Genesis 31
1 But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”
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.
2 Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it [was] not towards him as before.
3 Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”
And the LORD said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
4 He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field to his flock,
5 and he said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me.
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.
6 And you know that I have served your father with all my strength.
And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to hurt me.
8 Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.
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.
9 And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.
10 For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.
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.
11 And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.’
And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, [saying], Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I.
12 And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
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.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’”
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.
14 And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?
And Rachel and Leah answered, and said to him, [Is there] yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?
Are we not counted by him strangers; for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also our money.
16 But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”
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.
17 And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.
Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
18 And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.
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.
19 At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.
And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that [were] her father's.
20 And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was about to depart.
21 And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,
So he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face [towards] the mount Gilead.
22 it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”
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.
25 And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead.
Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban, with his brethren, pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?
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?
27 Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?
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?
28 You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,
And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in [so] doing.
29 my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’
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.
30 It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?”
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?
31 Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.
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.
32 But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
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.
33 And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,
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.
34 she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing,
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.
35 she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.
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.
36 And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against me
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?
37 and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.
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.
38 For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.
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.
39 Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.
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.
40 Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes.
[Thus] I was; in the day the drouth consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.
41 And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times.
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.
42 If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”
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.
43 Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?
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?
44 Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”
Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.
And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.
46 And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.
And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they ate there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.
And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed:
48 And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)
And Laban said, This heap [is] a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed:
49 “May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.
And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”
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.
51 And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me.
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.
53 May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
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.
54 And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.
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.
55 In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.
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.
