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 he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s 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 beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward 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 fathers, and to your kindred; 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 Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
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 said to them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I served your father.
And you know that with all my power 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.
And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not 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 said thus, The speckled shall be your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be your hire; then bore all the cattle ringstraked.
9 So hath God stripped away the herds of your father, and given them to me.
Thus God has taken away 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 at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped on the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
11 And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me!
And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
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, Lift up now your eyes, and see, all the rams which leap on the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted: for I have seen all 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 the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you vowed a vow to me: now arise, get you out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred.
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 Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
15 Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?
Are we not counted of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has quite devoured also 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.
For all the riches which God has taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatever God has said to you, do.
17 So Jacob arose, —and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels;
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on 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 carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
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 had stolen the images that were her father’s.
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 stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
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.
So 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 And it was told Laban, on the third day, —that Jacob had fled.
And it was told Laban 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 he took his brothers with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
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 a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
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.
Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brothers pitched in the mount of Gilead.
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, that you have stolen away unawares to me, and carried 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;
Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and did not tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28 and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.
And have not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? you have now done foolishly in so doing.
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.
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take you heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
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?
And now, though you would needs be gone, because you sore longed after your father’s house, yet why 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, Peradventure you would take by force your daughters from me.
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.
With whomsoever you find your gods, let him not live: before our brothers discern you what is your with me, and take it to you. For Jacob knew not that 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 into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
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.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture, and sat on them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
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, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before you; for the custom of women is on me. And he searched but 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 wroth, and strived with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that you have so hotly 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.
Whereas you have searched all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? set it here before my brothers and your brothers, that they may judge between us both.
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,
This twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock have I not eaten.
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 torn of beasts I brought not to you; I bore the loss of it; of my hand did you require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by 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.
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the 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: —
Thus have I been twenty years in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle: and you have changed my wages ten times.
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!
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely you had sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.
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, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which they have born?
44 Now, therefore, come on! Let us solemnise a covenant, I and thou, —So shall it be a witness betwixt me and thee.
Now therefore come you, let us make a covenant, I and you; and let it be for a witness between me and you.
45 So Jacob took a stone, —and set it up as a pillar.
And Jacob took a stone, and 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 brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there on the heap.
47 And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, —but, Jacob, called it, Galeed.
And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.
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, This heap is a witness between me and you this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
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 Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
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 afflict my daughters, or if you shall take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, 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 behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and you:
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.
This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you shall not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
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 Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, 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.
Then Jacob offered sacrifice on the mount, and called his brothers to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
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 early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned to his place.
