Genesis 31

1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, that they said, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and it is from our father's possessions that he has gotten all this wealth.”

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 Jacob saw the look on Laban's face. He saw that his attitude toward him had changed.

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

3 Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

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 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock

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

5 and said to them, “I see your father's attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has 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 You know that it is with all my strength that I have served your father.

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

7 Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not permitted him 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, 'The speckled animals will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled young. If he said, 'The striped will be your wages,' then the whole flock bore striped young.

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 In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

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

10 Once at the time of breeding season, I saw in a dream the male goats that were mating with the flock. The male goats were striped, speckled, and spotted.

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

11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob.' I said, 'Here I am.'

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

12 He said, 'Lift up your eyes and see all the male goats that are breeding with the flock. They are striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

‘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 Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now rise up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth.'”

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 Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there 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 treated by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has also completely 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 that God has taken away from our father are now ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

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 arose and placed his sons and his wives upon the camels.

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

18 He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all his property, including the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram. Then he set out to go to his father Isaac in 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 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods.

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

20 Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was leaving.

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 quickly passed over the River, and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

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

22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

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

23 So he took his relatives with him and pursued him for a seven days' journey. He overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

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

24 Now God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor 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 Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives in the hill country 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 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you deceived me and carried away my daughters like prisoners of war?

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

27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me and did not tell me? I would have sent you away with celebration and with songs, with tambourine and with harps.

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 You did not allow me to kiss my grandsons and my daughters good bye. Now you have 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 my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor 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 Now you have gone away because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?”

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

31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid and thought that you would take your daughters from me by force I left secretly.

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

32 Whoever has stolen your gods will not continue to live. In the presence of our relatives, identify whatever with me is yours and take it.” For Jacob did not know 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 Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. 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 household gods, put them in a camel's saddle, and sat upon them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.

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 She said to her father, “Do not be angry, my master, that I cannot stand up before you, for I am having my period.” So he searched but did not find his household gods.

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 Jacob was angry and argued with Laban. He said to him, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have 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 For you have searched all my possessions. What have you found of all your household goods? Set them here before our relatives, so that they may judge between 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 For twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten any rams from your flocks.

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 What was torn by beasts I did not bring to you. Instead, I bore the loss of it. You always made me pay for every missing animal, 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 There I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and I went without sleep.

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

41 These twenty years I have been in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. You have 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 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my oppression and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”

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 Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the grandchildren are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom 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 So now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me.”

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

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

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

46 Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a pile. Then they ate there by the pile.

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 Laban called it Jegar Saha Dutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48 Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore its name was called Galeed.

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

49 It is also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me, when we are out of sight 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 you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

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 Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this pile, and look at the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

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

52 This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to me, to do 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 May the God of Abraham, and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob swore 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 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his relatives to eat a meal. They ate and spent the entire night on 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 Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his grandsons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.

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