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[1]And in the seventh year, Ya'akov's service which he served Lavan was completed, and Ya'akov said unto Lavan, Give me my wife, for the days of my service are fulfilled; and Lavan did so, and Lavan and Ya'akov assembled all the men of that place and they made a feast.
[2]And in the evening Lavan came to the house, and afterward Ya'akov came there with the men of the feast, and Lavan extinguished all the lights that were there in the house.
[3]And Ya'akov said unto Lavan, Wherefore do you do this thing unto us? and Lavan answered, Such is our custom to act in this land.
[4]And afterward Lavan took his daughter Leah, and he brought her to Ya'akov, and he came to her and Ya'akov did not know that she was Leah.
[5]And Lavan gave his daughter Leah his maid Zilpah for a handmaid.
[6]And all the sons of the feast knew what Lavan had done to Ya'akov, but they did not tell the thing to Ya'akov.
[7]And all the neighbors came that night to Ya'akov's house, and they ate and drank and rejoiced, and played before Leah upon timbrels, and with dances, and they responded before Ya'akov, Hil'lah , Hil'lah. [i.e "she is Leah, she is Leah"]
[8]And Ya'akov heard their words but did not understand their meaning, but he thought such might be their custom in this land.
[9]And the neighbors spoke these words before Ya'akov during the night, and all the lights that were in the house Lavan had that night extinguished.
[10]And it came to pass in the morning, when daylight appeared, Ya'akov turned to his wife and he saw, and behold it was Leah that had been lying in his bosom, and Ya'akov said, Behold now I know what the neighbors said last night, Hil'lah, they said, and I knew it not.
[11]And Ya'akov called unto Lavan, and said unto him, What is this that you did unto me? Surely I served you for Rakhel, and why did you deceive me and did give me Leah?
[12]And Lavan answered Ya'akov, saying, Not so is it done 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 you will serve me for another seven years.
[13]And Ya'akov did so, and he also took Rakhel for a wife, and he served Lavan seven years more, and Ya'akov also came to Rakhel, and he loved Rakhel more than Leah, and Lavan gave her his maid Bilhah for a handmaid.
[14]And when YHWH saw that Leah was hated, YHWH opened her womb, and she conceived and bare Ya'akov four sons in those days.
[15]And these are their names, Re'uven, Shim'on, Levi, and Y'hudah, and she afterward left bearing.
[16]And at that time Rakhel was barren, and she had no offspring, and Rakhel envied her sister Leah, and when Rakhel saw that she bare no children to Ya'akov, she took her handmaid Bilhah, and she bare Ya'akov two sons, Dan and Naftali.
[17]And when Leah saw that she had left bearing, she also took her handmaid Zilpah, and she gave her to Ya'akov for a wife, and Ya'akov also came to Zilpah, and she also bare Ya'akov two sons, Gad and Asher.
[18]And Leah again conceived and bare Ya'akov in those days two sons and one daughter, and these are their names, Yissakhar, Z'vulun, and their sister Dinah.
[19]And Rakhel was still barren in those days, and Rakhel prayed unto YHWH at that time, and she said, O YHWH Elohim remember me and visit me, I beseech you, for now my husband will cast me off, for I have borne him no children.
[20]Now O YHWH Elohim, hear my supplication before you, and see my affliction, and give me children like one of the handmaids, that I may no more bear my reproach.
[21]And Elohim heard the voice of Rakhel, and Elohim remembered, and opened her womb, and Rakhel conceived and bare a son, and she said, Elohim has taken away my reproach, and she called his name Yosef, saying, May the YHWH add to me another son; and Ya'akov was ninety-one years old when she bare him.
[22]At that time Ya'akov's mother, Riv'kah, sent her nurse Devorah the daughter of Utz, and two of Yitz'chak's servants unto Ya'akov.
[23]And they came to Ya'akov to Charan and they said unto him, Riv'kah has sent us to you that you shall return to your father's house to the land of Kanaan; and Ya'akov hearkened unto them in this which his mother had spoken.
