Genesis 31

1 But after that he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying: Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s, and being enriched by his substance is become great:

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 gotten all this wealth.'

2 And perceiving also that Laban’s countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day,

And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as beforetime.

3 Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.

And the LORD said unto Jacob: 'Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.'

4 He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed the flocks,

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

5 And said to them: I see your father’s countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father hath been with me.

and said unto them: 'I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but the God of my father hath been with me.

6 And you know that I have served your father to the uttermost of my power.

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

7 Yea, your father also hath overreached me, and hath changed my wages ten times: and yet God hath not suffered him to hurt me.

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

8 If at any time he said: The speckled shall be thy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalt take all the white ones for thy wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones.

If he said thus: The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said thus: The streaked shall be thy wages; then bore all the flock streaked.

9 And God hath taken your father’s substance, and given it to me.

Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

10 For after that time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep that the males which leaped upon the females were of divers colours, and spotted, and speckled.

And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

11 And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob? And I answered: Here I am.

And the angel of God said unto me in the dream: Jacob; and I said: Here am I.

12 And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colours, spotted, and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban hath done to thee.

And he said: Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country.

I am the God of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow a vow unto Me. Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.'

14 And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we any thing left among the goods and inheritance of our father’s house?

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

15 Hath he not counted us as strangers and sold us, and eaten up the price of us?

Are we not accounted by him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our price.

16 But God hath taken our father’s riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore do all that God hath commanded thee.

For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.'

17 Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children and wives upon camels, went his way.

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon the camels;

18 And he took all his substance, and flocks, and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and went forward to Isaac his father to the land of Chanaan.

and he carried away all his cattle, and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his getting, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan.

19 At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father’s idols.

Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.

20 And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away.

And Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, in that he told him not that he fled.

21 And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

22 It was told Laban on the third day that Jacob fled.

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

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad.

And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and he overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

24 And he saw in a dream God saying to him: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night, and said unto him: 'Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.'

25 Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he with his brethren had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad.

And Laban came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountain of Gilead.

26 And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters, as captives taken with the sword.

And Laban said to Jacob: 'What hast thou done, that thou hast outwitted me, and carried away my daughters as though captives of the sword?

27 Why wouldst thou run away privately and not acquaint me, that I might have brought thee on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps?

Wherefore didst thou flee secretly, and outwit me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp;

28 Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters: thou hast done foolishly: and now, indeed,

and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now hast thou done foolishly.

29 It is in my power to return thee evil: but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying: Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

30 Suppose thou didst desire to go to thy friends, and hadst a longing after thy father’s house: why hast thou stolen away my gods?

And now that thou art surely gone, because thou sore longest after thy father's house, wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?'

31 Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force.

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

32 But whereas thou chargest me with theft: with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and if thou find any of thy things with me, take them away. Now when he said this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols.

With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall 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 the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel’s tent,

And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two maid-servants; but he found them not. And he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

34 She in haste hid the idols under the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing,

Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the saddle of the camel, and sat upon them. And Laban felt about all the tent, but found them not.

35 She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee, because it has now happened to me, according to the custom of women, So his careful search was in vain.

And she said to her father: 'Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee; for the manner of women is upon me.' And he searched, but found not the teraphim.

36 And Jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault of mine, and for what offence on my part hast thou so hotly pursued me,

And Jacob was wroth, and strove with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban: 'What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast hotly pursued after me?

37 And searched all my household stuff? What hast thou found of all the substance of thy house? lay it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and let them judge between me and thee.

Whereas thou hast felt about 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 two.

38 Have I therefore been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat:

These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten.

39 Neither did I show thee that which the beast had torn, I made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact it of me:

That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes.

Thus I was: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

41 And in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times.

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

42 Unless the God of my father Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesterday.

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been on my side, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and gave judgment yesternight.'

43 Laban answered him: The daughters are mine and the children, and thy flocks, and all things that thou seest are mine: what can I do to my children, and grandchildren?

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob: 'The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine; and what can I do this day for these my daughters, or for their children whom they have borne?

44 Come therefore, let us enter into a league: that it may be for a testimony between me and thee.

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

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title:

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

46 And he said to his brethren: Bring hither stones. And they gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it.

And Jacob said unto his brethren: 'Gather stones'; and they took stones, and made a heap. And they did eat there by the heap.

47 And Laban called it The witness heap: and Jacob, The hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language.

And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The witness heap.

And Laban said: 'This heap is witness between me and thee this day.' Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

49 The Lord behold and judge between us when we shall be gone one from the other.

and Mizpah, for he said: 'The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

50 If thou afflict my daughters, and if thou bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and beholdeth.

If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take wives beside my daughters, no man being with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.'

51 And he said again to Jacob: Behold, this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and thee,

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

52 Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone, be they for a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thou shalt pass beyond it, thinking harm to me.

This heap be witness, and the 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 unto me, for harm.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, 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, the God of their father, judge betwixt us.' And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

54 And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there:

And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain.

55 But Laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons, and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.

And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. And Laban departed, and returned unto his place.