< Genesis 31 >

1 And Jacob heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and of our father's property has he gotten all this glory.
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 And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold it was not toward him as before.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
3 And the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your father, and to your family, and 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 And Jacob sent and called Lea and Rachel to the plain where the flocks were.
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field to his flock,
5 And he said to them, I see the face of your father, that it is not toward me as before, but the God of my father was with me.
And said to them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And you too know that with all my might I have served your father.
And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 But your father deceived me, and changed my wages for the ten lambs, yet God gave him not [power] to hurt me.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God allowed him not to hurt me.
8 If he should say thus, The speckled shall be your reward, then all the cattle would bear speckled; and if he should say, The white shall be your reward, then would all the cattle bear white.
If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The striped shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore striped.
9 So God has taken away all the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass when the cattle conceived and were with young, that I saw with mine eyes in sleep, and behold the he-goats and the rams leaping on the sheep and the she-goats, speckled and variegated and spotted with ash-colored spots.
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 striped, speckled, and spotted.
11 And the angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob; and I said, What is it?
And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Look up with your eyes, and behold the he-goats and the rams leaping on the sheep and the she-goats, speckled and variegated and spotted with ash-colored spots; for I have seen all things that Laban does to you.
And he said, Lift up now thy eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are striped, speckled, and spotted: for I have seen all that Laban doeth to thee.
13 I am God that appeared to you in the place of God where you anointed a pillar to me, and vowed to me there a vow; now then arise and depart out of this land, depart into the land of your nativity, and I will be with you.
I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar, and where thou didst vow to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.
14 And Rachel and Lea answered and said to him, Have we yet a part or inheritance in the house of our father?
And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
15 Are we not considered strangers by him? for he has sold us, and quite devoured our money.
Are we not counted by him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also our money.
16 All the wealth and the glory which God has taken from our father, it shall be our's and our children's; now then do whatever God has said to you.
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 And Jacob arose and took his wives and his children up on the camels;
Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 and he took away all his possessions and all his store, which he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and all that belonged to him, to depart to Isaac his father in the land of Chanaan.
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 Padanaram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole her father's images.
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.
20 And Jacob hid [the matter from] Laban the Syrian, so as not to tell him that he ran away.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was fleeing.
21 And he departed himself and all that belonged to him, and passed over the river, and went into the mountain Galaad.
So he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
22 But it was told Laban the Syrian on the third day, that Jacob was fled.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 And having taken his brethren with him, he pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on Mount Galaad.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in sleep by night, and said to him, Take heed to yourself that you speak not at any time to Jacob evil things.
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 And Laban overtook Jacob; and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban stationed his brothers in the mount Galaad.
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 And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done? therefore did you run away secretly, and pillage me, and lead away my daughters as captives taken with 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 Whereas if you had told me, I would have sent you away with mirth, and with songs, and timbrels, and harp.
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 timbrel, and with harp?
28 And I was not counted worthy to embrace my children and my daughters; now then you have wrought foolishly.
And hast not permitted me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
29 And now my hand has power to hurt you; but the God of your father spoke to me yesterday, saying, Take heed to yourself that you speak not evil words to Jacob.
It is in the power of my hand to do you harm: but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 Now then go on your way, for you have earnestly desired to depart to the house of your father; therefore have you stolen my gods?
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 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Lest at any time you should take away your daughters from me, and all my possessions.
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 And Jacob said, With whoever you shall find your gods, he shall not live in the presence of our brethren; take notice of what I have of your property, and take it; and he observed nothing with him, but Jacob knew not that his wife Rachel had stolen them.
With whomever 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 And Laban went in and searched in the house of Lea, and found [them] not; and he went out of the house of Lea, and searched in the house of Jacob, and in the house of the two maidservants, and found them not; and he went also into the house of Rachel.
And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
34 And Rachel took the idols, and cast them among the camel's packs, and sat upon them.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
35 And she said to her father, Be not indignant, Sir; I can’t rise up before you, for it is with me according to the manner of women. Laban searched in all the house, and found not the images.
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 And Jacob was angry, and strove with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my injustice, and what my sin, that you have pursued after me,
And Jacob was angry, and contended with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37 and that you have searched all the furniture of my house? what have you found of all the furniture of your house? set it here between your relations and my relations, and let them decide between us two.
Though thou hast searched all my things, what hast thou found of all thy household things? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge between us both.
38 These twenty years have I been with you; your sheep, and your she-goats have not failed in bearing; I devoured not the rams of your cattle.
These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy female goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39 That which was taken of beasts I brought not to you; I made good of myself the thefts of the day, and the thefts of the night.
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 I was parched with heat by day, and [chilled] with frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.
41 These twenty years have I been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years among your sheep, and you did falsely rate my wages for ten lambs.
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 Unless I had the God of my father Abraam, and the fear of Isaac, now you would have sent me away empty; God saw my humiliation, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you yesterday.
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 labour of my hands, and rebuked thee last night.
43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the cattle are my cattle, and all things which you see are mine, and [the property] of my daughters; what shall I do to them today, or their children which they bore?
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 Now then come, let me make a covenant, both I and you, and it shall be for a witness between me and you; and he said to him, Behold, there is no one with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.
Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob having taken a stone, set it up for a pillar.
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they gathered stones and made a heap, and ate there upon the heap; and Laban said to him, This heap witnesses between me and you today.
And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they ate there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it, the Heap of Testimony; and Jacob called it, the Witness Heap.
And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and the pillar, which I have set between me and you; this heap witnesses, and this pillar witnesses; therefore its name was called, the Heap witnesses.
And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
49 And the vision of which he said—Let God look to it between me and you, because we are about to depart from each other, —
And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If you shall humble my daughters, if you should take wives in addition to my daughters, see, there is no one with us looking on. God [is] witness between me and you.
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 between me and thee.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold, this heap, and this pillar are a witness.
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and thee;
52 For if I should not cross over to you, neither should you cross over to me, for mischief beyond this heap and this pillar.
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 The God of Abraam and the God of Nachor 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 between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 And he offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren, and they ate and drank, and slept in 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 And Laban rose up in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban having turned back, departed to his place.
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.

< Genesis 31 >