[24]At that time, the other seven years which Ya'akov served Lavan for Rakhel were completed, and it was at the end of fourteen years that he had dwelt in Charan that Ya'akov said unto Lavan, give me my wives and send me away, that I may go to my land, for behold my mother did send unto me from the land at Kanaan that I should return to my father's house.
[25]And Lavan said unto him, Not so I pray you; if I have found favor in your eyes do not leave me; appoint me your wages and I will give them, and dwell with me.
[26]And Ya'akov said unto 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 thing for me I will return and feed your flock and keep them as at first.
[27]And Lavan did so, and Lavan removed from his flock all that Ya'akov had said and gave them to him.
[28]And Ya'akov gave all that he had removed from Lavan's flock into the hands of his sons, and Ya'akov was feeding the remainder of Lavan's flock.
[29]And when the servants of Yitz'chak which he had sent unto Ya'akov saw that Ya'akov would not then return with them to the land of Kanaan to his father, they then went away from him, and they returned home to the land of Kanaan.
[30]And Devorah dwelt with Ya'akov in Charan, and she did not return with the servants of Yitz'chak to the land of Kanaan, and Devorah resided with Ya'akov's wives and children in Charan.
[31]And Ya'akov served Lavan six years longer, and when the sheep brought forth, Ya'akov removed from them such as were speckled and spotted, as he had determined with Lavan, and Ya'akov did so at Lavan's for six years, and the man increased abundantly and he had cattle and maid servants and men servants, camels, and asses.
[32]And Ya'akov had two hundred drove of cattle, and his cattle were of large size and of beautiful appearance and were very productive, and all the families of the sons of men desired to get some of the cattle of Ya'akov, for they were exceedingly prosperous.
[33]And many of the sons of men came to procure some of Ya'akov's flock, and Ya'akov gave them a sheep for a man servant or a maid servant or for an ass or a camel, or whatever Ya'akov desired from them they gave him.
[34]And Ya'akov obtained riches and honor and possessions by means of these transactions with the sons of men, and the children of Lavan envied him of this honor.
[35]And after some days he heard the words of Lavan's sons, saying, Ya'akov has taken away all that was our father's, and of that which was our father's has he acquired all this glory.
[36]And Ya'akov saw the countenance of Lavan and of his children, and behold it was not toward him in those days as it had been before.
[37]And in those days at the expiration of the six years, YHWH appeared to Ya'akov and said unto 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'akov rose up at that time and he mounted his children and wives and all belonging to him upon camels, and he went forth to go to the land of Kanaan to his father Yitz'chak.
[39]And Lavan did not know that Ya'akov had gone from him, for Lavan had been that day sheep-shearing.
[40]And Rakhel stole her father's images, and she took them and she concealed them upon 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 firstborn 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 upon 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 up 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 in 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 future things, and in this manner were the images which Rakhel stole from her father.
[44]And Rakhel stole these images which were her father's, in order that Lavan might not know through them where Ya'akov had gone.
[45]And Lavan came home and he asked concerning Ya'akov and his house, and he was not to be found, and Lavan sought his images to know where Ya'akov 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'akov had fled from him to his father's, to the land of Kanaan.
[46]And Lavan rose up at that time and he took his brothers and all his servants, and he went forth and pursued Ya'akov, and he overtook him in mount Gilead.
[47]And Lavan said unto Ya'akov, What is this you have done to me to flee and steal my heart, and lead my daughters and their children as captives taken by the sword?
[48]And you did not suffer me to kiss them and send them away with joy, and you did steal my gods and did go away.
[49]And Ya'akov answered Lavan, saying, Because I was afraid lest you would take your daughters by force from me; and now with whomsoever you find your gods he shall die.
[50]And Lavan searched for the images and he examined in all Ya'akov's tents and furniture, but could not find them.
[51]And Lavan said unto Ya'akov, We will make a covenant together and it shall be a testimony between me and you; if you shall afflict my daughters, or shall take other wives besides my daughters, even Elohim shall be a witness between me and you in this thing.
