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."

But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”

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

Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.

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

Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”

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

He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,

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: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. 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 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.

Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted 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.

Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.

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

And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it 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.

For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.

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

And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘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.

And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also 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 stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’”

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

And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of 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.

Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?

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."

But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”

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

And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.

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 took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.

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

At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.

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

And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.

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.

And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,

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

it was reported to Laban on the third day 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.

And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount 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."

And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against 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.

And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount 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 he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?

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 would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?

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

You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,

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.'

my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’

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

It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. 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.'

Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.

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.

But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he 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.

And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,

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.

she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and 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.

she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.

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?

And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against 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.

and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.

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.

For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.

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.

Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.

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

Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, 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.

And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also 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 Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”

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?

Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?

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, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”

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

And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.

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 brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.

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

And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.

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

And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)

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

“May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.

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 afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”

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

And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,

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.

will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking 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.” Therefore, 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.

And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.

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.

In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.