Genesis 31

1 Then heard he the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that belonged to our father; Yea out of what belonged to our father, hath he made 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 And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, —and lo! it was not with him as afore-time.

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

3 Then said Yahweh unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, —that I may be with thee.

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

4 So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto his flock;

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

5 and said to them, Beholding, am I the face of your father, that it is not towards me as aforetime, —nevertheless, the God of my father, hath been with me;

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

6 and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I served your father.

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

7 But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ten times, —yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with 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 thus he saith, The speckled, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth speckled, —But if thus he saith, The ring-straked, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth ring-straked.

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 So hath God stripped away the herds of your father, and given them to me.

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

10 And it came to pass in the season when the flock were in heat, then lifted I mine eyes and beheld in a dream, —and lo! the he-goats that were leaping upon the flock, were ring-straked speckled and dappled.

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-coloured spots.

11 And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me!

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

12 Then he said Lift, I pray thee, thine eyes and behold All, the he-goats that are leaping upon the flock are ring-straked, speckled, and dappled, —for I have seen all that Laban, has been doing to thee.

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-coloured spots; for I have seen all things that Laban does to you.

13 I, am the GOD of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow to me a vow, —Now, rise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

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 Then responded Rachel and Leah, and said to him, —Have we any longer a portion or an inheritance in the house of our father?

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

15 Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?

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

16 Surely all the riches which God hath stripped off from our father, unto us, it belongeth, and unto our sons, —Now, therefore, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, 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 So Jacob arose, —and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels;

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

18 and drave away all his herds and all his goods which he had gathered, the gains he had gained, which he had gathered in Padan-aram; that he might go in unto Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan.

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, had gone, to shear his sheep, —so Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father,

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

20 Thus Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, —in that he had not told him that he was about to flee.

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

21 So he fled, he—and all that he had, and he arose, and passed over the River, —and set his face towards 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 And it was told Laban, on the third day, —that Jacob had fled.

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

23 So he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a journey of seven days—and 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 And God went in unto Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, —and said to him Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob 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 So then Laban came up with Jacob, —Jacob, having pitched his tent in the mountain, Laban, also, with his brethren pitched 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 Then said Laban to Jacob, What hadst thou done, that thou shouldst steal away unawares to me, —and shouldst carry off my daughters, as 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 Wherefore didst thou secretly flee, and rob me, —and didst not tell me, that I might send thee away with rejoicing and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre;

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

28 and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou 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 deal with thee for harm, —but the God of your father, last night, spake unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob, 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 But, now, though thou, didst even take thy journey, because thou, didst sorely long, for the house of thy father, wherefore didst thou steal away my gods?

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 And Jacob answered and said unto Laban, —Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take by force thy daughters from me!

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 He with whom thou find thy gods, shall not live! Before our brethren, note thou for thyself what is with me and take what is thine. Neither did Jacob know that, Rachel, 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 Then entered Laban into the tent of Jacob and into the tent of Leah and into the tent of the two handmaids, and found nothing, —then went he forth out of the tent of Leah, and entered into the tent of Rachel.

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, had taken the household gods and put them in the basket-saddle of the camel, and taken her seat upon them. And Laban felt about throughout all the tent, and found them not.

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

35 And she said unto her father, Let it not be vexing in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up at thy presence, for, the way of women, is upon me. So he made search, but found not the household gods,

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 And it was vexing to Jacob and he contended with Laban, —and Jacob responded and said to Laban, What was my trespass, what my sin, that thou shouldst have come burning after 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 thou hast felt about among all my goods, what hast thou found of the goods of thine own house? Set it out here, right before my brethren and thy brethren, —that they may give sentence betwixt 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 This twenty years’ time, 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,

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 The torn, have I not brought in unto thee—I bare the loss, At my hand, didst thou require it, —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 Thus have I been—By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, —So that my sleep fled away from mine eyes.

I was parched with heat by day, and [chilled] with frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.

41 This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, —I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep—And thou didst change 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 amongst your sheep, and you did falsely rate my wages for ten lambs.

42 But that the God of my father—The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac—Proved to be mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence 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 labour of my hands, and rebuked you yesterday.

43 Then responded Laban and said unto Jacob—the daughters, are my daughters, And the sons, are my sons, And the sheep are my sheep, And, all that, thou, beholdest, To me doth it belong! But to my daughters, what can I do to these this day, Or to their sons 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, therefore, come on! Let us solemnise a covenant, I and thou, —So shall it be a witness betwixt me and thee.

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 So Jacob took a stone, —and set it up as a pillar.

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

46 Then said Jacob to his brethren—Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, —and they did eat 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 And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, —but, Jacob, called it, Galeed.

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

48 Then said Laban: This heap, be witness betwixt me, and thee, to-day. For this cause, is the name thereof called Galeed;

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 also, The Watch Tower, as to which it is said, Yahweh watch betwixt me and thee, when we are parted 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 thou oppress my daughters, or if thou take wives besides my daughters, —there may be no man with us—see! God, be witness betwixt me, and thee!

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 And Laban said to Jacob—Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set betwixt me, and thee:

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

52 A witness, be this heap, and, a witness, the pillar, —That, I, am not to pass, unto thee, over this heap, And, thou, art not to pass, unto me, over this heap and this pillar 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 Gods of Abraham and the Gods of Nahor judge betwixt us—the Gods of their fathers. And Jacob sware by the Dread of his father Isaac:

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

54 and Jacob offered sacrifice in the mountain, and called on his brethren to eat bread. So they did eat bread, and tarried the 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 And Laban rose up early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban went his way 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.