< 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.
And he hears the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken all that our father has; indeed, from that which our father has, he has made all this glory”;
2 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as previously.
and Jacob sees the face of Laban, and behold, it is not with him as before.
3 And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return into the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
And YHWH says to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your family, and I am with you.”
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the fields to his flock,
And Jacob sends and calls for Rachel and for Leah to the field to his flock;
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 says to them, “I am beholding your father’s face—that it is not toward me as before, and the God of my father has been with me,
6 And you know that with all my power I have served your father.
and you have known that with all my power I have served your father,
7 And your father has mocked me, and has changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
and your father has played on me, and has changed my hire ten times; and God has not permitted him to do evil with 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 says thus: The speckled are your hire, then all the flock bore speckled ones; and if he says thus: The striped are your hire, then all the flock bore striped;
9 And God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.
and God takes away the substance of your father, and gives 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.
And it comes to pass at the time of the flock conceiving, that I lift up my eyes and see in a dream, and behold, the male goats, which are going up on the flock, [are] striped, speckled, and spotted;
11 And the Angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob! And I said, Here am I.
and the Messenger of God says to me in the dream, Jacob, and I say, 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.
And He says, Now lift up your eyes and see [that] all the male goats which are going up on the flock [are] striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban is doing 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 have anointed a standing pillar, where you have vowed a vow to me; now, arise, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.”
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 answers—Leah also—and says to him, “Have we yet a portion and inheritance in the house of our father?
15 Are we not reckoned of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has even constantly devoured our money.
Have we not been reckoned strangers to him? For he has sold us, and he also utterly consumes our money;
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.
for all the wealth which God has taken away from our father, it [is] ours, and our children’s; and now, all that God has said to you—do.”
17 And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels,
And Jacob rises, and lifts up his sons and his wives on the 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 leads all his livestock, and all his substance which he has acquired, the livestock of his getting, which he has acquired in Padan-Aram, to go to his father Isaac, to the land of Canaan.
19 And Laban had gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that [belonged] to her father.
And Laban has gone to shear his flock, and Rachel steals the teraphim which her father has;
20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he fled.
and Jacob deceives the heart of Laban the Aramean, because he has not declared to him that he is fleeing;
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.
and he flees, he and all that he has, and rises, and passes over the River, and sets his face [toward] the Mount of Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
And it is told to Laban on the third day that Jacob has fled,
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on mount Gilead.
and he takes his brothers with him, and pursues after him a journey of seven days, and overtakes him in the Mount 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.
And God comes to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and says to him, “Take heed to yourself lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.”
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.
And Laban overtakes Jacob; and Jacob has fixed his tent in the mountain; and Laban with his brothers have fixed [theirs] in the Mount of Gilead.
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?
And Laban says to Jacob, “What have you done that you deceive my heart, and lead away my daughters as captives of the sword?
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 have you hidden yourself to flee, and deceive me, and have not declared to me, and I send you away with joy and with songs, with tambourine and with harp,
28 and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now thou hast acted foolishly.
and have not permitted me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have acted foolishly in doing [so];
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.
my hand is to God to do evil with you, but the God of your father last night has spoken to me, saying, Take heed to yourself from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.
30 And now that thou must needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house, why hast thou stolen my gods?
And now, you have certainly gone, because you have been very desirous for the house of your father; 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.
And Jacob answers and says to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest you violently take away your daughters from me;
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.
with whomsoever you find your gods—he must not live; before our brothers discern for yourself what [is] with me, and take to yourself”: and Jacob has not known that Rachel has stolen them.
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.
And Laban goes into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two handmaidens, and has not found; and he goes out from the tent of Leah, and goes into the tent of Rachel.
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.
And Rachel has taken the teraphim, and puts them in the furniture of the camel, and sits on them; and Laban feels all the tent, and has not found;
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.
and she says to her father, “Let it not be displeasing in the eyes of my lord that I am not able to rise at your presence, for the way of women [is] on me”; and he searches, and has not found the teraphim.
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?
And it is displeasing to Jacob, and he strives with Laban; and Jacob answers and says to Laban, “What [is] my transgression? What my sin, that you have burned after 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.
For you have felt all my vessels: what have you found of all the vessels of your house? Set here before my brothers, and your brothers, and they decide between us both.
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.
These twenty years I [am] with you: your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten;
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.
the torn I have not brought to you—I repay it—from my hand you seek it; I have been deceived by day, and I have been deceived by 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.
I have been [thus]: drought has consumed me in the day, and frost by night, and my sleep wanders 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.
This [is] to me twenty years in your house: I have served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you change my hire 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.
unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now you had sent me away empty; God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and reproves last night.”
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?
And Laban answers and says to Jacob, “The daughters [are] my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the flock my flock, and all that you are seeing [is] mine; and to my daughters—what do I to these today, or to their sons whom they have born?
44 And now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be a witness between me and thee.
And now, come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and it has been for a witness between me and you.”
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.
And Jacob takes a stone, and lifts it up [for] a standing 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 Jacob says to his brothers, “Gather stones,” and they take stones, and make a heap; and they eat there on the heap;
47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
and Laban calls it Jegar-Sahadutha; and Jacob has 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,
And Laban says, “This heap [is] witness between me and you today”; therefore has he called its name Galeed;
49 — and Mizpah; for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we shall be hidden one from another:
Mizpah also, for he said, “YHWH watches between me and you, for we are hidden from one another;
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 afflict my daughters, or take wives beside my daughters—there is no man with us—see, God [is] witness between me and you.”
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up between me and thee:
And Laban says to Jacob, “Behold, this heap, and behold, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and you;
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 heap [is] witness, and the standing pillar [is] witness, that I do not pass over this heap to you, and that you do not pass over this heap and this standing pillar to me—for evil;
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.
the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, judges between us—the God of their father,” and Jacob swears 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.
And Jacob sacrifices a sacrifice on the mountain, and calls to his brothers to eat bread, and they eat bread, and lodge 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.
and Laban rises early in the morning, and kisses his sons and his daughters, and blesses them; and Laban goes on, and turns back to his place.

< Genesis 31 >