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cattle ring-straked. Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

And it came to pass, that the Angel of GoD spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob; and I said, Here am I; and he said, I am the GoD of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

And Rachel and Leah answered, and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house? Are we not counted of him strangers ? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money. For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours and our children's: now then whatsoever God hath said unto thee do.

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; and he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

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And Laban went to shear his sheep and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. So he fled with all that he had, and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward mount Gilead.

And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled and he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched

his

his tent in the mount pitched in the mount of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives taken with he sword?

and Laban with his brethren

Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me? and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp ?

And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the GOD of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

And now though thou wouldst needs be gone because thou sore longest after thy father's house; yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid for I said, Peradventure thou wouldst take by force thy daughters from me.

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With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee: for Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid servants tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them: and Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What is my tres

pass?

pass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

That which was torn of beasts, I brought not unto thee: I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

Thus I was, in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house : I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Except the God of my father, the GoD of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction, and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is nine: and what can I do this day unto. these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

And

And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones and made an heap and they did eat there upon the heap. And Laban called it Jegar sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed: And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day; therefore was the name of it called Galeed: and Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us: See, Gop is witness betwixt me and thee.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee. This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me fo harm.

The God of Abraham and the GoD of Nahor, the GOD of their father, judge betwixt us.

And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and La ban departed, and returned unto his place.

ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

There is something so uncomfortable in living among relations, who are jealous and envious, that Jacob's desire of leaving Mesopotamia, in order to be out of the way of Laban and his sons, appears very natural,

We find that they set no account by his own labour; but, because he had grown rich while connected with

them,

them, they supposed every thing he possessed to belong to Laban; but in saying, that Jacob had taken away all that was their father's, they accused him unjustly; for we read in a former section, that when Jacob settled with his father-in-law the terms of his hire, a separation was made of all Laban's cattle, and the white ones only were committed to his care; the others were given into the hands of Laban's sons, and removed three days journey from Jacob's charge. According to this agreement, Laban had no property in any that proceeded from these flocks and herds, unless they were white also; for the cattle, &c. that were speckled or straked were allotted to Jacob, as a consideration for the time he spent in Laban's service, therefore were as justly his property, as if he had purchased them with money.

We find, from Jacob's complaints to his wives, as well as from his subsequent expostulations with Laban, that he had conducted himself with the strictest equity; and that, in order to satisfy his father-in-law, he had submitted to a change of wages every time the cattle bore young ones, which, in that country, was twice a year. A most unpleasant life surely had Jacob toiling and slaving night and day, exposed to all the incle mencies of the weather, and fretted with the discontent of those for whom he had acquired great wealth, but who nevertheless could not bear to see him making any provision for his own increasing family. Yet all this Jacob patiently endured, till the LORD expressly called him to return into his own country; for he considered himself as heir to the promises, and, as such, entirely at Gop's disposal.

It is observable, that in the dream which Jacob related to his wives, he was reminded of the covenant which God made with him at Bethel, and of his own The LORD had been with him, and given him "food

WOW.

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