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Genesis 31

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1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he obtained all this glory.

2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not towards him as before.

3 And the LORD said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field to his flock,

5 And said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not towards me as before: but the God of my father hath been with me.

6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to hurt me.

8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore ring-streaked.

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

10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

11 And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lift up now thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth to thee.

13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.

14 And Rachel and Leah answered, and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

15 Are we not counted by him strangers; for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also our money.

16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then whatever God hath said to thee, do.

17 Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gained, the cattle of his getting, which he had gained in Padan-aram; to go to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan.

19 And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was about to depart.

21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face towards the mount Gilead.

22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

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

25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban, with his brethren, pitched in the mount of Gilead.

26 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 the sword?

27 Why 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?

28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou didst earnestly long after thy father's house; yet why hast thou stolen my gods?

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, It may be thou wouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

32 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.

33 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 he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

34 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.

35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

36 And Jacob was wroth, and chid with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so eagerly pursued after me?

37 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.

38 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.

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

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

41 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.

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

43 And Laban answered, and said to Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine; and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which they have borne?

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

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

46 And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they ate there upon the heap.

47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed:

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed:

49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives besides my daughters; no man is with us; See, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

52 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 to me, for harm.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they ate bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned to his place.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 4061

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4061. Genesis 31

1. And he 1 heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth.

2. And Jacob saw Laban's face, and behold, he was not at all friendly towards him as before. 2

3. And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers, and to [the place of] your nativity, and I will be with you.

4. And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock.

5. And he said to them, I see your father's face, that it is not at all friendly towards me as before; 3 and the God of my father has been with me.

6. And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.

7. And your father has deceived me, and has changed my wages in ten ways, and God has not allowed him to do evil to me.

8. If he said thus: The speckled will be your wages, then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: The variegated will be your wages, then all the flocks bore variegated.

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

10. And it happened, when the flock came on heat, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the he-goats mounting the flock were variegated, speckled, and mottled.

11. And the angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob. And I said, Behold, here I am.

12. And he said, Lift up now your eyes, and see all the he-goats mounting the flock, variegated, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

13. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now rise up, go out of this land, and return to the land of your nativity.

14. And Rachel answered, and Leah, and they said to him, Is there still any portion and inheritance for us in our father's house?

15. Are we not considered strangers by him, for he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money? 4

16. For all the riches which God has snatched from our father belong to us and to our sons; and now do everything that God has told you.

17. And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his womenfolk on camels.

18. And he brought away all his cattle and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle 5 he had purchased, which he had gathered in Paddan Aram, to come to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

19. And Laban had gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stole the teraphim which belonged to her father.

20. And Jacob stole the heart 6 of Laban the Aramean by not giving him any indication that he was fleeing.

21. And he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and crossed the river; and he set his face towards mount Gilead.

22. And it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

23. And he took his brothers with him and pursued him for seven days; 5 and he caught up with him on mount Gilead.

24. And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care not to speak to Jacob either good or evil.

25. And Laban overtook Jacob, and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban pitched with his brothers in mount Gilead.

26. And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done, that you have stolen my heart, 6 and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?

27. Why was it that you concealed your flight, and stole from me, and gave me no indication; for I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, and with drums and with harps?

28. And you have not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters; now you have acted foolishly in what you have done.

29. Let my hand be for God to do you evil! And the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Beware of speaking to Jacob either good or evil.

30. And now you have surely gone because you longed greatly for your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?

31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Perhaps you will take your daughters from me by force.

32. Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers. Examine for yourself what is with me, and take them to yourself. And Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33. And Laban came into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of both servant-girls, and did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and came into Rachel's tent.

34. And Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them in the camel's straw, and sat on them. And Laban felt around all the tent and did not find them.

35. And she said to her father, Let there not be any anger in my Lord's eyes, for I cannot rise up before you, for the way of women is upon me. And he searched and did not find the teraphim.

36. And Jacob was incensed and wrangled with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression, what is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

37. Because you have felt around all my vessels, what have you found belonging to all the vessels of your house? Put it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, and let them decide between the two of us.

38. These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your she-goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

39. That which was torn [by beasts] I did not bring to you; I myself bore the loss of it; from my hand you required it - that stolen by day and that stolen by night.

40. This is how I was: By day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night; and my sleep was banished from my eyes.

41. These twenty years I have served you in your house - fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you have changed my wages in ten ways.

42. Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Dread of Isaac, had been with me, you would now have sent me away empty-handed. My affliction and the tiredness of my hands 8 God has seen, and has given judgement last night.

43. And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that you see is mine. And for my daughters, what am I to do for them today, or for their sons whom they have borne?

44. And now come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and let it be a witness between me and you.

45. And Jacob took a stone and erected it as a pillar.

46. And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.

47. And Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha; and Jacob called it Galeed.

48. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today; therefore he called its name Galeed -

49. And Mizpah, for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and you, for we are going to be hidden from each other. 9

50. If you afflict my daughters, and if you take wives (femina) besides my daughters, after we have parted from each other 10 - see, God is witness between me and you.

51. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have erected between me and you.

52. This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, to do harm.

53. May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge 11 between us, the God of their father. And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac.

54. And Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brothers to eat bread; and they ate bread and stayed the night in the mountain.

55. And in the morning Laban rose up early, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban went and resumed to his place.

CONTENTS

The subject now in the internal sense is the separation of the good and truth which are represented by Jacob and his wives from the good meant by Laban, in order that they might be joined to the Divine coming from a direct Divine stock. The subject is also the state of the two so far as separation is concerned.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. i.e. Jacob

2. literally, not at all with him as yesterday three days ago (an ancient way of describing the day before yesterday)

3. literally, not at all towards me as yesterday three days ago

4. or silver

5. literally, acquisition

6. i.e. he deceived or outwitted Laban

8. literally, palms

9. literally, a man from his companion

10. literally, no man being with us

11. The verb rendered may judge here is plural.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.