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.

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

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

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

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

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

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 your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt 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 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 So God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me.

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

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

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

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.

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 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 where you vowed a vow to me: now arise, get you out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred.

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 answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us 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 counted of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has quite devoured also our money.

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.

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 put his wives and his sons on camels;

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons 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 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 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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 And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners 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 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 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 You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.

And have not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? you have now done foolishly in so doing.

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.

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 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?

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 And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

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 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?

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

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

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

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for 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 Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there on the heap.

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

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but 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,

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you this day. Therefore was the name of it 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.

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

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 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 And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put 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 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 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, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath 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 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 sacrifice on the mount, and called his brothers to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

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

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.