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 obtained all this glory.

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

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

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

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 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into 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 countenance, that it [is] not towards me as before: but the God of my father hath 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 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

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.

And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-streaked shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore ring-streaked.

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

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

10 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 upon the cattle [were] ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

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

11 And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, [saying], Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I.

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

12 And he said, Lift up now thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth to thee.

‘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 Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, [and] where thou vowedst to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.

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 And Rachel and Leah answered, and said to him, [Is there] yet 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 counted by him strangers; for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also 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 which God hath taken from our father, that [is] ours, and our children's: now then whatever God hath said to thee, do.

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 set his sons and his wives upon camels;

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

18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gained, the cattle of his getting, which he had gained in Padan-aram; to go to Isaac, his father, 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 And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that [were] her father's.

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

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

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 he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face [towards] the mount Gilead.

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

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

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

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

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

24 And God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or 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 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban, with his brethren, pitched in the mount 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 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives [taken] with the sword?

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

27 Why didst thou flee away 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 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 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in [so] doing.

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 the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or 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 And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou didst earnestly long after thy father's house; [yet] why hast thou stolen my gods?

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

31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, It may be thou wouldest take thy daughters from me by force.

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

32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him 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.

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 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-servants' tents; but he found [them] not. Then 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 images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found [them] not.

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 And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women [is] upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

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 And Jacob was wroth, and chid with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What [is] my trespass? what [is] my sin, that thou hast so eagerly 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 Whereas thou hast searched 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 both.

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 These twenty years [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.

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 That which was torn by beasts, I brought not to thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, [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 [Thus] I was; in the day the drouth consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.

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

41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast 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 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely thou hadst now sent me away empty. God hath seen my affliction, and the labor of my hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight.

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 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 thou seest [is] mine; and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which 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 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

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

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

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

46 And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they ate there upon the heap.

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

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

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

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

49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent 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 thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take [other] wives besides my daughters; no man [is] with us; See, God [is] witness betwixt me and thee.

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 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

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

52 This heap [be] witness, and [this] 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 to me, for 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 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And 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 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they ate bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

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 And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned to his place.

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