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

And Jacob beheld 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 unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy birthplace; and I will be with thee.

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

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 toward me as 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 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t 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 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 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 Ha mal'ak Elohim [The Angel of God] said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob [Supplanter],’ 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 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, 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 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 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 [Ewe sheep] and Leah [Weary] 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 Are not we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.

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 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.”

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 [Supplanter] rose up, and set 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 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 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 [White] had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel [Ewe sheep] stole the household deities that were her father’s.

And Laban was gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the images that were her father's.

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

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 all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain 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 [White] was told on the third day that Jacob [Supplanter] 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 him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain 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 [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 a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

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.

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 [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 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 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;

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

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

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 [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, Peradventure thou wouldst take by force thy daughters from me.

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.

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 [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 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 [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.

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, “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, 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 [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?

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 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.

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

[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 [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.”

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 [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 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 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.”

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

And Jacob took a stone, and 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 unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.

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 Yegar-sahadutha; but Jacob called it Galed.

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, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day; therefore called he its name Galed;

49 and Mizpah, for he said, “Adonai 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 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 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 [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 behold this pillar, which I have cast up between me and thee;

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.

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 [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 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 [Supplanter] offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in 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 [White] rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban [White] 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.