Genesis 31

1 postquam autem audivit verba filiorum Laban dicentium tulit Iacob omnia quae fuerunt patris nostri et de illius facultate ditatus factus est inclitus

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 animadvertit quoque faciem Laban quod non esset erga se sicut heri et nudius tertius

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

3 maxime dicente sibi Domino revertere in terram patrum tuorum et ad generationem tuam eroque tecum

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 misit et vocavit Rahel et Liam in agrum ubi pascebat greges

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

5 dixitque eis video faciem patris vestri quod non sit erga me sicut heri et nudius tertius Deus autem patris mei fuit mecum

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 et ipsae nostis quod totis viribus meis servierim patri vestro

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

7 sed pater vester circumvenit me et mutavit mercedem meam decem vicibus et tamen non dimisit eum Deus ut noceret mihi

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

8 si quando dixit variae erunt mercedes tuae pariebant omnes oves varios fetus quando vero e contrario ait alba quaeque accipies pro mercede omnes greges alba pepererunt

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 tulitque Deus substantiam patris vestri et dedit mihi

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

10 postquam enim conceptus ovium tempus advenerat levavi oculos meos et vidi in somnis ascendentes mares super feminas varios et maculosos et diversorum colorum

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

11 dixitque angelus Dei ad me in somnis Iacob et ego respondi adsum

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

12 qui ait leva oculos tuos et vide universos masculos ascendentes super feminas varios respersos atque maculosos vidi enim omnia quae fecit tibi Laban

‘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 ego sum Deus Bethel ubi unxisti lapidem et votum vovisti mihi nunc ergo surge et egredere de terra hac revertens in terram nativitatis tuae

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 responderunt Rahel et Lia numquid habemus residui quicquam in facultatibus et hereditate domus patris nostri

And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

15 nonne quasi alienas reputavit nos et vendidit comeditque pretium nostrum

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 sed Deus tulit opes patris nostri et nobis eas tradidit ac filiis nostris unde omnia quae praecepit fac

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 surrexit itaque Iacob et inpositis liberis et coniugibus suis super camelos abiit

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

18 tulitque omnem substantiam et greges et quicquid in Mesopotamiam quaesierat pergens ad Isaac patrem suum in terram Chanaan

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 eo tempore Laban ierat ad tondendas oves et Rahel furata est idola patris sui

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

20 noluitque Iacob confiteri socero quod fugeret

Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

21 cumque abisset tam ipse quam omnia quae iuris eius erant et amne transmisso pergeret contra montem Galaad

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

22 nuntiatum est Laban die tertio quod fugeret Iacob

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

23 qui adsumptis fratribus suis persecutus est eum diebus septem et conprehendit in monte Galaad

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

24 viditque in somnis dicentem sibi Dominum cave ne quicquam aspere loquaris contra Iacob

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 iamque Iacob extenderat in monte tabernaculum cum ille consecutus eum cum fratribus suis in eodem monte Galaad fixit tentorium

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 et dixit ad Iacob quare ita egisti ut clam me abigeres filias meas quasi captivas gladio

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

27 cur ignorante me fugere voluisti nec indicare mihi ut prosequerer te cum gaudio et canticis et tympanis et cithara

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 non es passus ut oscularer filios meos ac filias stulte operatus es et nunc

But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

29 valet quidem manus mea reddere tibi malum sed Deus patris vestri heri dixit mihi cave ne loquaris cum Iacob quicquam durius

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 esto ad tuos ire cupiebas et desiderio tibi erat domus patris tui cur furatus es deos meos

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

31 respondit Iacob quod inscio te profectus sum timui ne violenter auferres filias tuas

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

32 quod autem furti arguis apud quemcumque inveneris deos tuos necetur coram fratribus nostris scrutare quicquid tuorum apud me inveneris et aufer haec dicens ignorabat quod Rahel furata esset idola

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 ingressus itaque Laban tabernaculum Iacob et Liae et utriusque famulae non invenit cumque intrasset tentorium Rahelis

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 illa festinans abscondit idola subter stramen cameli et sedit desuper scrutantique omne tentorium et nihil invenienti

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 ait ne irascatur dominus meus quod coram te adsurgere nequeo quia iuxta consuetudinem feminarum nunc accidit mihi sic delusa sollicitudo quaerentis est

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 tumensque Iacob cum iurgio ait quam ob culpam meam et ob quod peccatum sic exarsisti post 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 et scrutatus es omnem supellectilem meam quid invenisti de cuncta substantia domus tuae pone hic coram fratribus meis et fratribus tuis et iudicent inter me et te

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 idcirco viginti annis fui tecum oves tuae et caprae steriles non fuerunt arietes gregis tui non comedi

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 nec captum a bestia ostendi tibi ego damnum omne reddebam quicquid furto perierat a me exigebas

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 die noctuque aestu urebar et gelu fugiebat somnus ab oculis meis

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

41 sic per viginti annos in domo tua servivi tibi quattuordecim pro filiabus et sex pro gregibus tuis inmutasti quoque mercedem meam decem vicibus

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 nisi Deus patris mei Abraham et Timor Isaac adfuisset mihi forsitan modo nudum me dimisisses adflictionem meam et laborem manuum mearum respexit Deus et arguit te heri

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 respondit ei Laban filiae et filii et greges tui et omnia quae cernis mea sunt quid possum facere filiis et nepotibus meis

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 veni ergo et ineamus foedus ut sit testimonium inter me et te

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

45 tulit itaque Iacob lapidem et erexit illum in titulum

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

46 dixitque fratribus suis adferte lapides qui congregantes fecerunt tumulum comederuntque super eum

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 quem vocavit Laban tumulus Testis et Iacob acervum Testimonii uterque iuxta proprietatem linguae suae

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

48 dixitque Laban tumulus iste testis erit inter me et te hodie et idcirco appellatum est nomen eius Galaad id est tumulus Testis

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

49 intueatur Dominus et iudicet inter nos quando recesserimus a nobis

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 si adflixeris filias meas et si introduxeris uxores alias super eas nullus sermonis nostri testis est absque Deo qui praesens respicit

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 dixitque rursus ad Iacob en tumulus hic et lapis quem erexi inter me et te

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

52 testis erit tumulus inquam iste et lapis sint in testimonio si aut ego transiero illum pergens ad te aut tu praeterieris malum mihi cogitans

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 Deus Abraham et Deus Nahor iudicet inter nos Deus patris eorum iuravit Iacob per Timorem patris sui 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 immolatisque victimis in monte vocavit fratres suos ut ederent panem qui cum comedissent manserunt ibi

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 Laban vero de nocte consurgens osculatus est filios et filias suas et benedixit illis reversus in locum suum

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