Genesis 31

1 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.'

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.”

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

Jacob also noticed that Laban was treating him differently to the way he had before.

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

The Lord told Jacob, “Go back to the country of your forefathers, to your family home. I will be with you.”

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

Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah, telling them to come and meet him out in the fields where he was with his flock.

5 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.

“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.

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

You both know very well how hard I worked for your father.

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

But he's been cheating me—he's reduced my wages ten times! However, God hasn't let him hurt me.

8 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.

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.

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

This is how God took your father's livestock and gave them to me.

10 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.

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.

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

Then in the dream the angel of the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I'm here.’

12 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.

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.

13 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.'

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.’”

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

“There's nothing for us to inherit from our father's estate anyway,” Rachel and Leah replied.

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

“He treats us like foreigners because he sold us to you, and now he's spent all that money.

16 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.'

All the wealth that God has taken from him belongs to us and our children, so do whatever God has told you to do!”

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

So Jacob got ready. He helped his children and his wives onto the camels,

18 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.

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.

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

While Laban was away from home shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.

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

Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not informing him that he was going to run away.

21 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.

So Jacob left in a hurry with everything he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed towards the hill country of Gilead.

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

Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had run away.

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

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.

24 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.'

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.”

25 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.

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.

26 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?

“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!

27 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;

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.

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

You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've really acted stupidly!

29 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.

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.’

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

Clearly you wanted to leave and go back to your family home, but why did you have to steal my idols?”

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

“I ran away because I was afraid,” Jacob explained to Laban. “I was worried that you would take your daughters from me by force.

32 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. —

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.)

33 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.

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.

34 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.

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.

35 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.

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.

36 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?

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?

37 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.

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!

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 flocks have I not eaten.

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.

39 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.

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.

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

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.

41 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.

I worked fourteen years for your two daughters, and six more years with your flocks. You reduced my wages ten times!

42 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.'

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.”

43 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?

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?

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

So let's make a solemn agreement between you and I, and it will be a witness to our mutual commitment.”

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

Jacob took a stone and set it upright as a pillar.

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

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.

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

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

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

Laban announced, “This pile of stone serves as a witness between me and you.” This is why it was called Galeed.

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

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.

50 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.'

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!”

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

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.

52 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.

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.

53 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.

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.

54 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.

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.

55 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.

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.