Genesis 31

1 He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's. From that which was our father's he has gained all this wealth."

Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”

2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and look, it was not as it had been.

And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

3 Then God said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flock was,

So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

5 and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not what it was before. But the God of my father has been with me.

and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me.

6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.

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

7 Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

8 If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.

If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.

9 Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.

Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

10 And it came about at the time when the flocks were breeding I looked up and saw in a dream, and look, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.

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

In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

12 He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and look, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a standing-stone, where you made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your birth.'"

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

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

And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

15 Aren't we regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has used up what was paid for us.

Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.

16 For all the wealth which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."

Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob got up and put his sons and his wives on the camels,

Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,

18 and he took away all his livestock and all his property which he had acquired, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.

Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

20 Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he intended to flee.

Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

21 So he fled with everything that he had, and he arose and crossed the River, and set out toward the hill country of Gilead.

So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

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

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

23 He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him for seven days, and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night, and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad."

But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his relatives camped in the hill country of Gilead.

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.

26 Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken in war?

Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!

27 Why did you flee in secret and deceive me, and not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and singing, with a tambourine and with a lyre.

Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.

28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.

But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.'

I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

30 Now you have indeed gone away, because you longed greatly for your father's house. But why have you stolen my gods?"

Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

31 Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.'

“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

32 Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, identify what I have that is yours, and take it with you." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

33 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.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the idols, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.

Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 She said to her father, "Do not let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me." He searched, but did not find the teraphim.

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

36 Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?

37 Now that you have searched around in all my stuff, did you find anything from all of your household's belongings? Put it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between the two of us.

You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I haven't eaten the rams of your flocks.

I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

39 That which was torn by animals I did not bring to you. I bore its loss. You demanded payment from me whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.

40 I was consumed by the heat during the day and by the frost at night, and sleepless nights.

As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one whom Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my harsh treatment and my hard work, and rebuked you last night."

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

43 Laban answered Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

44 So now, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between the two of us." And he said to him, "Look, there is no one with us; see, God is witness between me and you."

Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a standing-stone.

So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

46 Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a mound. They ate there by the mound.

and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.

47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48 Laban said, "This mound is a witness between me and you today." Therefore it was named Galeed

Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.

49 and Mizpah, for he said, "God watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

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

If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51 Laban said to Jacob, "See this mound, and see the standing-stone, which I have set between me and you.

Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

52 May this mound be a witness, and the standing-stone be a witness, that I will not pass over this mound to you, and that you will not pass over this mound and this standing-stone to me, to do harm.

This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

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

54 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to eat the meal. They ate the meal and stayed all night on the mountain.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

55 Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.

Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.