Genèse 31

1 Jacob entendit les propos des fils de Laban, qui disaient: Jacob a pris tout ce qui était à notre père, et c’est avec le bien de notre père qu’il s’est acquis toute cette richesse.

Someone told Jacob that Laban’s sons were complaining and saying, “Jacob has become very rich by taking everything [HYP] that belonged to our father.”

2 Jacob remarqua aussi le visage de Laban; et voici, il n’était plus envers lui comme auparavant.

And Jacob noticed that Laban was not acting friendly toward him as he had done before.

3 Alors l’Éternel dit à Jacob: Retourne au pays de tes pères et dans ton lieu de naissance, et je serai avec toi.

Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will help you there.”

4 Jacob fit appeler Rachel et Léa, qui étaient aux champs vers son troupeau.

So Jacob sent a message to Rachel and Leah, telling them to come out to the pastures where his flocks of sheep and goats were.

5 Il leur dit: Je vois, au visage de votre père, qu’il n’est plus envers moi comme auparavant; mais le Dieu de mon père a été avec moi.

When they arrived, he said to them, “I see that your father does not act friendly toward me as he did previously. But God, whom my father worshiped, has helped me.

6 Vous savez vous-mêmes que j’ai servi votre père de tout mon pouvoir.

You two know that I have worked very hard for your father,

7 Et votre père s’est joué de moi, et a changé dix fois mon salaire; mais Dieu ne lui a pas permis de me faire du mal.

but many times [HYP] he has cheated me by decreasing my wages. But God has not allowed him to harm me.

8 Quand il disait: Les tachetées seront ton salaire, toutes les brebis faisaient des petits tachetés. Et quand il disait: Les rayées seront ton salaire, toutes les brebis faisaient des petits rayés.

When Laban said, ‘The speckled animals are the ones that I will give you to be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were speckled. When he changed and said, ‘The ones that have black and white stripes on them will be your wages,’ then all the animals gave birth to young ones that were striped.

9 Dieu a pris à votre père son troupeau, et me l’a donné.

In that way, God has taken away the livestock that belonged to your father and has given them to me.

10 Au temps où les brebis entraient en chaleur, je levai les yeux, et je vis en songe que les boucs qui couvraient les brebis étaient rayés, tachetés et marquetés.

“One time, when the animals were mating, I had a dream. In my dream I [looked up and was surprised to] see that some of the male goats that were mating with the female goats had black and white stripes on them, some were speckled, and some were spotted.

11 Et l’ange de Dieu me dit en songe: Jacob! Je répondis: Me voici!

An angel who was sent by God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I am here!’

12 Il dit: Lève les yeux, et regarde: tous les boucs qui couvrent les brebis sont rayés, tachetés et marquetés; car j’ai vu tout ce que te fait Laban.

He said to me, ‘Look up and you will see that all the male goats that are mating have black and white stripes on them, or are speckled or spotted. This is happening because I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

13 Je suis le Dieu de Béthel, où tu as oint un monument, où tu m’as fait un vœu. Maintenant, lève-toi, sors de ce pays, et retourne au pays de ta naissance.

I am God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you set up a stone to show that the place was holy, and you poured [olive] oil on the stone and made a solemn promise to me. So now leave this land immediately, and return to the land where you were born.’”

14 Rachel et Léa répondirent, et lui dirent: Avons-nous encore une part et un héritage dans la maison de notre père?

Rachel and Leah replied, “Our father will not give us anything more when he dies [RHQ].

15 Ne sommes-nous pas regardées par lui comme des étrangères, puisqu’il nous a vendues, et qu’il a mangé notre argent?

He treats us as though we were foreigners [RHQ]! [Your working for him all these years was like a payment] that you gave him as a price for us, but we will not inherit any of that money that he got as a price for us. He has spent it all!

16 Toute la richesse que Dieu a ôtée à notre père appartient à nous et à nos enfants. Fais maintenant tout ce que Dieu t’a dit.

