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.”

And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s has he gotten all this glory.

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

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, 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.”

And the LORD said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you.

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

And 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 your father’s countenance, 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.

And you know that with all my power I have served your father.

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

And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not 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 thus, The speckled shall be your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be your hire; then bore all the cattle ringstraked.

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

Thus God has taken away the cattle of your father, 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.

And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped on the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

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

And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

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.

And he said, Lift up now your eyes, and see, all the rams which leap on the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted: 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 the pillar, and where you vowed a vow to me: now arise, get you out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred.

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

And Rachel and Leah answered and said to 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 we not counted of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has quite devoured also 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 from our father, that is 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 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 carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

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

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.

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

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

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; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

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

And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

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

And he took his brothers with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount 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.”

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that you speak not 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.

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brothers pitched in the mount 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!

And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done, that you have stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with 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 away secretly, and steal away from me; and did not tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, 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 have not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? you have now done foolishly in so doing.

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 do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take you heed that you speak not 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?”

And now, though you would needs be gone, because you sore longed after your father’s house, yet why have you stolen my gods?

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

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure you would take by force your daughters from me.

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.

With whomsoever you find your gods, let him not live: before our brothers discern you what is your with me, and take it to you. For Jacob knew not 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.

And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he 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 images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat on them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

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.

And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before you; for the custom of women is on me. And he searched but found not the images.

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?

And Jacob was wroth, and strived with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after 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.

Whereas you have searched all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? set it here before my brothers and your brothers, that they may judge between us both.

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.

This twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock have I not eaten.

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 beasts I brought not to you; I bore the loss of it; of my hand did you require 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.

Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed 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!

Thus have I been twenty years in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle: 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.”

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you had sent me away now 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?

And Laban answered and said to Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which they have born?

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

Now therefore come you, let us make a covenant, I and you; and let it be for a witness between me and you.

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

And 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.

And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there on the heap.

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

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: 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.

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you this day. Therefore was the name of it called 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 shall afflict my daughters, or if you shall take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, 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.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast 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.

This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you shall 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. And 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.

Then Jacob offered sacrifice on the mount, and called his brothers to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

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

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