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.”
Postquam autem audivit verba filiorum Laban dicentium: Tulit Iacob omnia quae fuerunt patris nostri, et de illius facultate ditatus, factus est inclytus:
2 Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.
animadvertit quoque faciem Laban, quod non esset erga se sicut heri et nudiustertius,
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.”
maxime dicente sibi Domino: Revertere in terram patrum tuorum, et ad generationem tuam, eroque tecum.
4 He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,
Misit, et vocavit Rachel et Liam in agrum, ubi pascebat greges,
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.
dixitque eis: Video faciem patris vestri quod non sit erga me sicut heri, et nudiustertius: Deus autem patris mei fuit mecum.
6 And you know that I have served your father with all my strength.
Et ipsae nostis quod totis viribus meis servierim patri vestro.
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.
Sed et pater vester circumvenit me, et mutavit mercedem meam decem vicibus: et tamen non dimisit eum Deus ut noceret mihi.
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.
Si quando dixit: Variae erunt mercedes tuae: pariebant omnes oves varios foetus. quando vero econtrario ait: Alba quaeque accipies pro mercede: omnes greges alba pepererunt.
9 And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me.
Tulitque Deus substantiam patris vestri, et dedit mihi.
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.
Postquam enim conceptus ovium tempus advenerat, levavi oculos meos, et vidi in somnis ascendentes mares super feminas, varios et maculosos, et diversorum colorum.
11 And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.’
Dixitque angelus Dei ad me in somnis: Iacob? Et ego respondi: Adsum.
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.
Qui ait: Leva oculos tuos, et vide universos masculos ascendentes super feminas, varios, maculosos, atque respersos. Vidi enim omnia quae fecit tibi Laban.
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.’”
Ego sum Deus Bethel, ubi unxisti lapidem, et votum vovisti mihi. Nunc ergo surge, et egredere de terra hac, revertens in terram nativitatis tuae.
14 And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?
Responderuntque Rachel et Lia: Numquid habemus residui quidquam in facultatibus, et hereditate domus patris nostri?
15 Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?
Nonne quasi alienas reputavit nos, et vendidit, comeditque pretium nostrum?
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.”
Sed Deus tulit opes patris nostri, et eas tradidit nobis, ac filiis nostris: unde omnia quae praecepit tibi Deus, fac.
17 And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.
Surrexit itaque Iacob, et impositis liberis, ac coniugibus suis super camelos, abiit.
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.
Tulitque omnem substantiam suam, et greges, et quidquid in Mesopotamia acquisierat, pergens ad Isaac patrem suum in terram Chanaan.
19 At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.
Eo tempore ierat Laban ad tondendas oves, et Rachel furata est idola patris sui.
20 And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.
Noluitque Iacob confiteri socero suo quod fugeret.
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,
Cumque abiisset tam ipse quam omnia quae iuris sui erant, et amne transmisso pergeret contra montem Galaad,
22 it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
nunciatum est Laban die tertio quod fugeret Iacob.
23 And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead.
Qui, assumptis fratribus suis, persecutus est eum diebus septem: et comprehendit eum in Monte Galaad.
24 And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”
Viditque in somnis dicentem sibi Deum: Cave ne quidquam aspere loquaris contra Iacob.
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.
Iamque Iacob extenderat in monte tabernaculum: cumque ille consecutus fuisset eum cum fratribus suis, in eodem Monte Galaad fixit tentorium.
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?
Et dixit ad Iacob: Quare ita egisti, ut clam me abigeres filias meas quasi captivas gladio?
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?
Cur ignorante me fugere voluisti, nec indicare mihi, ut prosequerer te cum gaudio, et canticis, et tympanis, et citharis?
28 You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,
Non es passus ut oscularer filios meos et filias: stulte operatus es: et nunc quidem
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.’
valet manus mea reddere tibi malum: sed Deus patris tui heri dixit mihi: Cave ne loquaris contra Iacob quidquam durius.
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?”
Esto, ad tuos ire cupiebas, et desiderio erat tibi domus patris tui: cur furatus es deos meos?
31 Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.
Respondit Iacob: Quod inscio te profectus sum, timui ne violenter auferres filias tuas.
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.
Quod autem furti me arguis: apud quemcumque inveneris deos tuos, necetur coram fratribus nostris. scrutare, quidquid tuorum apud me inveneris, et aufer. haec dicens, ignorabat quod Rachel furata esset idola.
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,
Ingressus itaque Laban tabernaculum Iacob et Liae, et utriusque famulae, non invenit. Cumque intrasset tentorium Rachelis,
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,
illa festinans abscondit idola subter stramenta cameli, et sedit desuper: scrutantique omne tentorium, et nihil invenienti,
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.
ait: Ne irascatur dominus meus quod coram te assurgere nequeo: quia iuxta consuetudinem feminarum nunc accidit mihi. sic delusa solicitudo quaerentis est.
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
Tumensque Iacob, cum iurgio ait: Quam ob culpam meam, et ob quod peccatum meum sic exarsisti post me,
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.
et scrutatus es omnem supellectilem meam? Quid invenisti de cuncta substantia domus tuae? pone hic coram fratribus meis, et fratribus tuis, et iudicent inter me, et te.
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.
Idcirco viginti annis fui tecum? oves tuae et caprae steriles non fuerunt, arietes gregis tui non comedi:
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.
nec captum a bestia ostendi tibi, ego damnum omne reddebam: quidquid furto peribat, a me exigebas:
40 Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes.
die noctuque aestu urebar, et gelu, fugiebatque somnus ab oculis meis.
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.
Sicque per viginti annos in domo tua servivi tibi, quattuordecim pro filiabus, et sex pro gregibus tuis: immutasti quoque mercedem meam decem vicibus.
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.”
Nisi Deus patris mei Abraham, et timor Isaac affuisset mihi, forsitan modo nudum me dimisisses: afflictionem meam et laborem manuum mearum respexit Deus, et arguit te heri.
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?
Respondit ei Laban: Filiae meae et filii, et greges tui, et omnia quae cernis, mea sunt: quid possum facere filiis et nepotibus meis?
44 Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”
Veni ergo, et ineamus foedus: ut sit in testimonium inter me et te.
45 And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.
Tulit itaque Iacob lapidem, et erexit illum in titulum:
46 And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.
dixitque fratribus suis: Afferte lapides. Qui congregantes fecerunt tumulum, comederuntque super eum:
47 And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.
quem vocavit Laban Tumulum testis: et Iacob, Acervum testimonii, uterque iuxta proprietatem linguae suae.
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.’)
Dixitque Laban: Tumulus iste erit testis inter me et te hodie, et idcirco appellatum est nomen eius Galaad, id est, Tumulus testis.
49 “May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.
Intueatur et iudicet Dominus inter nos quando recesserimus a nobis,
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.”
si afflixeris filias meas, et si introduxeris alias uxores super eas: nullus sermonis nostri testis est absque Deo, qui praesens respicit.
51 And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,
Dixitque rursus ad Iacob: En tumulus hic, et lapis quem erexi inter me et te,
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.
testis erit: tumulus, inquam, iste et lapis sint in testimonium, si aut ego transiero illum pergens ad te, aut tu praeterieris, malum mihi cogitans.
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.
Deus Abraham, et Deus Nachor iudicet inter nos, Deus patris eorum. Iuravit ergo Iacob per timorem patris sui 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.
immolatisque victimis in monte, vocavit fratres suos ut ederent panem. Qui cum comedissent, manserunt ibi.
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.
Laban vero de nocte consurgens, osculatus est filios, et filias suas, et benedixit illis: reversusque est in locum suum.