Surely all of the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you to do!”

17 Jacob se leva, et il fit monter ses enfants et ses femmes sur les chameaux.

Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.

18 Il emmena tout son troupeau et tous les biens qu’il possédait, le troupeau qui lui appartenait, qu’il avait acquis à Paddan-Aram; et il s’en alla vers Isaac, son père, au pays de Canaan.

He made all his livestock go ahead of him. Besides the livestock, he took along all the other things that he had acquired while living in Paddan-Aram. And they prepared to return to his father Isaac, in the Canaan region.

19 Tandis que Laban était allé tondre ses brebis, Rachel déroba les théraphim de son père;

Before they left, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the [small wooden] idols [that were in her father’s tent].

20 et Jacob trompa Laban, l’Araméen, en ne l’avertissant pas de sa fuite.

Furthermore, Jacob deceived Laban, who belonged to the Aram people-group, by not telling him that they were planning to leave.

21 Il s’enfuit, avec tout ce qui lui appartenait; il se leva, traversa le fleuve, et se dirigea vers la montagne de Galaad.

So Jacob and his family fled with all their possessions, and they crossed the Euphrates River, and then started traveling south toward the hilly Gilead region.

22 Le troisième jour, on annonça à Laban que Jacob s’était enfui.

On the third day after they left, someone told Laban that Jacob and his family had left.

23 Il prit avec lui ses frères, le poursuivit sept journées de marche, et l’atteignit à la montagne de Galaad.

So he took some of his relatives with him and started to pursue Jacob. They continued walking for seven days.

24 Mais Dieu apparut la nuit en songe à Laban, l’Araméen, et lui dit: Garde-toi de parler à Jacob ni en bien ni en mal!

Then God appeared to Laban in a dream at night, and said to him, “When you catch up to Jacob, be sure that you do not say anything at all [HYP] to him in an angry manner!”

25 Laban atteignit donc Jacob. Jacob avait dressé sa tente sur la montagne; Laban dressa aussi la sienne, avec ses frères, sur la montagne de Galaad.

The next day, by the time Laban caught up with Jacob, Jacob and his household had set up their tents in the hilly Gilead region. So Laban and his relatives set up their tents there, too.

26 Alors Laban dit à Jacob: Qu’as-tu fait? Pourquoi m’as-tu trompé, et emmènes-tu mes filles comme des captives par l’épée?

Then Laban went to Jacob and said to him, “Why have you done this? You have deceived me by carrying away my daughters as though you had captured them in a war [MTY]!

27 Pourquoi as-tu pris la fuite en cachette, m’as-tu trompé, et ne m’as-tu point averti? Je t’aurais laissé partir au milieu des réjouissances et des chants, au son du tambourin et de la harpe.

Why did you run away and deceive me? Why did you not tell me that you were going to leave, so that we could have rejoiced and sung while people played music on tambourines and harps before I said ‘goodbye’ to you?

28 Tu ne m’as pas permis d’embrasser mes fils et mes filles! C’est en insensé que tu as agi.

(You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye before they left!/Why did you not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye before they left?) [RHQ] What you have done was foolish!

29 Ma main est assez forte pour vous faire du mal; mais le Dieu de votre père m’a dit hier: Garde-toi de parler à Jacob ni en bien ni en mal!

My relatives and I have the power to harm you, but last night the God whom your father worships said to me in a dream, ‘Be sure that you do not say anything at all to Jacob in an angry way.’

30 Maintenant que tu es parti, parce que tu languissais après la maison de ton père, pourquoi as-tu dérobé mes dieux?

Now, I know you have left because you long to go back home. But why did you steal my [wooden] idols?”

31 Jacob répondit, et dit à Laban: J’avais de la crainte à la pensée que tu m’enlèverais peut-être tes filles.

Jacob replied to Laban, saying, “I did not tell you that we were planning to leave, because I was afraid. I thought that [if I told you], you would forcefully take your daughters away from me.

