¹⁷ Then Jacob put his children and his wives^(A) on camels,^{(B) 18} and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated^(C) in Paddan Aram,^[a](D) to go to his father Isaac^(E) in the land of Canaan.^(F)

¹⁹ When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,^(G) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.^{(H) 20} Moreover, Jacob deceived^(I) Laban the Aramean^(J) by not telling him he was running away.^{(K) 21} So he fled^(L) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,^(M) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.^(N)

Laban Pursues Jacob

²² On the third day^(O) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^{(P) 23} Taking his relatives^(Q) with him^(R), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^{(S) 24} Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(T) in a dream at night and said to him,^(U) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”^(V)

²⁵ Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(W) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. ²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(X) You’ve deceived me,^(Y) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(Z) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(AA) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(AB) and harps?^{(AC) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(AD) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(AE) but last night the God of your father^(AF) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(AG) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(AH) But why did you steal^(AI) my gods?^(AJ)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(AK) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(AL) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(AM)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(AN) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(AO) but he found nothing.^(AP) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(AQ) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(AR) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(AS) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

³⁵ Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;^(AT) I’m having my period.^(AU)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(AV)

³⁶ Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged^(AW) you that you hunt me down?^{(AX) 37} Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(AY) Put it here in front of your relatives^(AZ) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(BA)

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(BB) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(BC) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. ³⁹ I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen^(BD) by day or night.^{(BE) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(BF) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(BG) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(BH) and six years for your flocks,^(BI) and you changed my wages^(BJ) ten times.^{(BK) 42} If the God of my father,^(BL) the God of Abraham^(BM) and the Fear of Isaac,^(BN) had not been with me,^(BO) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(BP) and last night he rebuked you.^(BQ)”

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.^(BR) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? ⁴⁴ Come now, let’s make a covenant,^(BS) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”^(BT)

⁴⁵ So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.^{(BU) 46} He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,^(BV) and they ate there by the heap. ⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.^[b](BW)

⁴⁸ Laban said, “This heap^(BX) is a witness between you and me today.”^(BY) That is why it was called Galeed. ⁴⁹ It was also called Mizpah,^[c](BZ) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. ⁵⁰ If you mistreat^(CA) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness^(CB) between you and me.”^(CC)

⁵¹ Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,^(CD) and here is this pillar^(CE) I have set up between you and me. ⁵² This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,^(CF) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap^(CG) and pillar to my side to harm me.^{(CH) 53} May the God of Abraham^(CI) and the God of Nahor,^(CJ) the God of their father, judge between us.”^(CK)

So Jacob took an oath^(CL) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.^{(CM) 54} He offered a sacrifice^(CN) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.^(CO) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

⁵⁵ Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters^(CP) and blessed^(CQ) them. Then he left and returned home.^[d](CR)

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

32 ^[e]Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God^(CS) met him. ² When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!”^(CT) So he named that place Mahanaim.^[f](CU)

³ Jacob sent messengers^(CV) ahead of him to his brother Esau^(CW) in the land of Seir,^(CX) the country of Edom.^{(CY) 4} He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord^(CZ) Esau: ‘Your servant^(DA) Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban^(DB) and have remained there till now. ⁵ I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants.^(DC) Now I am sending this message to my lord,^(DD) that I may find favor in your eyes.^(DE)’”

⁶ When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”^(DF)

⁷ In great fear^(DG) and distress^(DH) Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,^[g](DI) and the flocks and herds and camels as well. ⁸ He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,^[h] the group^[i] that is left may escape.”

⁹ Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham,^(DJ) God of my father Isaac,^(DK) Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’^{(DL) 10} I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness^(DM) you have shown your servant. I had only my staff^(DN) when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.^{(DO) 11} Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid^(DP) he will come and attack me,^(DQ) and also the mothers with their children.^{(DR) 12} But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand^(DS) of the sea, which cannot be counted.^(DT)’”

²⁴ “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.^{(A) 25} It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,^(B) how much more the members of his household!

²⁶ “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.^{(C) 27} What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. ²⁸ Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One^(D) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.^{[a] 30} And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.^{(E) 31} So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.^(F)

³² “Whoever acknowledges me before others,^(G) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.^(H)

³⁴ “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to turn

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.^{(K) 38} Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.^{(L) 39} Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.^(M)

⁴⁰ “Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me,^(N) and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.^{(O) 41} Whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. ⁴² And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”^(P)

Jesus and John the Baptist^(Q)

11 After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples,^(R) he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.^[c]

² When John,^(S) who was in prison,^(T) heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come,^(U) or should we expect someone else?”

⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[d] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^{(V) 6} Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”^(W)

Psalm 13^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.