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 it came to the ears of Jacob that Laban's sons were saying, Jacob has taken away all our father's property, and in this way he has got all this wealth.

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

And Jacob saw that Laban's feeling for him was no longer what it had been before.

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 relations, and I will be with you.

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

And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.

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 said to them, It is clear to me that your father's feeling is no longer what it was to me; but the God of my father has been with me

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

And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father,

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

But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.

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, All those in the flock which have marks are to be yours, then all the flock gave birth to marked young; and if he said, All the banded ones are to be yours, then all the flock had banded young.

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

So God has taken away your father's cattle and has 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.

And at the time when the flock were with young, I saw in a dream that all the he-goats which were joined with the she-goats were banded and marked and coloured.

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

And in my dream the angel of the Lord said to me, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.

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.

And he said, See how all the he-goats are banded and marked and coloured: for I have seen what 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 Beth-el, where you put oil on the pillar and took an oath to me: now then, come out of this land and go back to the country of your birth.

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

Then Rachel and Leah said to him in answer, What part or heritage is there for us 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 as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up.

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."

For the wealth which God has taken from him is ours and our children's; so now, whatever God has said to you, do.

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

Then Jacob put his wives and his sons 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 sending on before him all his cattle and his property which he had got together in Paddan-aram, he made ready to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

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

Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house.

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

And Jacob went away secretly, without giving news of his flight to Laban the Aramaean.

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 went away with all he had, and went across the River in the direction of the hill-country of Gilead.

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

And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight.

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.

And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him 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."

Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

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 when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead.

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

And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners 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 make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music?

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

You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.

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.'

It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

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

And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods?

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

And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might 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.

As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them.

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 and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.

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 the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them.

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.

And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.

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 was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?

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.

Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between 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.

These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food.

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.

Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night.

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

This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went 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.

These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.

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, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.

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?

Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children?

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, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us.

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

Then Jacob took a stone and put 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 Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones.

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

And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.

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

And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed,

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

And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings.

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 are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us.

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

And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put 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.

They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose.

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, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath 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.

And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that 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.

And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.