32 Mais périsse celui auprès duquel tu trouveras tes dieux! En présence de nos frères, examine ce qui t’appartient chez moi, et prends-le. Jacob ne savait pas que Rachel les eût dérobés.

But if you find anyone here who has your wooden idols, we will execute that person. While our relatives are watching, search for yourself to see if there is anything that belongs to you that is here with me. If you find anything, you can take it!” When Jacob said that, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the wooden idols.

33 Laban entra dans la tente de Jacob, dans la tente de Léa, dans la tente des deux servantes, et il ne trouva rien. Il sortit de la tente de Léa, et entra dans la tente de Rachel.

Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and then into Leah’s tent, and then into the tents of the two female slaves and searched for the idols, but he did not find them. After he left their tents, he entered Rachel’s tent.

34 Rachel avait pris les théraphim, les avait mis sous le bât du chameau, et s’était assise dessus. Laban fouilla toute la tente, et ne trouva rien.

But Rachel had previously taken the idols and put them in the saddle of a camel, and she was sitting on the saddle. So when Laban searched all over for them inside Rachel’s tent, he did not find them.

35 Elle dit à son père: Que mon seigneur ne se fâche point, si je ne puis me lever devant toi, car j’ai ce qui est ordinaire aux femmes. Il chercha, et ne trouva point les théraphim.

Rachel said to her father, “Do not be angry with me, sir, but I cannot get up in your presence [to show respect for you], because I am having my monthly menstrual period. [EUP]” So when Laban searched some more, he did not find the [wooden] idols.

36 Jacob s’irrita, et querella Laban. Il reprit la parole, et lui dit: Quel est mon crime, quel est mon péché, que tu me poursuives avec tant d’ardeur?

Then Jacob became angry. He rebuked Laban, saying, “What crime did I commit? For what sin that I committed have you pursued me?

37 Quand tu as fouillé tous mes effets, qu’as-tu trouvé des effets de ta maison? Produis-le ici devant mes frères et tes frères, et qu’ils prononcent entre nous deux.

Now you have searched through all my possessions, and what did you find from all these possessions that belongs to you? Put it here in front of my relatives and your relatives, so that they can decide who is right, you or me!

38 Voilà vingt ans que j’ai passés chez toi; tes brebis et tes chèvres n’ont point avorté, et je n’ai point mangé les béliers de ton troupeau.

I was with you for 20 years. In all that time, your sheep and goats have (not miscarried/always given birth to animals safely). I have not [killed and] eaten any rams from your flocks.

39 Je ne t’ai point rapporté de bêtes déchirées, j’en ai payé le dommage; tu me redemandais ce qu’on me volait de jour et ce qu’on me volait de nuit.

When one of your animals was attacked and mauled/killed by a wild animal, I did not bring it to you. I replaced the dead animal with a living one of my own animals. Whenever one of your animals was stolen, during the day or during the night, you demanded that I replace it with one of my own animals.

40 La chaleur me dévorait pendant le jour, et le froid pendant la nuit, et le sommeil fuyait de mes yeux.

I suffered from the heat during the day and from the cold at night. I was often not even able to sleep [PRS]!

41 Voilà vingt ans que j’ai passés dans ta maison; je t’ai servi quatorze ans pour tes deux filles, et six ans pour ton troupeau, et tu as changé dix fois mon salaire.

I lived in your household for 20 years. I worked for you for 14 years to buy your two daughters, and for six more years to buy some of your sheep and goats. During that time, you changed and reduced my wages many times [HYP].

42 Si je n’eusse pas eu pour moi le Dieu de mon père, le Dieu d’Abraham, celui que craint Isaac, tu m’aurais maintenant renvoyé à vide. Dieu a vu ma souffrance et le travail de mes mains, et hier il a prononcé son jugement.

If God, the one whom my grandfather Abraham worshiped and before whom my father Isaac trembled in fear, had not been with me and helped me, you would have sent me away (with nothing in my hands/owning nothing)! But God saw how much I was suffering and how hard I was working, so last night he told you that what you have done to me was wrong.”

