Genesis 31

1 He sh'ma ·heard obeyed· the words of Laban [White]’s sons, saying, “Jacob [Supplanter] has taken away all that was our father’s. From that which was our father’s, has he gotten all this wealth.”

And Jacob heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and of our father's property has he gotten all this glory.

2 Jacob [Supplanter] saw the expression on Laban [White]’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold it was not toward him as before.

3 Adonai said to Jacob [Supplanter], “Teshuvah ·Completely return· to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

And the Lord said to Jacob, Return to the land of your father, and to your family, and I will be with you.

4 Jacob [Supplanter] sent and called Rachel [Ewe sheep] and Leah [Weary] to the field to his flock,

And Jacob sent and called Lea and Rachel to the plain where the flocks were.

5 and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

And he said to them, I see the face of your father, that it is not toward me as before, but the God of my father was with me.

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

And you too know that with all my might I have served your father.

7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.

But your father deceived me, and changed my wages for the ten lambs, yet God gave him not [power] to 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 should say thus, The speckled shall be your reward, then all the cattle would bear speckled; and if he should say, The white shall be your reward, then would all the cattle bear white.

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

So God has taken away all the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

10 During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

And it came to pass when the cattle conceived and were with young, that I saw with mine eyes in sleep, and behold the he-goats and the rams leaping on the sheep and the she-goats, speckled and variegated and spotted with ash-colored spots.

11 Ha mal'ak Elohim [The Angel of God] said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob [Supplanter],’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

And the angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob; and I said, What is it?

12 He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban [White] does to you.

And he said, Look up with your eyes, and behold the he-goats and the rams leaping on the sheep and the she-goats, speckled and variegated and spotted with ash-colored spots; for I have seen all things that Laban does to you.

13 I am HaEl Beit-El [the God of House of God], where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and teshuvah ·completely return· to the land of your birth.’”

I am God that appeared to you in the place of God where you anointed a pillar to me, and vowed to me there a vow; now then arise and depart out of this land, depart into the land of your nativity, and I will be with you.

14 Rachel [Ewe sheep] and Leah [Weary] answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

And Rachel and Lea answered and said to him, Have we yet a part or inheritance in the house of our father?

15 Are not we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.

Are we not considered strangers by him? for he has sold us, and quite devoured our money.

16 For all the riches 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 and the glory which God has taken from our father, it shall be our's and our children's; now then do whatever God has said to you.

17 Then Jacob [Supplanter] rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,

And Jacob arose and took his wives and his children up on the camels;

18 and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram [Elevated], to go to Isaac [Laughter] his father, to the land of Canaan [Humbled].

and he took away all his possessions and all his store, which he had gotten in Mesopotamia, and all that belonged to him, to depart to Isaac his father in the land of Chanaan.

19 Now Laban [White] had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel [Ewe sheep] stole the household deities that were her father’s.

And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole her father's images.

20 Jacob [Supplanter] deceived Laban [White] the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.

And Jacob hid [the matter from] Laban the Syrian, so as not to tell him that he ran away.

21 So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

And he departed himself and all that belonged to him, and passed over the river, and went into the mountain Galaad.

22 Laban [White] was told on the third day that Jacob [Supplanter] had fled.

But it was told Laban the Syrian on the third day, that Jacob was fled.

23 He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

And having taken his brethren with him, he pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on Mount Galaad.

24 God came to Laban [White], the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob [Supplanter] either good or bad.”

And God came to Laban the Syrian in sleep by night, and said to him, Take heed to yourself that you speak not at any time to Jacob evil things.

25 Laban [White] caught up with Jacob [Supplanter]. Now Jacob [Supplanter] had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban [White] with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

And Laban overtook Jacob; and Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain; and Laban stationed his brothers in the mount Galaad.

26 Laban [White] said to Jacob [Supplanter], “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?

And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done? therefore did you run away secretly, and pillage me, and lead away my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

27 Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;

Whereas if you had told me, I would have sent you away with mirth, and with songs, and timbrels, and harp.

28 and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.

And I was not counted worthy to embrace my children and my daughters; now then you have wrought foolishly.

29 It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob [Supplanter] either good or bad.’

And now my hand has power to hurt you; but the God of your father spoke to me yesterday, saying, Take heed to yourself that you speak not evil words to Jacob.

