< Genesis 31 >

1 He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's. From that which was our father's he has gained all this wealth."
And he heareth the words of Laban's sons, saying, 'Jacob hath taken all that our father hath; yea, from that which our father hath, he hath made all this honour;'
2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and look, it was not as it had been.
and Jacob seeth the face of Laban, and lo, it is not with him as heretofore.
3 Then God said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
And Jehovah saith unto Jacob, 'Turn back unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I am with thee.'
4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flock was,
And Jacob sendeth and calleth for Rachel and for Leah to the field unto his flock;
5 and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not what it was before. But the God of my father has been with me.
and saith to them, 'I am beholding your father's face — that it is not towards me as heretofore, and the God of my father hath been with me,
6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
and ye — ye have known that with all my power I have served your father,
7 Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.
and your father hath played upon me, and hath changed my hire ten times; and God hath not suffered him to do evil with me.
8 If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.
'If he say thus: The speckled are thy hire, then bare all the flock speckled ones; and if he say thus: The ring-streaked are thy hire, then bare all the flock ring-streaked;
9 Thus God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.
and God taketh away the substance of your father, and doth give to me.
10 And it came about at the time when the flocks were breeding I looked up and saw in a dream, and look, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted.
'And it cometh to pass at the time of the flock conceiving, that I lift up mine eyes and see in a dream, and lo, the he-goats, which are going up on the flock, [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grisled;
11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
and the messenger of God saith unto me in the dream, Jacob, and I say, Here [am] I.
12 He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and look, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
'And He saith, Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see — all the he-goats which are going up on the flock [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grisled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to thee;
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a standing-stone, where you made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your birth.'"
I [am] the God of Bethel where thou hast anointed a standing pillar, where thou hast vowed a vow to me; now, arise, go out from this land, and turn back unto the land of thy birth.'
14 Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
And Rachel answereth — Leah also — and saith to him, 'Have we yet a portion and inheritance in the house of our father?
15 Aren't we regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has used up what was paid for us.
have we not been reckoned strangers to him? for he hath sold us, and he also utterly consumeth our money;
16 For all the wealth which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."
for all the wealth which God hath taken away from our father, it [is] ours, and our children's; and now, all that God hath said unto thee — do.'
17 Then Jacob got up and put his sons and his wives on the camels,
And Jacob riseth, and lifteth up his sons and his wives on the camels,
18 and he took away all his livestock and all his property which he had acquired, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
and leadeth all his cattle, and all his substance which he hath acquired, the cattle of his getting, which he hath acquired in Padan-Aram, to go unto Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.
And Laban hath gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stealeth the teraphim which her father hath;
20 Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he intended to flee.
and Jacob deceiveth the heart of Laban the Aramaean, because he hath not declared to him that he is fleeing;
21 So he fled with everything that he had, and he arose and crossed the River, and set out toward the hill country of Gilead.
and he fleeth, he and all that he hath, and riseth, and passeth over the River, and setteth his face [toward] the mount of Gilead.
22 Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
And it is told to Laban on the third day that Jacob hath fled,
23 He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him for seven days, and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
and he taketh his brethren with him, and pursueth after him a journey of seven days, and overtaketh him in the mount of Gilead.
24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night, and said to him, "Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad."
And God cometh in unto Laban the Aramaean in a dream of the night, and saith to him, 'Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good unto evil.'
25 Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his relatives camped in the hill country of Gilead.
And Laban overtaketh Jacob; and Jacob hath fixed his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren have fixed [theirs] in the mount of Gilead.
26 Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken in war?
And Laban saith to Jacob, 'What hast thou done that thou dost deceive my heart, and lead away my daughters as captives of the sword?
27 Why did you flee in secret and deceive me, and not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and singing, with a tambourine and with a lyre.
Why hast thou hidden thyself to flee, and deceivest me, and hast not declared to me, and I send thee away with joy and with songs, with tabret and with harp,
28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.
and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? — now thou hast acted foolishly in doing [so];
29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.'
my hand is to God to do evil with you, but the God of your father yesternight hath spoken unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself from speaking with Jacob from good unto evil.
30 Now you have indeed gone away, because you longed greatly for your father's house. But why have you stolen my gods?"
'And now, thou hast certainly gone, because thou hast been very desirous for the house of thy father; why hast thou stolen my gods?'