43 Laban répondit, et dit à Jacob: Ces filles sont mes filles, ces enfants sont mes enfants, ce troupeau est mon troupeau, et tout ce que tu vois est à moi. Et que puis-je faire aujourd’hui pour mes filles, ou pour leurs enfants qu’elles ont mis au monde?

Laban replied, “These two women are my daughters, and their children are my grandchildren, and the animals are my animals. Everything you see here is mine [HYP]! But what can I do today to keep my daughters or the children they have given birth to [RHQ]?

44 Viens, faisons alliance, moi et toi, et que cela serve de témoignage entre moi et toi!

I cannot do anything in order to keep them, so hey, we should make a peace agreement, you and I, and do something that will remind us about our agreement.”

45 Jacob prit une pierre, et il la dressa pour monument.

So Jacob took a [large] stone and set it on its end.

46 Jacob dit à ses frères: Ramassez des pierres. Ils prirent des pierres, et firent un monceau; et ils mangèrent là sur le monceau.

Then Jacob said to his relatives, “You also gather some stones.” So they gathered some rocks and put them in a heap, and they ate some food there near the heap.

47 Laban l’appela Jegar-Sahadutha, et Jacob l’appela Galed.

Laban gave the heap the Aramaic name Jegar-Sahadutha, [which means ‘rock-pile to remind us’, ] but Jacob gave the rock-pile the Hebrew name Galeed, [which has the same meaning].

48 Laban dit: Que ce monceau serve aujourd’hui de témoignage entre moi et toi! C’est pourquoi on lui a donné le nom de Galed.

Laban said to Jacob, “This pile of rocks we have put here today will help us to remember our agreement.” That is why Jacob called it Galeed.

49 On l’appelle aussi Mitspa, parce que Laban dit: Que l’Éternel veille sur toi et sur moi, quand nous nous serons l’un et l’autre perdus de vue.

They also named the place Mizpah, [which sounds like the Hebrew word that means ‘watchtower’, ] because Laban said, “We will ask Yahweh to watch you and me while we are separated from each other, [so that we do not try to harm each other].

50 Si tu maltraites mes filles, et si tu prends encore d’autres femmes, ce n’est pas un homme qui sera avec nous, prends-y garde, c’est Dieu qui sera témoin entre moi et toi.

If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take other women to be your wives, even if no one tells me about it, don’t forget that God sees what you and I are doing!”

51 Laban dit à Jacob: Voici ce monceau, et voici ce monument que j’ai élevé entre moi et toi.

Laban also said to Jacob, “You see this large stone and this pile of rocks that we have set up to be between us.

52 Que ce monceau soit témoin et que ce monument soit témoin que je n’irai point vers toi au-delà de ce monceau, et que tu ne viendras point vers moi au-delà de ce monceau et de ce monument, pour agir méchamment.

Both this pile of rocks and this large stone will remind us, that I will not go past these rocks to harm you, and you will not go past these rocks to harm me.

53 Que le Dieu d’Abraham et de Nachor, que le Dieu de leur père soit juge entre nous. Jacob jura par celui que craignait Isaac.

We will ask the God whom [your grandfather] Abraham and [his father] Nahor worshiped to punish [MTY] either one of us, [if we harm the other one].” So Jacob solemnly promised to do what they said in their peace agreement. And he asked God, the one before whom his father Isaac trembled, to listen to what they promised.

54 Jacob offrit un sacrifice sur la montagne, et il invita ses frères à manger; ils mangèrent donc, et passèrent la nuit sur la montagne.

He offered a sacrifice to God there in the hilly area, and he invited his relatives to eat with him. After they had eaten, they slept there that night.

55 Laban se leva de bon matin, baisa ses fils et ses filles, et les bénit. Ensuite il partit pour retourner dans sa demeure.

The next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters [goodbye] and asked God to bless them. Then he [and his men] left them and returned home.