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 hath taken away all that [was] our father's; and of [that] which [was] our father's hath he obtained 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 towards 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 thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

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 into 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 towards me as before: but 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 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 hath 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 thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore ring-streaked.

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

Thus God hath 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 upon the cattle [were] ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

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 thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth 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 anointedst the pillar, [and] where thou vowedst to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to 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?

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 by him strangers; for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed 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 hath taken from our father, that [is] ours, and our children's: now then whatever God hath said to thee, do.

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

Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon 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 gained, the cattle of his getting, which he had gained in Padan-aram; 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 was about to depart.

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 arose, and passed over the river, and set his face [towards] 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 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.

And he took his brethren 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 thou 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 brethren, 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 hast thou done, that thou hast 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 didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee 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 hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? thou hast 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 yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou 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] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou didst earnestly long after thy father's house; [yet] why hast thou 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, It may be thou wouldest take thy 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.

With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what [is] thine with me, and take [it] to thee: 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 maid-servants' tents; but he found [them] not. Then he went 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 upon 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 thee; for the custom of women [is] upon 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 chid with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What [is] my trespass? what [is] my sin, that thou hast so eagerly 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 thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household-stuff? set [it] here before my brethren, and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt 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.

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 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 by beasts, I brought not to thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou 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 drouth 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 thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: 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, 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 thou hadst now sent me away empty. God hath seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight.

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 thou seest [is] mine; and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which 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 thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

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 brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they ate there upon 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,

And Laban said, This heap [is] a witness between me and thee 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 thee, 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 thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take [other] wives besides my daughters; no man [is] with us; See, God [is] 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 cast 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.

This heap [be] witness, and [this] pillar [be] witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt 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 betwixt 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 upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they ate 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 arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned to his place.