Genesis 31

1 And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and of what was our father's he has acquired all this glory.

Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”

2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as previously.

And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

3 And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return into the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

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

So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

5 and said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as previously; but the God of my father has been with me.

and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me.

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

You know that I have served your father with all my strength.

7 And your father has mocked me, and has changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

8 If he said thus; The speckled shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore speckled; and if he said thus: The ringstraked shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore ringstraked.

If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.

9 And God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.

Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

10 And it came to pass at the time of the ardour of the flocks, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams that leaped upon the flocks were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.

11 And the Angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob! And I said, Here am I.

In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see: all the rams that leap upon the flock are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban does to thee.

‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, where thou vowedst a vow to me. Now arise, depart out of this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

15 Are we not reckoned of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has even constantly devoured our money.

Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.

16 For all the wealth that God has taken from our father is ours and our children's; and now whatever God has said to thee do.

Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

17 And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels,

Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,

18 and carried away all his cattle, and all his property that he had acquired — the cattle of his possessions that he had acquired in Padan-Aram, to go to Isaac his father, into the land of Canaan.

and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

19 And Laban had gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that [belonged] to her father.

Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he fled.

Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

21 And he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face [toward] mount Gilead.

So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

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

On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on mount Gilead.

So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 And Laban came up with Jacob; and Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain; Laban also with his brethren pitched on mount Gilead.

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.

26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast deceived me, and hast carried away my daughters as captives of war?

Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!

27 Why didst thou flee away covertly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have conducted thee with mirth and with songs, with tambour and with harp;

Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.

28 and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now thou hast acted foolishly.

But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

29 It would be in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take care that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

30 And now that thou must needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house, why hast thou stolen my gods?

Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, I was afraid; for I said, Lest thou shouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live. Before our brethren discern what is thine with me, and take [it] to thee. But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two handmaids' tents, and found nothing; and he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them under the camel's saddle; and she sat upon them. And Laban explored all the tent, but found nothing.

Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 And she said to her father, Let it not be an occasion of anger in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, for it is with me after the manner of women. And he searched carefully, but did not find the teraphim.

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

36 And Jacob was angry, and he disputed with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my fault, what my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?

37 Whereas thou hast explored all my baggage, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set [it] here before my brethren and thy brethren, and let them decide between us both.

You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

38 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 I have not eaten.

I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

39 What was torn I have not brought to thee; I had to bear the loss of it: of my hand hast thou required it, [whether] stolen by day or stolen by night.

I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.

40 Thus it was with me: in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

41 I have been these twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

42 Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, it is certain thou wouldest have sent me away now empty. God has looked upon my affliction and the labour of my hands, and has judged last night.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that thou seest is mine; but as for my daughters, what can I do this day to them, or to their sons whom they have brought forth?

But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

44 And now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be a witness between me and thee.

Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.

So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

46 And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones, and made a heap, and ate there upon the heap.

and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.

47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

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

Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.

49 — and Mizpah; for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we shall be hidden one from another:

It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

50 if thou shouldest afflict my daughters, or if thou shouldest take wives besides my daughters, — no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee!

If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up between me and thee:

Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

52 [let] this heap be witness, and the pillar a witness, that neither I pass this heap [to go] to thee, nor thou pass this heap and this pillar [to come] to me, for harm.

This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.

53 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.

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

54 And Jacob offered a sacrifice upon the mountain, and invited his brethren to eat bread: and they ate bread, and lodged on the mountain.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

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

Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.