31 Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.'
And Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, 'Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take violently away thy daughters from me;
32 Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, identify what I have that is yours, and take it with you." For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
with whomsoever thou findest thy gods — he doth not live; before our brethren discern for thyself what [is] with me, and take to thyself:' and Jacob hath not known that Rachel hath stolen them.
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.
And Laban goeth into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two handmaidens, and hath not found; and he goeth out from the tent of Leah, and goeth into the tent of Rachel.
34 Now Rachel had taken the idols, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.
And Rachel hath taken the teraphim, and putteth them in the furniture of the camel, and sitteth upon them; and Laban feeleth all the tent, and hath not found;
35 She said to her father, "Do not let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for the manner of women is on me." He searched, but did not find the teraphim.
and she saith unto her father, 'Let it not be displeasing in the eyes of my lord that I am not able to rise at thy presence, for the way of women [is] on me;' and he searcheth, and hath not found the teraphim.
36 Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?
And it is displeasing to Jacob, and he striveth with Laban; and Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, 'What [is] my transgression? what my sin, that thou hast burned after me?
37 Now that you have searched around in all my stuff, did you find anything from all of your household's belongings? Put it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between the two of us.
for thou hast felt all my vessels: what hast thou found of all the vessels of thy house? set here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and they decide between us both.
38 These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I haven't eaten the rams of your flocks.
'These twenty years I [am] with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not miscarried, and the rams of thy flock I have not eaten;
39 That which was torn by animals I did not bring to you. I bore its loss. You demanded payment from me whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
the torn I have not brought in unto thee — I, I repay it — from my hand thou dost seek it; I have been deceived by day, and I have been deceived by night;
40 I was consumed by the heat during the day and by the frost at night, and sleepless nights.
I have been [thus]: in the day consumed me hath drought, and frost by night, and wander doth my sleep from mine eyes.
41 These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.
'This [is] to me twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou changest my hire ten times;
42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one whom Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my harsh treatment and my hard work, and rebuked you last night."
unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now empty thou hadst sent me away; mine affliction and the labour of my hands hath God seen, and reproveth yesternight.'
43 Laban answered Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
And Laban answereth and saith unto Jacob, 'The daughters [are] my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the flock my flock, and all that thou art seeing [is] mine; and to my daughters — what do I to these to-day, or to their sons whom they have born?
44 So now, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between the two of us." And he said to him, "Look, there is no one with us; see, God is witness between me and you."
and now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and it hath been for a witness between me and thee.'
45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a standing-stone.
And Jacob taketh a stone, and lifteth it up [for] a standing pillar;
46 Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a mound. They ate there by the mound.
and Jacob saith to his brethren, 'Gather stones,' and they take stones, and make a heap; and they eat there on the heap;
47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
and Laban calleth it Jegar-Sahadutha; and Jacob hath called it Galeed.
48 Laban said, "This mound is a witness between me and you today." Therefore it was named Galeed
And Laban saith, 'This heap [is] witness between me and thee to-day;' therefore hath he called its name Galeed;
49 and Mizpah, for he said, "God watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
Mizpah also, for he said, 'Jehovah doth watch between me and thee, for we are hidden one from another;
50 If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us; see, God is witness between me and you."
if thou afflict my daughters, or take wives beside my daughters — there is no man with us — see, God [is] witness between me and thee.'
51 Laban said to Jacob, "See this mound, and see the standing-stone, which I have set between me and you.
And Laban saith to Jacob, 'Lo, this heap, and lo, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and thee;
52 May this mound be a witness, and the standing-stone be a witness, that I will not pass over this mound to you, and that you will not pass over this mound and this standing-stone to me, to do harm.
this heap [is] witness, and the standing pillar [is] witness, that I do not pass over this heap unto thee, and that thou dost not pass over this heap and this standing pillar unto me — for evil;
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, judge between us." Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, doth judge between us — the God of their father,' and Jacob sweareth by the Fear of his father Isaac.
54 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to eat the meal. They ate the meal and stayed all night on the mountain.
And Jacob sacrificeth a sacrifice in the mount, and calleth to his brethren to eat bread, and they eat bread, and lodge in the mount;
55 Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
and Laban riseth early in the morning, and kisseth his sons and his daughters, and blesseth them; and Laban goeth on, and turneth back to his place.

< Genesis 31 >