< 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."
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.
2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and look, it was not as it had been.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
3 Then God said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy birthplace; and I will be with thee.
4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flock was,
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto 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 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.
6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
And ye know well that with all my power I have served your father.
7 Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to do me evil.
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 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.
9 Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.
Thus God took away the cattle of your father, 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.
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.
11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
And an angel of God spoke unto me in the dream, 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, 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.
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 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.
14 Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance 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.
Were we not counted of him as strangers? for he hath sold us; and he hath quite consumed also our 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."
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.
17 Then Jacob got up and put his sons and his wives on the camels,
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon 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 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.
19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.
And Laban was gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the images that were her father's.
20 Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he intended to flee.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, by not letting him know that he was going to flee.
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 he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
22 Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
And it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob was 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 he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a seven days' journey; and he overtook him at the mount 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."
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.
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.
Then Laban overtook Jacob; now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mount, and Laban with his brethren pitched on the mount 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, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and led away my daughters, as captives taken with 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.
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?
28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.
And [why] hast thou not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now thou hast acted foolishly in so doing.
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 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.
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, thou wouldst needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house; [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen 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 answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid, for I said, Peradventure thou wouldst take by force thy daughters from me.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 put them in the saddle-cushion of the camel, and sat upon them; and Laban searched all the 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.
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
40 I was consumed by the heat during the day and by the frost at night, and sleepless nights.
[Where] I was in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed 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 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.
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."
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.
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?
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?
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."
And now, come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a standing-stone.
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for 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 unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.
47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
And Laban called it Yegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galed.
48 Laban said, "This mound is a witness between me and you today." Therefore it was named Galeed
And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day; therefore called he its name Galed;
49 and Mizpah, for he said, "God watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
And Mitzpah; for he said, The Lord shall watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from the 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 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.
51 Laban said to Jacob, "See this mound, and see the standing-stone, which I have set between me and you.
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast up between me and thee;
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them; and Laban departed, and returned unto his own place.

< Genesis 31 >