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.

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, that they said, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and it is from our father's possessions that he has gotten all this wealth.”

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

Jacob saw the look on Laban's face. He saw that his attitude toward him had changed.

3 And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy birthplace; and I will be with thee.

Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

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

Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock

5 And he said unto 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.

and said to them, “I see your father's attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me.

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

You know that it is with all my strength that I have served your father.

7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to do me evil.

Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not permitted him to hurt me.

8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages: then bore all the flocks speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy reward; then bore all the flocks ring-streaked.

If he said, 'The speckled animals will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled young. If he said, 'The striped will be your wages,' then the whole flock bore striped young.

9 Thus God took away the cattle of your father, and gave them to me.

In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

10 And it came to pass at the time that the flocks conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

Once at the time of breeding season, I saw in a dream the male goats that were mating with the flock. The male goats were striped, speckled, and spotted.

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

The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I said, 'Here I am.'

12 And he said, Lift up now thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the flocks are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doth unto thee.

He said, 'Lift up your eyes and see all the male goats that are breeding with the flock. They are striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou madest unto me a vow: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy birth.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now rise up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth.'”

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

Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

15 Were we not counted of him as strangers? for he hath sold us; and he hath quite consumed also our money.

Are we not treated by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has also completely devoured our money.

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

For all the riches that God has taken away from our father are now ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

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

Then Jacob arose and placed his sons and his wives upon the camels.

18 And he led away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his acquiring, which he had gotten in Padan-aram, to go to Isaac his father into the land of Canaan.

He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all his property, including the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram. Then he set out to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 And Laban was gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the images that were her father's.

When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods.

20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, by not letting him know that he was going to flee.

Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was leaving.

21 And he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

So he fled with all that he had and quickly passed over the River, and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

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

On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

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

So he took his relatives with him and pursued him for a seven days' journey. He overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

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

Now God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

25 Then Laban overtook Jacob; now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mount, and Laban with his brethren pitched on the mount of Gilead.

Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead.

26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and led away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword.

Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you deceived me and carried away my daughters like prisoners of war?

27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and why didst thou not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

Why did you flee secretly and trick me and did not tell me? I would have sent you away with celebration and with songs, with tambourine and with harps.

28 And [why] hast thou not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now thou hast acted foolishly in so doing.

You did not allow me to kiss my grandsons and my daughters good bye. Now you have done foolishly.

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 thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.'

30 And now, thou wouldst needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house; [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen my gods.

Now you have gone away because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?”

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid, for I said, Peradventure thou wouldst take by force thy daughters from me.

Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid and thought that you would take your daughters from me by force I left secretly.

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live; before our brethren seek out thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee; but Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

Whoever has stolen your gods will not continue to live. In the presence of our relatives, identify whatever with me is yours and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 And Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two maid-servants; but he found nothing; he then went out of the tent of Leah, and entered into Rachel's tent.

Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. He went out of Leah's tent and entered into Rachel's tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the saddle-cushion of the camel, and sat upon them; and Laban searched all the tent, and found nothing.

Now Rachel had taken the household gods, put them in a camel's saddle, and sat upon them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.

35 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 thus he searched, but found not the images.

She said to her father, “Do not be angry, my master, that I cannot stand up before you, for I am having my period.” So he searched but did not find his household gods.

36 Now Jacob became wroth, and quarrelled 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?

Jacob was angry and argued with Laban. He said to him, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

37 Although thou hast searched all my goods, what hast thou found of all the articles of thy household? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge between us both.

For you have searched all my possessions. What have you found of all your household goods? Set them here before our relatives, so that they may judge between us two.

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 have I not eaten.

For twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten any rams from your flocks.

39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I had to bear the loss of it, of my hand didst thou require it, whatever was stolen by day, or stolen by night.

What was torn by beasts I did not bring to you. Instead, I bore the loss of it. You always made me pay for every missing animal, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 [Where] I was in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.

There I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and I went without sleep.

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

These twenty years I have been in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. You have changed my wages ten times.

42 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; my affliction and the labor of my hands God hath seen, and decided yesternight.

Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my oppression and how hard I worked, and he rebuked 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; but as to my daughters, what can I do unto them this day, or unto their children whom they have born?

Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the grandchildren are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

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

So now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me.”

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

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.

Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a pile. Then they ate there by the pile.

47 And Laban called it Yegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galed.

Laban called it Jegar Saha Dutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day; therefore called he its name Galed;

Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore its name was called Galeed.

49 And Mitzpah; for he said, The Lord shall watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from the other;

It is also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me, when we are out of sight one from another.

50 If thou shouldst afflict my daughters, or if thou shouldst take other wives besides my daughters, when there is no man with us: see, God is witness between me and thee.

If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast up between me and thee;

Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this pile, and look at the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

52 Witness be this heap and witness be this pillar, that I will not pass by this heap, and that thou shalt not pass unto me by this heap and this pillar, for evil.

This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to me, to do harm.

53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nachor shall judge between us, the God of their father; but Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

May the God of Abraham, and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

54 Then Jacob slew some cattle upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they did eat bread, and tarried all night on the mount.

Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his relatives to eat a meal. They ate and spent the entire 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 own place.

Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his grandsons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.