30 Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my deities?”

Now then go on your way, for you have earnestly desired to depart to the house of your father; therefore have you stolen my gods?

31 Jacob [Supplanter] answered Laban [White], “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Lest at any time you should take away your daughters from me, and all my possessions.

32 Anyone you find your deities with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob [Supplanter] didn’t know that Rachel [Ewe sheep] had stolen them.

And Jacob said, With whoever you shall find your gods, he shall not live in the presence of our brethren; take notice of what I have of your property, and take it; and he observed nothing with him, but Jacob knew not that his wife Rachel had stolen them.

33 Laban [White] went into Jacob [Supplanter]’s tent, into Leah [Weary]’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah [Weary]’s tent, and entered into Rachel [Ewe sheep]’s tent.

And Laban went in and searched in the house of Lea, and found [them] not; and he went out of the house of Lea, and searched in the house of Jacob, and in the house of the two maidservants, and found them not; and he went also into the house of Rachel.

34 Now Rachel [Ewe sheep] had taken the household deities, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban [White] felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.

And Rachel took the idols, and cast them among the camel's packs, and sat upon them.

35 She said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the household deities.

And she said to her father, Be not indignant, Sir; I can’t rise up before you, for it is with me according to the manner of women. Laban searched in all the house, and found not the images.

36 Jacob [Supplanter] was angry, and argued with Laban [White]. Jacob [Supplanter] answered Laban [White], “What is my rebellious breach of relationship? What is my habitual sin ·missing the mark·, that you have hotly pursued me?

And Jacob was angry, and strove with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my injustice, and what my sin, that you have pursued after me,

37 Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.

and that you have searched all the furniture of my house? what have you found of all the furniture of your house? set it here between your relations and my relations, and let them decide between us two.

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

These twenty years have I been with you; your sheep, and your she-goats have not failed in bearing; I devoured not the rams of your cattle.

39 That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its sin ·err (the standard goal)·. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

That which was taken of beasts I brought not to you; I made good of myself the thefts of the day, and the thefts of the night.

40 This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

I was parched with heat by day, and [chilled] with 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 your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years among your sheep, and you did falsely rate my wages for ten lambs.

42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham [Father of a multitude], and the fear of Isaac [Laughter], had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

Unless I had the God of my father Abraam, and the fear of Isaac, now you would have sent me away empty; God saw my humiliation, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you yesterday.

43 Laban [White] answered Jacob [Supplanter], “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 today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the cattle are my cattle, and all things which you see are mine, and [the property] of my daughters; what shall I do to them today, or their children which they bore?

44 Now come, let us make a covenant ·binding contract between two or more parties·, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you.”

Now then come, let me make a covenant, both I and you, and it shall be for a witness between me and you; and he said to him, Behold, there is no one with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.

45 Jacob [Supplanter] took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

And Jacob having taken a stone, set it up for a pillar.

46 Jacob [Supplanter] said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.

And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they gathered stones and made a heap, and ate there upon the heap; and Laban said to him, This heap witnesses between me and you today.

47 Laban [White] called it Jegar Sahadutha [Heap of witness], but Jacob [Supplanter] called it Galeed [Heap of stones, Heap of witness].

And Laban called it, the Heap of Testimony; and Jacob called it, the Witness Heap.

48 Laban [White] said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed [Heap of stones, Heap of witness]

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and the pillar, which I have set between me and you; this heap witnesses, and this pillar witnesses; therefore its name was called, the Heap witnesses.

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

And the vision of which he said—Let God look to it between me and you, because we are about to depart from each other, —

50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”

If you shall humble my daughters, if you should take wives in addition to my daughters, see, there is no one with us looking on. God [is] witness between me and you.

51 Laban [White] said to Jacob [Supplanter], “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold, this heap, and this pillar are a witness.

52 May this heap and the pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

For if I should not cross over to you, neither should you cross over to me, for mischief beyond this heap and this pillar.

53 The God of Abraham [Father of a multitude], and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob [Supplanter] swore by the fear of his father, Isaac [Laughter].

The God of Abraam and the God of Nachor judge between us; and Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

54 Jacob [Supplanter] offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.

And he offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren, and they ate and drank, and slept in the mountain.

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

And Laban rose up in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban having turned back, departed to his place.