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 heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and of what was our father's he has acquired all this glory.

2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and look, it was not as it had been.

And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as previously.

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

4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flock was,

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the fields to 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 said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as previously; but the God of my father has been with me.

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

And you know 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 has mocked me, and has changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt 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 said thus; The speckled shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore speckled; and if he said thus: The ringstraked shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore ringstraked.

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

And God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] 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 came to pass at the time of the ardour of the flocks, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams that leaped upon the flocks were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

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

And the Angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob! And I said, 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 said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see: all the rams that leap upon the flock are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban does 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 anointedst the pillar, where thou vowedst a vow to me. Now arise, depart out of this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.

14 Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in 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 Aren't we regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has used up what was paid for us.

Are we not reckoned of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has even constantly devoured 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 that God has taken from our father is ours and our children's; and now whatever God has said to thee do.

17 Then Jacob got up and put his sons and his wives on the camels,

And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon 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 carried away all his cattle, and all his property that he had acquired — the cattle of his possessions that he had acquired in Padan-Aram, to go to Isaac his father, into 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 had gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that [belonged] to her father.

20 Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he intended to flee.

And Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he fled.

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 fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face [toward] mount Gilead.

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

And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had 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 took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on mount 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 came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

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 came up with Jacob; and Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain; Laban also with his brethren pitched on mount 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 said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast deceived me, and hast carried away my daughters as captives of war?

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 didst thou flee away covertly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have conducted thee with mirth and with songs, with tambour 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.

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.'

It would be in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take care that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

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 that thou must needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house, 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 answered and said to Laban, I was afraid; for I said, Lest thou shouldest take by force 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 shall not live. Before our brethren discern what is thine with me, and take [it] to thee. But Jacob did not know that Rachel had 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 went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two handmaids' tents, and found nothing; and he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

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.

Now Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them under the camel's saddle; and she sat upon them. And Laban explored all the tent, but found nothing.

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 said to her father, Let it not be an occasion of anger in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, for it is with me after the manner of women. And he searched carefully, but did not find 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 Jacob was angry, and he disputed with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my fault, what my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued 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.

Whereas thou hast explored all my baggage, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set [it] here before my brethren and thy brethren, and let them 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 have I been with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, 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.

What was torn I have not brought to thee; I had to bear the loss of it: of my hand hast thou required it, [whether] stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 I was consumed by the heat during the day and by the frost at night, and sleepless nights.

Thus it was with me: in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled 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.

I have been these twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages 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."

Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, it is certain thou wouldest have sent me away now empty. God has looked upon my affliction and the labour of my hands, and has judged last night.

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 answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that thou seest is mine; but as for my daughters, what can I do this day to them, or to their sons whom they have brought forth?

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 let it be a witness between me and thee.

45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a standing-stone.

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a 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 said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones, and made a heap, and ate there upon the heap.

47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48 Laban said, "This mound is a witness between me and you today." Therefore it was named Galeed

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

49 and Mizpah, for he said, "God watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

— and Mizpah; for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we shall be 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 shouldest afflict my daughters, or if thou shouldest take wives besides my daughters, — no man is 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 said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up 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.

[let] this heap be witness, and the pillar a witness, that neither I pass this heap [to go] to thee, nor thou pass this heap and this pillar [to come] to me, for harm.

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, the God of their father, judge between us! And Jacob swore 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 offered a sacrifice upon the mountain, and invited his brethren to eat bread: and they ate bread, and lodged on the mountain.

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 rose early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban went and returned to his place.