Genesis 31

1 Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”

Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”

2 And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

The LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,

5 and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me.

and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength.

You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.

7 And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

8 If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.

If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.

9 Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.

10 When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.

During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

11 In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

12 ‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

14 And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

15 Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.

Are not we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money.

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

For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”

17 Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,

18 and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

19 Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.

20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he was running away.

21 So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

22 On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.

Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

23 So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

24 But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

25 Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.

Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!

Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?

27 Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.

Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and did not tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;

28 But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

and did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.

29 I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”

31 “I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’

32 If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he did not find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but did not find them.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

She said to her father, “Do not let my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before you; for I am having my period.” He searched, but did not find the teraphim.

36 Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?

Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?

37 You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.

38 I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.

39 I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.

That which was torn of animals, I did not bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

41 Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

43 But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”

45 So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

46 and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.

Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.

47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.

Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed

49 It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

50 If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

52 This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.

May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.

54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.

55 Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.

Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.