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.

Then heard he the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that belonged to our father; Yea out of what belonged to our father, hath he made all this wealth.

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

And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, —and lo! it was not with him as afore-time.

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 said Yahweh unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, —that I may be with thee.

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

So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto 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, Beholding, am I the face of your father, that it is not towards me as aforetime, —nevertheless, the God of my father, hath been with me;

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

and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I 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.

But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ten times, —yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with 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 thus he saith, The speckled, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth speckled, —But if thus he saith, The ring-straked, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth ring-straked.

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

So hath God stripped away the herds 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 in the season when the flock were in heat, then lifted I mine eyes and beheld in a dream, —and lo! the he-goats that were leaping upon the flock, were ring-straked speckled and dappled.

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

And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me!

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.

Then he said Lift, I pray thee, thine eyes and behold All, the he-goats that are leaping upon the flock are ring-straked, speckled, and dappled, —for I have seen all that Laban, has been doing to thee.

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 Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow to me a vow, —Now, rise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

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

Then responded Rachel and Leah, and said to him, —Have we any longer a portion or an inheritance in the house of our father?

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 accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?

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 riches which God hath stripped off from our father, unto us, it belongeth, and unto our sons, —Now, therefore, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

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

So Jacob arose, —and mounted his sons and his wives on the 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 drave away all his herds and all his goods which he had gathered, the gains he had gained, which he had gathered in Padan-aram; that he might go in unto Isaac his father unto 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.

Now, Laban, had gone, to shear his sheep, —so Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father,

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

Thus Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, —in that he had not told him that he was about to flee.

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, he—and all that he had, and he arose, and passed over the River, —and set his face towards the mountain of 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 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 brethren with him, and pursued after him a journey of seven days—and overtook him in the mountain 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.

And God went in unto Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, —and said to him Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with 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.

So then Laban came up with Jacob, —Jacob, having pitched his tent in the mountain, Laban, also, with his brethren pitched in the mountain of Gilead.

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

Then said Laban to Jacob, What hadst thou done, that thou shouldst steal away unawares to me, —and shouldst carry off my daughters, as captives of 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?

Wherefore didst thou secretly flee, and rob me, —and didst not tell me, that I might send thee away with rejoicing and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre;

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

and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.

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 deal with thee for harm, —but the God of your father, last night, spake unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with 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?

But, now, though thou, didst even take thy journey, because thou, didst sorely long, for the house of thy father, wherefore didst thou steal away 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 unto Laban, —Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take by force thy 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.

He with whom thou find thy gods, shall not live! Before our brethren, note thou for thyself what is with me and take what is thine. Neither did Jacob know 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.

Then entered Laban into the tent of Jacob and into the tent of Leah and into the tent of the two handmaids, and found nothing, —then went he forth out of the tent of Leah, and entered into the tent of Rachel.

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 household gods and put them in the basket-saddle of the camel, and taken her seat upon them. And Laban felt about throughout all the tent, and 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 unto her father, Let it not be vexing in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up at thy presence, for, the way of women, is upon me. So he made search, but found not the household gods,

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 it was vexing to Jacob and he contended with Laban, —and Jacob responded and said to Laban, What was my trespass, what my sin, that thou shouldst have come burning 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.

Now that thou hast felt about among all my goods, what hast thou found of the goods of thine own house? Set it out here, right before my brethren and thy brethren, —that they may give sentence betwixt us two.

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’ time, 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 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.

The torn, have I not brought in unto thee—I bare the loss, At my hand, didst thou require it, —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 have I been—By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, —So that my sleep fled away from mine 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.

This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, —I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep—And thou didst change 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.

But that the God of my father—The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac—Proved to be mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence 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?

Then responded Laban and said unto Jacob—the daughters, are my daughters, And the sons, are my sons, And the sheep are my sheep, And, all that, thou, beholdest, To me doth it belong! But to my daughters, what can I do to these this day, Or to their sons whom they have borne?

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

Now, therefore, come on! Let us solemnise a covenant, I and thou, —So shall it be a witness betwixt me and thee.

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

So Jacob took 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.

Then said Jacob to his brethren—Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, —and they did eat there, by the heap.

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

And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, —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,

Then said Laban: This heap, be witness betwixt me, and thee, to-day. For this cause, is the name thereof 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.

also, The Watch Tower, as to which it is said, Yahweh watch betwixt me and thee, when we are parted 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 thou oppress my daughters, or if thou take wives besides my daughters, —there may be no man with us—see! God, be witness betwixt me, and thee!

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 set betwixt me, and thee:

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.

A witness, be this heap, and, a witness, the pillar, —That, I, am not to pass, unto thee, over this heap, And, thou, art not to pass, unto me, over this heap and this pillar 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 Gods of Abraham and the Gods of Nahor judge betwixt us—the Gods of their fathers. And Jacob sware by the Dread 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.

and Jacob offered sacrifice in the mountain, and called on his brethren to eat bread. So they did eat bread, and tarried the night in the mountain.

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

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