Genesis 31
1 Jacob found out that Laban's sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father. All the wealth he has actually came from our father.”
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 obtained all this glory.
2 Jacob also noticed that Laban was treating him differently to the way he had before.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it [was] not towards him as before.
3 The Lord told Jacob, “Go back to the country of your forefathers, to your family home. I will be with you.”
And the LORD said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah, telling them to come and meet him out in the fields where he was with his flock.
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field to his flock,
5 “I've noticed that your father is treating me differently to the way he did before,” he told them. “But the God of my father will be with me.
And said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it [is] not towards me as before: but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 You both know very well how hard I worked for your father.
And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 But he's been cheating me—he's reduced my wages ten times! However, God hasn't let him hurt me.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said, ‘You can have the speckled ones as your wages,’ then the whole flock had speckled young. If he said, ‘You can have the streaked ones as your wages,’ then the whole flock had streaked young.
If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore ring-streaked.
9 This is how God took your father's livestock and gave them to me.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.
10 During the time the flock was breeding I had a dream where I saw that the male goats mating with the flock were all streaked, speckled, or spotted.
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle [were] ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11 Then in the dream the angel of the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I'm here.’
And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, [saying], Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I.
12 He told me, ‘Take a look and you'll see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I've been watching everything that Laban has been doing to you.
And he said, Lift up now thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth to thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you poured olive oil on the stone pillar and made a solemn promise to me. Now get ready to leave this land and go back to your homeland.’”
I [am] the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, [and] where thou vowedst to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.
14 “There's nothing for us to inherit from our father's estate anyway,” Rachel and Leah replied.
And Rachel and Leah answered, and said to him, [Is there] yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 “He treats us like foreigners because he sold us to you, and now he's spent all that money.
Are we not counted by him strangers; for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also our money.
16 All the wealth that God has taken from him belongs to us and our children, so do whatever God has told you to do!”
For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that [is] ours, and our children's: now then whatever God hath said to thee, do.
17 So Jacob got ready. He helped his children and his wives onto the camels,
Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 and drove all his livestock in front of him. He took with him all his possessions and livestock he'd gained during his time in Paddan-aram, and left to go back to his father in the country of Canaan.
And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gained, the cattle of his getting, which he had gained in Padan-aram; to go to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan.
19 While Laban was away from home shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.
And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that [were] her father's.
20 Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not informing him that he was going to run away.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was about to depart.
21 So Jacob left in a hurry with everything he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed towards the hill country of Gilead.
So he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face [towards] the mount Gilead.
22 Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had run away.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 Taking some of his relatives with him, he chased after Jacob and caught up with him seven days later in the hill country of Gilead.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 But during the night God came to Laban in a dream and told him, “Watch what you say to Jacob. Don't try to persuade him to come back, and don't threaten him either.”
And God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
25 Jacob had set up his tents in the hill country of Gilead when Laban caught up with him, so Laban and his relatives did the same.
Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban, with his brethren, pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 “Why did you deceive me like this?” Laban asked Jacob. “You carried off my daughters as if they were some prisoners captured by the sword!
And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives [taken] with the sword?
27 Why did you run away in secret, trying to trick me? Why didn't you come and tell me? I would have given you a good send-off, a celebration with singing and the music of tambourines and lyres.
Why didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28 You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've really acted stupidly!
And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in [so] doing.
29 I could really punish you badly, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and told me, ‘Watch what you say to Jacob. Don't try to persuade him to come back, and don't threaten him either.’
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 Clearly you wanted to leave and go back to your family home, but why did you have to steal my idols?”
And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou didst earnestly long after thy father's house; [yet] why hast thou stolen my gods?
31 “I ran away because I was afraid,” Jacob explained to Laban. “I was worried that you would take your daughters from me by force.
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, It may be thou wouldest take thy daughters from me by force.
32 As for your idols, anyone you find who has them will die. You can search everything in the presence of our relatives, and if you find I have anything that belongs to you, you can take it.” (Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the household idols.)
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him 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 Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two personal maids, but didn't find anything. He left Leah's tent and went into Rachel's tent.
And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-servants' tents; but he found [them] not. Then he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
34 Rachel had put the household idols in a camel's saddlebag and was sitting on it. Laban carefully searched the whole tent but couldn't find them.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found [them] not.
35 She said to her father, “Sir, please don't get upset with me for not standing up in your presence, but I have my period.” He looked everywhere but didn't find the idols.
And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women [is] upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
36 Jacob got angry with Laban and confronted him, saying, “What crime am I guilty of? What wrong have I done to you that you've come hunting me down?
And Jacob was wroth, and chid with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What [is] my trespass? what [is] my sin, that thou hast so eagerly pursued after me?
37 You've searched through all my possessions. Did you find anything belonging to you? If you did, bring it out here before my relatives and yours so they can decide who's right!
Whereas thou hast searched 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 both.
38 I've worked for you for these past twenty years. During that time none of your sheep and goats miscarried, and I haven't eaten a single ram from your flock.
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 have I not eaten.
39 If any of them were killed by wild animals, I never even brought you the carcass to prove the loss—I bore the loss myself. But you on the other hand always made me compensate you for any animals that were stolen, whether at night or in broad daylight.
That which was torn by beasts, I brought not to thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, [whether] stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40 Whether it was sweating in the heat of the day, or freezing in the cold of the night when I couldn't sleep, I went on working for you for twenty years in your home.
[Thus] I was; in the day the drouth consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.
41 I worked fourteen years for your two daughters, and six more years with your flocks. You reduced my wages ten times!
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42 If it weren't for the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the awesome God of Isaac, who took care of me, you would have dismissed me with nothing. But God saw my suffering, how hard I worked, and he condemned you last night.”
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou hadst now sent me away empty. God hath seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight.
43 Laban replied, “These are my daughters and these are my children and these are my flocks! In fact, everything you see here is mine! However, what can I do now about my daughters and their children?
And Laban answered, and said to Jacob, [These] daughters [are] my daughters, and [these] children [are] my children, and [these] cattle [are] my cattle, and all that thou seest [is] mine; and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which they have borne?
44 So let's make a solemn agreement between you and I, and it will be a witness to our mutual commitment.”
Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 Jacob took a stone and set it upright as a pillar.
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.
46 Then he told his relatives, “Go and collect some stones.” They all made a pile of stones and then sat beside it to eat a meal.
And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they ate there upon the heap.
47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, while Jacob called it Galeed.
And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed:
48 Laban announced, “This pile of stone serves as a witness between me and you.” This is why it was called Galeed.
And Laban said, This heap [is] a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed:
49 It was also called Mizpah, for as Laban said, “May the Lord keep a close eye on both of us when we're not together.
And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If you treat my daughters badly or marry more wives in addition to them, God will see what you do even if no one else finds out!”
If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take [other] wives besides my daughters; no man [is] with us; See, God [is] witness betwixt me and thee.
51 Then Laban told Jacob, “Look at this pile of stones and this pillar that I have set up as a memorial of the agreement between you and me.
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 They also act as a witness to our solemn promises to each other: I will not come past them to attack you; and you will not come past them to attack me.
This heap [be] witness, and [this] 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 to me, for harm.
53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor—the God of our forefathers—be the one to judge between us in any dispute.” Jacob in turn made his solemn promise in the name of the awesome God 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 Then he offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited all his relatives to eat a meal there. They spent the night on the mountain.
Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they ate bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
55 Laban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye. He blessed them, and then left to go back home.
And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned to his place.
