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 hears the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken all that our father has; indeed, from that which our father has, he has made all this glory”;
2 And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, —and lo! it was not with him as afore-time.
and Jacob sees the face of Laban, and behold, it is not with 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 YHWH says to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your family, and I am with you.”
4 So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto his flock;
And Jacob sends and calls for Rachel and for 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 says to them, “I am beholding your father’s face—that it is not toward me as before, and 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 have known 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 played on me, and has changed my hire ten times; and God has not permitted him to do evil with 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 says thus: The speckled are your hire, then all the flock bore speckled ones; and if he says thus: The striped are your hire, then all the flock bore striped;
9 So hath God stripped away the herds of your father, and given them to me.
and God takes away the substance of your father, and gives 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 comes to pass at the time of the flock conceiving, that I lift up my eyes and see in a dream, and behold, the male goats, which are going up on the flock, [are] striped, speckled, and spotted;
11 And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me!
and the Messenger of God says to me in the dream, Jacob, and I say, Here I [am].
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 says, Now lift up your eyes and see [that] all the male goats which are going up on the flock [are] striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban is doing 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 have anointed a standing pillar, where you have vowed a vow to me; now, arise, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.”
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 answers—Leah also—and says to him, “Have we yet a portion and 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?
Have we not been reckoned strangers to him? For he has sold us, and he also utterly consumes 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 wealth which God has taken away from our father, it [is] ours, and our children’s; and now, all that God has said to you—do.”
17 So Jacob arose, —and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels;
And Jacob rises, and lifts up his sons and his wives 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 leads all his livestock, and all his substance which he has acquired, the livestock of his getting, which he has acquired in Padan-Aram, to go to his father Isaac, to 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 has gone to shear his flock, and Rachel steals the teraphim which her father has;
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 deceives the heart of Laban the Aramean, because he has not declared to him that he is fleeing;
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 flees, he and all that he has, and rises, and passes over the River, and sets his face [toward] the Mount of Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban, on the third day, —that Jacob had fled.
And it is told to Laban on the third day that Jacob has 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 takes his brothers with him, and pursues after him a journey of seven days, and overtakes him in the Mount of 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 comes to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and says to him, “Take heed to yourself lest you speak with Jacob from good to evil.”
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 overtakes Jacob; and Jacob has fixed his tent in the mountain; and Laban with his brothers have fixed [theirs] 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 says to Jacob, “What have you done that you deceive my heart, and lead away my daughters as captives of 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 have you hidden yourself to flee, and deceive me, and have not declared to me, and I send you away with joy and with songs, with tambourine and with harp,
28 and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.
and have not permitted me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have acted foolishly in doing [so];
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.
my hand is to God to do evil with you, but the God of your father last night has spoken to me, saying, Take heed to yourself from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.
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, you have certainly gone, because you have been very desirous for the house of your father; 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 answers and says to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest you violently take away 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—he must not live; before our brothers discern for yourself what [is] with me, and take to yourself”: and Jacob has not known that Rachel has 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 goes into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two handmaidens, and has not found; and he goes out from the tent of Leah, and goes into the tent 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 has taken the teraphim, and puts them in the furniture of the camel, and sits on them; and Laban feels all the tent, and has not found;
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 says to her father, “Let it not be displeasing in the eyes of my lord that I am not able to rise at your presence, for the way of women [is] on me”; and he searches, and has not found the teraphim.
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 it is displeasing to Jacob, and he strives with Laban; and Jacob answers and says to Laban, “What [is] my transgression? What my sin, that you have burned 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.
For you have felt all my vessels: what have you found of all the vessels of your house? Set here before my brothers, and your brothers, and they decide 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,
These twenty years I [am] with you: your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have 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.
the torn I have not brought to you—I repay it—from my hand you seek it; I have been deceived by day, and I have been deceived 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.
I have been [thus]: drought has consumed me in the day, and frost by night, and my sleep wanders 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: —
This [is] to me twenty years in your house: I have served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you change my hire 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!
unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now you had sent me away empty; God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and reproves 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 answers and says to Jacob, “The daughters [are] my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the flock my flock, and all that you are seeing [is] mine; and to my daughters—what do I to these today, or to their sons whom 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.
And now, come, let us make a covenant, I and you, and it has been for a witness between me and you.”
45 So Jacob took a stone, —and set it up as a pillar.
And Jacob takes a stone, and lifts it up [for] a standing 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 says to his brothers, “Gather stones,” and they take stones, and make a heap; and they eat there on the heap;
47 And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, —but, Jacob, called it, Galeed.
and Laban calls it Jegar-Sahadutha; and Jacob has 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 says, “This heap [is] witness between me and you today”; therefore has he called its name 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.
Mizpah also, for he said, “YHWH watches between me and you, for we are hidden from one 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 afflict my daughters, or take wives beside my daughters—there is no man 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 says to Jacob, “Behold, this heap, and behold, the standing 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 [is] witness, and the standing pillar [is] witness, that I do not pass over this heap to you, and that you do not pass over this heap and this standing pillar to me—for evil;
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, judges between us—the God of their father,” and Jacob swears 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 Jacob sacrifices a sacrifice on the mountain, and calls to his brothers to eat bread, and they eat bread, and lodge on 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 rises early in the morning, and kisses his sons and his daughters, and blesses them; and Laban goes on, and turns back to his place.
