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 hath taken away all that was our father's, and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this wealth.

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 unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy birthplace; and I will be with thee.

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 unto 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 he said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

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

And ye know well 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 hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to do me evil.

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 thy wages: then bore all the flocks speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy reward; then bore all the flocks ring-streaked.

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

Thus God took away the cattle of your father, and gave 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 flocks conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

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

And an angel of God spoke unto me in the dream, 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 thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the flocks are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doth unto thee.

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 Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou madest unto me a vow: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy birth.

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 unto 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.

Were we not counted of him as strangers? for he hath sold us; and he hath quite consumed 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 hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's; now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, 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 upon 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 led away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his acquiring, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, to go to Isaac his father into the land of Canaan.

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

And Laban was gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole 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, by not letting him know that he was going to flee.

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

And 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 to 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 brethren with him, and pursued after him a seven days' journey; and he overtook him at the mount 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.”

And God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take thou heed that thou 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 on the mount, and Laban with his brethren pitched on 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 hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and led 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.

Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and why didst thou not tell me, that I might have sent thee 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 [why] hast thou not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now thou hast acted 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 unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou 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, thou wouldst needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house; [yet] wherefore hast thou 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 thou wouldst take by force thy 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 thou findest thy gods, let him not live; before our brethren seek out thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee; but 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 the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two maid-servants; but he found nothing; he then went out of the tent of Leah, 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 saddle-cushion of the camel, and sat upon them; and Laban searched all the tent, and found nothing.

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 thee; for the custom of women is upon me; and thus 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?

Now Jacob became wroth, and quarrelled with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast 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.

Although thou hast searched all my goods, what hast thou found of all the articles of thy household? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, 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.

These twenty years have I been with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young; and the rams of thy 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 unto thee; I had to bear the loss of it, of my hand didst thou require it, whatever was 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.

[Where] I was in the day the heat 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!

These twenty years have I been in thy house; I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flocks: and thou hast 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 thou hadst now sent me away empty; my affliction and the labor of my hands God hath seen, and decided yesternight.

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 unto Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine; but as to my daughters, what can I do unto them this day, or unto their children whom 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.”

And now, come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

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 unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.

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

And Laban called it Yegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galed.

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 thee this day; therefore called he its name Galed;

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 Mitzpah; for he said, The Lord shall watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from the other;

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 thou shouldst afflict my daughters, or if thou shouldst take other wives besides my daughters, when there is no man with us: see, God is witness between me and thee.

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 up between me and thee;

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.

Witness be this heap and witness be this pillar, that I will not pass by this heap, and that thou shalt not pass unto me by this heap and this pillar, for evil.

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 Nachor shall judge between us, the God of their father; but 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 slew some cattle upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they did eat bread, and tarried all night on 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 unto his own place.