Genèse 31

1 Or [Jacob] entendit les discours des fils de Laban, qui disaient: Jacob a pris tout ce qui était à notre père, et de ce qui était à notre père, il a acquis toute cette gloire.

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 Et Jacob regarda le visage de Laban, et voici, il n'était point envers lui comme auparavant.

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

3 Et l'Eternel dit à Jacob: Retourne au pays de tes pères, et vers ta parenté, 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 donc envoya appeler Rachel et Léa aux champs vers ses troupeaux,

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 Et leur dit: Je connais au visage de votre père qu'il n'est pas envers moi comme il était auparavant; toutefois 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 Et vous savez que j'ai servi votre père de tout mon pouvoir.

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

7 Mais votre père s'est moqué de moi, et a changé dix fois mon salaire; mais Dieu n'a pas permis qu'il m'ait fait [aucun] 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 ainsi: Les picotées seront ton salaire, alors toutes les brebis faisaient des agneaux picotés; et quand il disait: Les marquetées seront ton salaire, alors toutes les brebis faisaient des agneaux marquetés.

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 Ainsi Dieu a ôté le bétail à votre père, 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 Car il arriva au temps que les brebis entraient en chaleur, que je levai mes yeux, et je vis en songe, et voici, les boucs qui couvraient les chèvres, [étaient] marquetés, picotés, et tachetés,

“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! Et je répondis: Me voici.

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

12 Et il dit: Lève maintenant tes yeux, et regarde: tous les boucs qui couvrent les chèvres, sont marquetés, picotés, et tachetés; 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] Fort de Béthel, où tu oignis la pierre [que tu dressas] pour monument, quand tu me fis là un vœu; maintenant [donc], lève-toi, sors de ce pays, et retourne au pays de ta parenté.

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 Alors Rachel et Léa lui répondirent, et dirent: Avons-nous encore quelque portion et quelque 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 nous a-t-il pas traitées [comme] des étrangères? car il nous a vendues, et même il a entièrement 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 Car toutes les richesses que Dieu a otées à notre père, nous appartenaient, et à nos enfants. Maintenant donc fais 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 Ainsi Jacob se leva, et fit monter ses enfants et ses femmes sur des chameaux;

Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.

18 Et il emmena tout son bétail et son bien, qu'il avait acquis, et tout ce qu'il possédait, et qu'il avait acquis en Paddan-Aram, pour aller 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 Or comme Laban était allé tondre ses brebis, Rachel déroba les marmousets qui étaient à 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 se déroba de Laban le Syrien, ne lui ayant rien déclaré [de son dessein], parce qu'il s'enfuyait.

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 donc avec tout ce qui lui appartenait, et partit, et passa le fleuve, et s'avança 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 Et au troisième jour on rapporta à Laban, que Jacob s'en était fui.

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

23 Et il prit avec lui ses frères, et le poursuivit sept journées de chemin, 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 à Laban le Syrien en songe la nuit, et lui dit: Prends garde de ne rien dire à Jacob 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 donc atteignit Jacob; et Jacob avait tendu ses tentes en la montagne; et Laban tendit aussi les siennes avec ses frères en 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 Or Laban dit à Jacob: Qu'as-tu fait? Tu t'es dérobé de moi; tu as emmené mes filles comme des prisonnières de guerre.

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 t'es-tu enfui en cachette, et t'es-tu dérobé de moi, sans m'en donner avis? car je t'eusse conduit avec joie et avec des chansons, au son des tambours, et des violons.

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 [seulement] laissé baiser mes fils et mes filles; tu as fait follement en cela.

