Genesis 31

1 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 glory.

Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”

2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as beforetime.

And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

3 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

5 and said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but the God of my father hath been with me.

and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me.

6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

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

7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy wages; then bare all the flock ringstraked.

If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.

9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

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

10 And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.

11 And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.

In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’”

14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our money.

Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.

16 For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, that is ours and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon the camels;

Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,

18 and he carried away all his cattle, and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his getting, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan.

and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

19 Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.

Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

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

So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

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

On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and he overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 And Laban came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountain of Gilead.

Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.

26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives of the sword?

Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!

27 Wherefore didst thou flee secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp;

Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.

28 and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now hast thou done foolishly.

But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

30 And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Lest thou shouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maidservants; but he found them not. And he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban felt about all the tent, but found them not.

Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee; for the manner of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the teraphim.

Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

36 And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast hotly pursued after me?

Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?

37 Whereas thou hast felt about all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us two.

You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten.

I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.

40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

41 These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”

43 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: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have borne?

But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

44 And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there by the heap.

and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.

47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48 And Laban said, This heap is witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed:

Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.

49 and Mizpah, for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee.

Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

52 This heap be witness, and the pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware 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.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

54 And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

55 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 place.

Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.