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."

Jacob found out that Laban's sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father. All the wealth he has actually came from our father.”

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

Jacob also noticed that Laban was treating him differently to the way he had before.

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

The Lord told Jacob, “Go back to the country of your forefathers, to your family home. I will be with you.”

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

Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah, telling them to come and meet him out in the fields where he was with 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.

“I've noticed that your father is treating me differently to the way he did before,” he told them. “But the God of my father will be with me.

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

You both know very well how hard I worked 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 he's been cheating me—he's reduced my wages ten times! However, God hasn't let him hurt 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, ‘You can have the speckled ones as your wages,’ then the whole flock had speckled young. If he said, ‘You can have the streaked ones as your wages,’ then the whole flock had streaked young.

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

This is how God took your father's livestock and gave 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.

During the time the flock was breeding I had a dream where I saw that the male goats mating with the flock were all streaked, speckled, or spotted.

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

Then in the dream the angel of the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I'm here.’

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.

He told me, ‘Take a look and you'll see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I've been watching everything that Laban has been doing 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 poured olive oil on the stone pillar and made a solemn promise to me. Now get ready to leave this land and go back to your homeland.’”

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

“There's nothing for us to inherit from our father's estate anyway,” Rachel and Leah replied.

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

“He treats us like foreigners because he sold us to you, and now he's spent all that money.

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."

All the wealth that God has taken from him belongs to us and our children, so do whatever God has told you to do!”

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

So Jacob got ready. He helped his children and his wives onto the 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 drove all his livestock in front of him. He took with him all his possessions and livestock he'd gained during his time in Paddan-aram, and left to go back to his father in the country of Canaan.

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

While Laban was away from home shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.

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

Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not informing him that he was going to run 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 Jacob left in a hurry with everything he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed towards the hill country of Gilead.

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

Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had run away.

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.

Taking some of his relatives with him, he chased after Jacob and caught up with him seven days later 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 during the night God came to Laban in a dream and told him, “Watch what you say to Jacob. Don't try to persuade him to come back, and don't threaten him either.”

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.

Jacob had set up his tents in the hill country of Gilead when Laban caught up with him, so Laban and his relatives did the same.

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

“Why did you deceive me like this?” Laban asked Jacob. “You carried off my daughters as if they were some prisoners captured by 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 did you run away in secret, trying to trick me? Why didn't you come and tell me? I would have given you a good send-off, a celebration with singing and the music of tambourines and lyres.

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

You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've really acted stupidly!

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 could really punish you badly, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and told me, ‘Watch what you say to Jacob. Don't try to persuade him to come back, and don't threaten him either.’

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

Clearly you wanted to leave and go back to your family home, but why did you have to steal my idols?”

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

“I ran away because I was afraid,” Jacob explained to Laban. “I was worried that 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.

As for your idols, anyone you find who has them will die. You can search everything in the presence of our relatives, and if you find I have anything that belongs to you, you can take it.” (Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the household 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.

Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two personal maids, but didn't find anything. He left Leah's tent and went into 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.

Rachel had put the household idols in a camel's saddlebag and was sitting on it. Laban carefully searched the whole tent but couldn't find 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.

She said to her father, “Sir, please don't get upset with me for not standing up in your presence, but I have my period.” He looked everywhere but didn't find the 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?

Jacob got angry with Laban and confronted him, saying, “What crime am I guilty of? What wrong have I done to you that you've come hunting me down?

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've searched through all my possessions. Did you find anything belonging to you? If you did, bring it out here before my relatives and yours so they can decide who's right!

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've worked for you for these past twenty years. During that time none of your sheep and goats miscarried, and I haven't eaten a single ram from 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.

If any of them were killed by wild animals, I never even brought you the carcass to prove the loss—I bore the loss myself. But you on the other hand always made me compensate you for any animals that were stolen, whether at night or in broad daylight.

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

Whether it was sweating in the heat of the day, or freezing in the cold of the night when I couldn't sleep, I went on working for you for twenty years in your home.

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.

I worked fourteen years for your two daughters, and six more years with your flocks. You reduced 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 it weren't for the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the awesome God of Isaac, who took care of me, you would have dismissed me with nothing. But God saw my suffering, how hard I worked, and he condemned you last night.”

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 replied, “These are my daughters and these are my children and these are my flocks! In fact, everything you see here is mine! However, what can I do now about my daughters and 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."

So let's make a solemn agreement between you and I, and it will be a witness to our mutual commitment.”

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

Jacob took a stone and set it upright 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.

Then he told his relatives, “Go and collect some stones.” They all made a pile of stones and then sat beside it to eat a meal.

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

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

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

Laban announced, “This pile of stone serves as a witness between me and you.” This is why it 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, for as Laban said, “May the Lord keep a close eye on both of us when we're not together.

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 treat my daughters badly or marry more wives in addition to them, God will see what you do even if no one else finds out!”

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

Then Laban told Jacob, “Look at this pile of stones and this pillar that I have set up as a memorial of the agreement 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 also act as a witness to our solemn promises to each other: I will not come past them to attack you; and you will not come past them to attack 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 our forefathers—be the one to judge between us in any dispute.” Jacob in turn made his solemn promise in the name of the awesome God 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 he offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited all his relatives to eat a meal there. 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.

Laban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye. He blessed them, and then left to go back home.