Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
Early in the morning after the day of covenanting, Laban rose up, and
kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, and blessed them. But these
acts and words of his did not come from the heart; in his innermost
thoughts he regretted that Jacob and his family and his substance had
escaped him.[228] His true feelings he betrayed in the message which he
sent to Esau at once upon his return to Haran, by the hand of his son
Beor and ten companions of his son. The message read: "Hast thou heard
what Jacob thy brother has done unto me, who first came to me naked and
bare, and I went to meet him, and took him to my house with honor, and
brought him up, and gave him my two daughters for wives, and also two
of my maids? And God blessed him on my account, and he increased
abundantly, and had sons and daughters and maid-servants, and also an
uncommon stock of flocks and herds, camels and asses, also silver and
gold in abundance. But when he saw that his wealth increased, he left
me while I went to shear my sheep, and he rose up and fled in secrecy.
And he put his wives and children upon camels, and he led away all his
cattle and substance which he acquired in my land, and he resolved to
go to his father Isaac, to the land of Canaan. And he did not suffer me
to kiss my sons and daughters, and he carried away my daughters as
captives of the sword, and he also stole my gods, and he fled. And now
I have left him in the mountain of the brook of Jabbok, he and all
belonging to him, not a jot of his substance is lacking. If it be thy
wish to go to him, go, and there wilt thou find him, and thou canst do
unto him as thy soul desireth."[229]
Jacob had no need to fear either Laban or Esau, for on his journey he
was accompanied by two angel hosts, one going with him from Haran to
the borders of the Holy Land, where he was received by the other host,
the angels of Palestine.[230] Each of these hosts consisted of no less
than six hundred thousand angels,[231] and when he beheld them, Jacob
said: "Ye belong neither to the host of Esau, who is preparing to go
out to war against me, nor the host of Laban, who is about to pursue me
again. Ye are the hosts of the holy angels sent by the Lord." And he
gave the name Mahanaim, Double-Host, to the spot on which the second
army relieved the first.[232]
JACOB AND ESAU PREPARE TO MEET
The message of Laban awakened Esau's old hatred toward Jacob with
increased fury, and he assembled his household, consisting of sixty
men. With them and three hundred and forty inhabitants of Seir, he went
forth to do battle with Jacob and kill him. He divided his warriors
into seven cohorts, giving to his son Eliphaz his own division of
sixty, and putting the other six divisions under as many of the
Horites.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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