold us, and eaten up the price of us?

31:16. But G.o.d hath taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore, do all that G.o.d hath commanded thee.

31:17. Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way.

31:18. And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac, his father, to the land of Chanaan.

31:19. At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.

Her father's idols... By this it appears that Laban was an idolater; and some of the fathers are of opinion that Rachel stole away these idols to withdraw him from idolatry, removing the occasion of his sin.

31:20. And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away.

31:21. And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having pa.s.sed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,

31:22. It was told Laban on the third day, that Jacob fled.

31:23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad.

31:24. And he saw in a dream G.o.d, saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

31:25. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he, with his brethren, had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad.

31:26. And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

31:27. Why wouldst thou run away privately, and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps?

31:28. Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters; thou hast done foolishly; and now indeed,

31:29. It is in my power to return thee evil; but the G.o.d of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

31:30. Suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father's house: why hast thou stolen away my G.o.ds?