Genesis 31

1 Now it came to the ears of Jacob that Laban's sons were saying, Jacob has taken away all our father's property, and in this way he has got all this wealth.

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.”

2 And Jacob saw that Laban's feeling for him was no longer what it had been before.

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

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers, and to your relations, and I will be with you.

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

4 And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.

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

5 And he said to them, It is clear to me that your father's feeling is no longer what it was to me; but the God of my father has been with me

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.

6 And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father,

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

7 But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.

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

8 If he said, All those in the flock which have marks are to be yours, then all the flock gave birth to marked young; and if he said, All the banded ones are to be yours, then all the flock had banded young.

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.

9 So God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me.

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

10 And at the time when the flock were with young, I saw in a dream that all the he-goats which were joined with the she-goats were banded and marked and coloured.

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

11 And in my dream the angel of the Lord said to me, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.

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

12 And he said, See how all the he-goats are banded and marked and coloured: for I have seen what Laban has done to you.

‘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.

13 I am the God of Beth-el, where you put oil on the pillar and took an oath to me: now then, come out of this land and go back to the country of your birth.

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.’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah said to him in answer, What part or heritage is there for us in our father's house?

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

15 Are we not as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up.

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

16 For the wealth which God has taken from him is ours and our children's; so now, whatever God has said to you, do.

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.”

17 Then Jacob put his wives and his sons on camels;

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

18 And sending on before him all his cattle and his property which he had got together in Paddan-aram, he made ready to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

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.

19 Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house.

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

20 And Jacob went away secretly, without giving news of his flight to Laban the Aramaean.

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

21 So he went away with all he had, and went across the River in the direction of the hill-country of Gilead.

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

22 And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight.

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

23 And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him for seven days and overtook him in the hill-country of Gilead.

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

24 Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

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.”

25 Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead.

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.

26 And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war?

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

27 Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music?

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.

28 You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.

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

29 It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

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.’

30 And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods?

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

31 And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force.

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

32 As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them.

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.

33 So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.

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.

34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them.

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.

35 And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.

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.

36 Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?

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

37 Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us.

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.

38 These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food.

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.

39 Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night.

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.

40 This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes.

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

41 These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.

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!

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.

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.”

43 Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children?

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?

44 Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us.

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

45 Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar.

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

46 And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones.

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

47 And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.

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

48 And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed,

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

49 And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings.

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

50 If you are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us.

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.”

51 And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me;

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

52 They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose.

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.

53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.

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.

54 And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain.

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.

55 And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.

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