Genèse 31

1 Et il entendit les propos des fils de Laban qui disaient: Jacob s'est emparé de tout ce qui était à notre père, et c'est de ce qui était à notre père qu'il a formé toute cette opulence.

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 remarqua l'air de Laban, et voici, il n'était plus envers lui comme ci-devant.

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

3 Et l'Éternel dit à Jacob: Retourne au pays de tes pères et au lieu de ta 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 Alors Jacob dépêcha auprès de Rachel et de Léa pour les faire venir 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 Et il leur dit: Je vois que votre père n'a plus pour moi le même air que ci-devant; 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-mêmes 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 m'a trompé et a changé mon salaire dix fois, mais Dieu ne lui a pas permis de me nuire.

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

8 Quand il parlait ainsi: Tu auras pour ton salaire les tachetées, toutes les brebis mettaient bas des agneaux tachetés; et quand il disait: Tu auras pour salaire les bigarrées, tout le troupeau mettait bas des portées bigarrées.

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 C'est ainsi que Dieu a retiré le troupeau de 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 Et il arriva à l'époque de l'accouplement des brebis que je levai les yeux, et eus une vue en songe; et voilà que les béliers qui saillissaient les brebis, étaient bigarrés, 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 dans le songe: Jacob! Et je dis: 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 donc les yeux et regarde! tous les béliers qui saillissent les brebis, sont bigarrés, 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 Beth-El où tu as oint un monument et où tu m'as fait un vœu. Or lève-toi, quitte 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 Alors 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 N'avons-nous pas été regardées par lui comme des étrangères? car il nous a vendues, et a aussi mangé l'argent payé pour nous.

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 retirée à notre père, est à nous et à nos enfants: dès lors 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 Sur quoi Jacob se mit en devoir et fit monter ses fils et ses femmes sur les chameaux

Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.

18 et emmena tout son bétail et tous ses biens qu'il avait acquis, le bétail qui était sa propriété acquise en Mésopotamie, pour venir joindre son père Isaac 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 Cependant Laban était allé faire la tonte de ses brebis. Et Rachel déroba les Théraphims 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 le cœur de Laban, l'Araméen, en ne le prévenant 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 prit donc la fuite avec tout ce qui lui appartenait, et il se mit en route et passa le fleuve, et prit la direction de 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 le troisième jour Laban eut avis de la fuite de Jacob.

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

23 Alors il prit ses frères avec lui, et le poursuivit sept journées de marche et il 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 vint trouver Laban, l'Araméen, dans un songe de la nuit et lui dit: Garde-toi de rien dire 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. Or Jacob avait dressé sa tente sur la montagne, et Laban la dressa aussi 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 d'avoir trompé mon cœur et emmené mes filles comme des captives prises avec 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 fuir clandestinement, et me tromper et ne pas m'informer? et je t'aurais accompagné joyeusement, au son des chants, de la cymbale et du luth.

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 Et pourquoi ne m'as-tu pas laissé donner le baiser à mes fils et à mes filles? Dès lors tu as follement 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 J'ai la force en main pour vous faire du mal, mais le Dieu de votre père m'a parlé hier et m'a dit: Garde-toi de rien dire 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 Eh bien! tu es parti parce que tu languissais après 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 Alors Jacob répondit et dit à Laban: J'étais en crainte pensant que tu me soustrairais 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 celui chez qui tu trouveras tes dieux, ne restera pas en vie! En présence de nos frères fouille ce qui m'appartient, et reprends-les. Or Jacob ignorait que Rachel les avait 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 Puis Laban entra dans la tente de Jacob et dans la tente de Léa et dans la tente des deux servantes, et ne trouva rien; et 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 Or Rachel avait pris les Théraphims et les avait mis dans le bât d'un chameau et s'était assise dessus. Et 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 Et elle dit à son père: Que mon seigneur ne s'irrite pas de ce que je ne puis me lever devant toi, car j'ai ce qui survient aux femmes. Et il chercha et ne trouva point les Théraphims.

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 Alors Jacob s'irrita et querella Laban; et prenant la parole Jacob dit à Laban: Quel est mon crime, quel est mon péché

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

37 pour que tu m'aies poursuivi, pour que tu aies fouillé tous mes bagages? Lequel de tous les meubles de ta maison as-tu trouvé? Produis-le ici devant mes frères et tes frères, et qu'ils soient arbitres 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 Voici vingt ans que j'ai passés avec toi; tes brebis et tes chèvres n'ont point avorté, et je n'ai pas 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'apportais point les bêtes déchirées, j'en supportais la perte, et tu me réclamais ce qui m'était volé de jour et ce qui m'était volé 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 j'étais dévoré par le chaud, et de nuit par la froidure, et le sommeil fuyait mes paupières.

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

41 Me voici avec vingt ans passés à te servir dans ta maison, quatorze ans pour tes deux filles et six ans pour ton troupeau; et dix fois tu as changé 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 et le Dieu d'Abraham et Celui qu'Isaac redoute n'eût été avec moi, tu m'aurais laissé partir sans rien. Dieu a eu égard à ma misère et au labeur de mes mains, et la nuit dernière Il a jugé.

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 Alors Laban répondit et dit à Jacob: Ces filles sont mes filles, et ces fils, mes fils, et ce troupeau, mon troupeau, et tout ce que tu vois, est à moi; et pour mes filles que puis-je faire aujourd'hui, et pour leurs fils 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 Eh bien donc! faisons un pacte moi et toi et qu'il soit témoin 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 Alors Jacob prit une pierre, et l'érigea en monument.

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

46 Et Jacob dit à ses frères: Ramassez des pierres; et ils prirent des pierres et en firent une pile, et ils mangèrent là sur la pile.

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 du nom de Jegar Sahadutha; mais Jacob l'appela Galed (pile du témoignage).

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: Que cette pile soit aujourd'hui témoin entre moi et toi.

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 C'est pourquoi on l'appelle du nom de Galed et de Mitspa (vedette) parce qu'il dit: Que l'Éternel veille entre toi et moi, quand nous ne serons plus en vue l'un de 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 à ce que tu ne rendes pas mes filles malheureuses, et que tu n'associes pas d'autres femmes à mes filles. Personne n'est avec nous, vois, Dieu 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 à Jacob: Voici cette pile, et voici ce monument que j'ai élevé entre toi et moi,

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 qu'elle soit témoin cette pile, qu'il soit témoin ce monument, que pour nous nuire l'un à l'autre nous ne nous avancerons point au-delà de ce monument, ni moi de ton côté, ni toi de mon côté.

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 le Dieu de Nachor soit soit juge entre nous, le Dieu de leurs pères. Alors Jacob jura par Celui qu'Isaac, son père, redoutait.

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 sur la montagne, et il invita ses frères à manger le pain, et ils mangèrent le 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 leva le matin, et donna le baiser à ses fils et à ses filles, et les bénit et partit, et Laban 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.