(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 J'ai en main le pouvoir de vous faire du mal, mais le Dieu de votre père m'a parlé la nuit passée, et m'a dit: Prends garde de ne rien dire à Jacob 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 donc, [à la bonne heure], que tu t'en sois ainsi allé en hâte, puisque tu souhaitais si ardemment [de retourner] en la maison de ton père; [mais] pourquoi m'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 Et Jacob répondant dit à Laban: [Je m'en suis allé] parce que je craignais; car je disais [qu'il fallait prendre garde] que tu ne me ravisses 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] que celui en qui tu trouveras tes Dieux, ne vive point. Reconnais devant nos frères s'il y a chez moi quelque chose qui t'appartienne, et le prends; car Jacob ignorait 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 Alors Laban vint dans la tente de Jacob, et dans celle de Léa, et dans la tente des deux servantes et il ne les trouva point; et étant sorti de la tente de Léa, il 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 Mais Rachel prit les marmousets, et les ayant mis dans le bât d'un chameau, elle s'assit dessus; et Laban fouilla toute la tente, et ne les trouva point.

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 Et elle dit à son père: Que mon Seigneur ne se fâche point de ce que je ne me puis lever devant lui; car j'ai ce que les femmes ont accoutumé d'avoir; et il fouilla, mais il ne trouva point les marmousets.

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 Et Jacob se mit en colère, et querella Laban, et prenant la parole, lui dit: Quel est mon crime? quel est mon péché, que tu m'aies poursuivi si ardemment?

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

37 Car tu as fouillé tout mon bagage; [mais] qu'as-tu trouvé de tous les meubles de ta maison? Mets-le ici devant mes frères et les tiens, et qu'ils soient juges 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 J'ai été avec toi ces vingt ans passés; tes brebis et tes chèvres n'ont point avorté; je n'ai point mangé les moutons de tes troupeaux.

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 en compte ce qui a été déchiré [par les bêtes sauvages]; j'en ai supporté la perte; [et] tu redemandais de ma main ce qui avait été dérobé de jour, et ce qui avait été dérobé 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 De jour le hâle me consumait, et de nuit la gelée; et mon sommeil fuyait de devant 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 Je t'ai servi ces vingt ans passés dans ta maison, quatorze ans pour tes deux filles, et six ans pour tes troupeaux, et tu m'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 le Dieu de mon père, le Dieu d'Abraham, et la frayeur d'Isaac n'eût été pour moi, certes tu m'eusses maintenant renvoyé à vide. [Mais] Dieu a regardé mon affliction, et le travail de mes mains, et il t'a repris la nuit passée.

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 Et Laban répondit à Jacob, et dit: Ces filles sont mes filles, et ces enfants sont mes enfants, et ces troupeaux sont mes troupeaux, et tout ce que tu vois est à moi; et que ferais-je aujourd'hui à ces miennes filles, ou à leurs enfants qu'elles ont enfantés?

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 Maintenant donc, viens, faisons ensemble une alliance, et elle sera en 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 Et Jacob prit une pierre, et la dressa pour monument.

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

46 Et dit à ses frères: Amassez des pierres. Et eux ayant apporté des pierres, ils en firent un monceau, et ils mangèrent là sur ce 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 Et Laban l'appela Jégar-Sahadutha; et Jacob l'appela Gal-hed.

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 Et Laban dit: Ce monceau sera aujourd'hui témoin entre moi et toi; c'est pourquoi il fut nommé Gal-hed.

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 Il fut aussi appelé Mitspa; parce que [Laban] dit: Que l'Eternel prenne garde à moi et à toi, quand nous nous serons retirés l'un d'avec l'autre.

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 une autre femme que mes filles, ce ne sera pas un homme [qui sera témoin] entre nous, prends-y bien garde; c'est Dieu qui est 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 Et Laban dit encore à Jacob: Regarde ce monceau, et considère le monument que j'ai dressé 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 Ce monceau sera témoin, et ce monument sera témoin, que lorsque je viendrai vers toi je ne passerai point ce monceau; ni lorsque tu viendras vers moi tu ne passeras point ce monceau et ce monument pour me faire du mal.

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 les Dieux d'Abraham et les Dieux de Nacor, les Dieux de leur père, jugent entre nous; mais Jacob jura par la frayeur d'Isaac son père.

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 Et Jacob offrit un sacrifice en la montagne, et invita ses frères pour manger du pain; ils mangèrent donc du pain, 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 Et Laban se levant de bon matin, baisa ses fils, et ses filles, et les bénit, et s'en alla. Ainsi Laban s'en retourna chez lui.

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.