[52]And they took stones and made a heap, and Lavan said, This heap is a witness between me and you, therefore he called the name thereof Gilead.
[53]And Ya'akov and Lavan offered sacrifice upon the mount, and they ate there by the heap, and they tarried in the mount all night, and Lavan rose up early in the morning, and he wept with his daughters and he kissed them, and he returned unto his place.
[54]And he hastened and sent off his son B'or, who was seventeen years old, with Avichoref the son of Utz, the son of Nachor, and with them were ten men.
[55]And they hastened and went and passed on the road before Ya'akov, and they came by another road to the land of Seir.
[56]And they came unto Esau and said unto him, Thus says your brother and relative, your mother's brother Lavan, the son of Betuel, saying,
[57]Have you heard Esau what Ya'akov your brother has done unto me, who first came to me naked and bare, and I went to meet him, and brought him to my house with honor, and I made him great, and I gave him my two daughters for wives and also two of my maids.
[58]And Elohim blessed him on my account, and he increased abundantly, and had sons, daughters and maid servants.
[59]He has also an immense stock of flocks and herds, camels and asses, also silver and gold in abundance; and 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 up his countenance to go to his father Yitz'chak, to the land of Kanaan.
[61]And he did not suffer me to kiss my daughters and their children, and he led my daughters as captives taken by the sword, and he also stole my gods and he fled.
[62]And now I have left him in the mountain of the brook of Yabuk, him and all belonging to him; he lacks nothing.
[63]If it be your wish to go to him, go then and there will you find him, and you can do unto him as your soul desires; and Lavan's messengers came and told Esau all these things.
[64]And Esau heard all the words of Lavan's messengers, and his anger was greatly kindled against Ya'akov, and he remembered his hatred, and his anger burned within him.
[65]And Esau hastened and took his children and servants and the souls of his house, being sixty men, and he went and assembled all the children of Seir the Horite and their people, being three hundred and forty men, and took all this number of four hundred men with drawn swords, and he went unto Ya'akov to smite him.
[66]And Esau divided all this number into several parts, and he took the sixty men of his children and servants and the souls of his house as one head, and gave them in care of Elifaz his eldest son.
[67]And the remaining heads he gave to the care of the six sons of Seir the Horite, and he placed every man over his generations and over his children.
[68]And the whole of this camp went as it was, and Esau went among them toward Ya'akov, and he conducted them with speed.
[69]And Lavan's messengers departed from Esau and went to the land of Kanaan, and they came to the house of Riv'kah the mother of Ya'akov and Esau.
[70]And they told her saying, Behold your son Esau has gone against his brother Ya'akov with four hundred men, for he heard that he was coming, and he is gone to make war with him, and to smite him and to take all that he has.
[71]And Riv'kah hastened and sent seventy two men from the servants of Yitz'chak to meet Ya'akov on the road; for she said, Peradventure, Esau may make war in the road when he meets him.
[72]And these messengers went on the way to meet Ya'akov, and they met him in the road of the brook on the opposite side of the brook Yabuk, and Ya'akov said when he saw them, This camp is destined to me from Elohim, and Ya'akov called the name of that place Machnayim.
[73]And Ya'akov knew all his father's men, and he kissed them and embraced them and came with them, and Ya'akov asked them concerning his father and mother, and they said, They were well.
[74]And these messengers said unto Ya'akov, Riv'kah your mother has sent us to you, saying, I have heard, my son, that your brother Esau has gone forth against you on the road with men from the children of Seir the Horite.
[75]And now, my son, hearken to my voice and see with your counsel what you will do, and when he comes up to you, supplicate him, and do not speak rashly to him, and give him a present from what you possess, and from what Elohim has favored you with.
[76]And when he asks you concerning your affairs, conceal nothing from him, perhaps he may turn from his anger against you and you will thereby save your soul, you and all belonging to you, for it is your duty to honor him, for he is your elder brother.
[77]And when Ya'akov heard the words of his mother which the messengers had spoken to him, Ya'akov lifted up his voice and wept bitterly, and did as his mother then commanded him.
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