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17 So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels, 18 and drove all his livestock ahead of him, with everything that belonged to him, including the livestock that he had bought and accumulated in Paddan-aram,[a] intending to deliver them to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
Laban Pursues Jacob
19 Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father’s personal idols.[b] 20 Moreover, Jacob had deceived[c] Laban the Aramean,[d] because he had never told him that he was intending to leave. 21 Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river,[e] and headed to the hill country of Gilead. 22 Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left, 23 so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban[f] was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob[g] in the hill country of Gilead.
God Warns Laban
24 That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean[h] in a dream and warned him, “Be careful what you say to Jacob, whether it’s one word good or bad.” 25 Meanwhile, Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, where Laban had caught up with him.[i] Laban and his relatives encamped on that same mountain in the hill country of Gilead, too.
26 Then Laban asked Jacob, “What did you do? You deceived me,[j] carried off my daughters like you would war captives,[k] 27 ran away from me secretly,[l] and stole from me by not keeping me informed. Otherwise, I could have sent you off with a party and singing, accompanied by a band playing tambourines and harps. 28 As it is, you didn’t even allow me to kiss my grandchildren[m] and daughters goodbye! You’ve acted foolishly. 29 It’s actually in my power to do some serious[n] evil to you, but last night the God of your father told me, ‘Be careful what you say to Jacob whether good or evil.’ 30 Now, you can go if you must go, because you certainly are longing to go to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”
Laban Searches for His Idols
31 “I was afraid,” Jacob replied. “I thought you might take your daughters from me. 32 Now as to your gods, if you find someone has them in their possession, he’s a dead man.[o] Take our relatives as witnesses, search through our belongings, and take whatever belongs to you that’s in my possession.” But Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the idols.[p] 33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn’t find them.[q] Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Meanwhile, Rachel had taken the idols,[r] placed them inside the saddle of her camel, and sat on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but found nothing. 35 Then Rachel told her father, “Sir, please don’t be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It’s that time of the month.”[s] So Laban[t] searched for the idols,[u] but never did find them.[v]
Jacob Rebukes Laban
36 Then Jacob got angry and started an argument with Laban. “What have I done?” he demanded. “What’s my crime that would cause you to come pursue me so violently? 37 Now that you’ve searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives[w] and we’ll let them judge between us! 38 Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I’ve been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock, 39 and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. 40 As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest. 41 I’ve lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you changed[x] my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the God whom Isaac feared—had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty handed. But God saw my misery and how hard I’ve worked with my own hands—and he rebuked you last night.”
43 But Laban answered Jacob, “These women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and the children they have borne? 44 Come, let’s make a covenant just between you and me. And let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
45 So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob told his relatives, “Go gather some stones.” So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones. 47 Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha,[y] but Jacob named it Galeed.[z]
48 Then Laban said, “This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today.” That’s how the place came to be named Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[aa] because Laban[ab] said, “May the Lord watch between you and me, when we are estranged[ac] from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching[ad] us, keep in mind that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
51 “Look!” Laban added, “Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I’ve set up between you and me. 52 This stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm. 53 May Abraham’s God and Nahor’s god judge between us.”
So Jacob made an oath by his father’s Fear,[ae] 54 offered sacrifices there on the mountain, and called on his relatives to eat some food. So they ate the food and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [af]Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home.[ag]
Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau
32 [ah]As Jacob went on his way, angels from God met him. 2 As he was watching them, Jacob said, “This must be God’s camp,” so he named that place Mahanaim.[ai]
3 Then Jacob sent messengers ahead of him into the land of Seir (that is, into the territory of Edom) to meet his brother Esau. 4 He instructed them, “This is what you are to say to my master Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob told me to tell you, “I’ve journeyed to stay with Laban and I’ve remained there until now. 5 I now have cattle, donkeys, flocks, and male and female servants. I’m sending this message to you, sir,[aj] so that you’ll show favor to me.”’”
6 Later, the messengers returned to Jacob and reported, “We went to your brother Esau. He’s now coming to meet you—and he has 400 men with him!”
7 Feeling mounting terror and distress, Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, doing the same with the flocks, the cattle, and the camels. 8 Jacob was thinking, “If Esau comes to one group and attacks it, then the remaining group may escape.”
9 Then Jacob prayed,[ak] “O God of my father Abraham, O God of my father Isaac, O Lord, you who told me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives and I’ll cause things to go well for you.’ 10 I’m unworthy of all your gracious love, your faithfulness, and everything that you’ve done for your servant. When I first crossed over this river, I had only my staff. But now I’ve become two groups. 11 Deliver me from my brother Esau’s control, because I’m terrified of him, and I’m afraid that he’s coming to attack me, the mothers, and their children. 12 Now, you promised me that ‘I’m certainly going to cause things to go well with you, and I’m going to make your offspring[al] as numerous as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, and a slave is not above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher and a slave to be like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul,[a] how much more will they do the same to[b] those of his household!”
Fear God(A)
26 “So never be afraid of them, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be made known. 27 What I tell you in darkness you must speak in the daylight, and what is whispered[c] in your ear you must shout from the housetops. 28 Stop being[d] afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.[e]
29 “Two sparrows are sold for a penny, aren’t they? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s permission.[f] 30 Indeed, even the hairs on your head have all been counted! 31 So stop being[g] afraid. You are worth more than a bunch of sparrows.”
Acknowledging the Messiah(B)
32 “Therefore, everyone who acknowledges me before people I, too, will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before people I, too, will deny before my Father in heaven.”
Not Peace, but Division(C)
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword![h] 35 I came to turn
‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.
36 A person’s enemies will include members of his own family.’[i]
The Cost of Discipleship(D)
37 “The one who loves his father or mother more than me isn’t worthy of me, and the one who loves a son or daughter more than me isn’t worthy of me. 38 The one who doesn’t take up his cross and follow me isn’t worthy of me. 39 The one who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his life because of me will find it.”
Rewards(E)
40 “The one who receives you receives me, and the one who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 The one who receives a prophet as[j] a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person as[k] a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 42 I tell all of you[l] with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is[m] a disciple will never lose his reward.”
11 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he left there to teach and preach in their home towns.
John the Baptist Sends Messengers to Jesus(F)
2 Now when John heard in prison about the activities of the Messiah,[n] he sent a message[o] by his disciples 3 and asked him, “Are you the Coming One, or should we wait for someone else?”
4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and observe: 5 the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the destitute hear the good news. 6 How blessed is anyone who is not offended by me!”
To the Director: A Davidic Psalm.
A Prayer for Deliverance
13 How long? Lord, will you forget me forever?[a]
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I struggle in my soul at night
and have sorrow in my heart during the day?
How long will my enemy rise up against me?
3 Look at me!
Answer me, Lord, my God!
Give light to my eyes!
Otherwise, I will sleep in death;
4 Otherwise, my enemy will say,
“I have overcome him;”
Otherwise, my persecutor will rejoice
when I am shaken.
5 As for me, I have trusted in your gracious love,
my heart will rejoice in your deliverance.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
for he has dealt bountifully with me.
16 Long life is in her right hand,
and in her left are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life for those who embrace her,
and whoever clutches her tightly will be joyful.
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