Genesis 31

1 But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”

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.

2 Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.

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

3 Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”

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

4 He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,

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

5 and he said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me.

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

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

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

7 Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me.

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.

8 Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.

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.

9 And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me.

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

10 For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.

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.

11 And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.’

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

12 And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

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.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’”

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.

14 And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?

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

15 Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?

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.

16 But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”

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

17 And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.

Then Jacob put his wives and his sons on camels;

18 And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.

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.

19 At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.

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.

20 And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.

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

21 And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,

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

22 it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

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

23 And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead.

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.

24 And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”

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.

25 And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead.

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.

26 And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?

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

27 Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?

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?

28 You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,

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

29 my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’

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.

30 It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?”

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?

31 Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.

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

32 But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

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.

33 And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,

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.

34 she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing,

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.

35 she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.

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.

36 And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against me

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

37 and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.

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.

38 For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.

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.

39 Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.

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.

40 Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes.

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

41 And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times.

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.

42 If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”

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.

43 Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?

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?

44 Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”

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

45 And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.

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

46 And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.

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

47 And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.

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

48 And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)

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

49 “May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.

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

50 If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”

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.

51 And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,

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

52 will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me.

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.

53 May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

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.

54 And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.

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.

55 In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.

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