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.

But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”

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

Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.

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

Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”

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

He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,

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 said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me.

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

And 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.

Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted 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.

Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.

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

And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it 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.

For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.

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

And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘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.

And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also 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 stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’”

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 responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?

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

Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?

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.

But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”

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

And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.

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 took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.

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

At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.

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

And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.

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.

And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,

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

it was reported to Laban on the third day 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.

And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount 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.

And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”

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.

And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead.

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?

And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?

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 would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?

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

You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,

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.

my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’

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?

It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. 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.

Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.

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.

But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he 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.

And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,

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.

she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and 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.

she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.

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?

And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against 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.

and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.

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.

For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.

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.

Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.

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

Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, 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.

And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also 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 Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”

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?

Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?

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

Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”

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

And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.

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 brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.

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

And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.

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

And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)

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

“May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.

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 afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”

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

And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,

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.

will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking 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.” Therefore, 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.

And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.

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.

In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.