Génesis 31:4-14

4 Entonces Jacob mandó llamar a Raquel y a Lea al campo donde él cuidaba el rebaño

5 y les dijo:
—Noto un cambio en la actitud de su padre hacia mí, pero el Dios de mi padre ha estado conmigo.

6 Ustedes saben con cuánto esfuerzo trabajé para su padre;

7 sin embargo, me ha estafado, cambiando mi salario diez veces. Pero Dios no le ha permitido que me haga ningún daño.

8 Pues, si él decía: “Los animales manchados serán tu salario”, todo el rebaño comenzaba a dar crías manchadas. Y cuando él cambiaba de opinión y decía: “Los animales rayados serán tu salario”, entonces todo el rebaño producía crías rayadas.

9 De esa manera, Dios ha tomado los animales de su padre y me los ha entregado a mí.

10 »En una ocasión, durante la época de apareamiento, tuve un sueño y vi que los chivos que se apareaban con las hembras eran rayados, manchados y moteados.

11 Y en mi sueño, el ángel de Dios me dijo: “¡Jacob!”. Y yo respondí: “Sí, aquí estoy”.

12 »El ángel dijo: “Levanta la vista, y verás que solamente los machos rayados, manchados y moteados se aparean con las hembras de tu rebaño. Pues he visto el modo en que Labán te ha tratado.

13 Yo soy el Dios que se te apareció en Betel,
el lugar donde ungiste la columna de piedra y me hiciste el voto. Ahora prepárate, sal de este país y regresa a la tierra donde naciste”.

14 Raquel y Lea respondieron:
—¡Por nuestra parte está bien! De todos modos, nosotras no heredaremos nada de las riquezas de nuestro padre.

Génesis 31:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 31

This chapter relates how that Jacob observing that Laban and his sons envied his prosperity, and having a call from God to return to his own country, acquaints his wives with it; and reports to them Laban's ill usage of him, and the wonderful appearance of God to him, and for him, and his orders to him to depart from thence, Ge 31:1-13; to which they agreed, knowing full well their father's unkindness, and that they had nothing to expect from him, and therefore judged it best to go off with what they had got through the gift of God unto them, Ge 31:14-16; upon which Jacob set out privately, with all he had, towards his own country, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Ge 31:17-21; three days after, Laban, being informed of it, pursued after Jacob, and overtook him at Mount Gilead; but was warned by the way to be cautious what he said to him, Ge 31:22-25; yet nevertheless he warmly expostulated with him about his secret flight, not giving him the opportunity of taking his leave of his children, and especially for taking away his gods, Ge 31:26-30; to which Jacob gave an answer, Ge 31:31-35; and in his turn was warm likewise, and chided Laban severely for his hot pursuit of him, his charge of stealth, when he could find nothing on him, his hard labour for the space of twenty years with him, and his ill requital of him for it, Ge 31:36-42; however, upon the whole, an amicable agreement was made between them, and they parted in a friendly manner, Ge 31:43-55.