Genesis 31
1 Then heard he the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that belonged to our father; Yea out of what belonged to our father, hath he made all this wealth.
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."
2 And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, —and lo! it was not with him as afore-time.
Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and look, it was not as it had been.
3 Then said Yahweh unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, —that I may be with thee.
Then God said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
4 So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto his flock;
Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flock was,
5 and said to them, Beholding, am I the face of your father, that it is not towards me as aforetime, —nevertheless, the God of my father, hath been with me;
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.
6 and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I served your father.
You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
7 But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ten times, —yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with me.
Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.
8 If thus he saith, The speckled, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth speckled, —But if thus he saith, The ring-straked, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth ring-straked.
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.
9 So hath God stripped away the herds 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 in the season when the flock were in heat, then lifted I mine eyes and beheld in a dream, —and lo! the he-goats that were leaping upon the flock, were ring-straked speckled and dappled.
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.
11 And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me!
The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'
12 Then he said Lift, I pray thee, thine eyes and behold All, the he-goats that are leaping upon the flock are ring-straked, speckled, and dappled, —for I have seen all that Laban, has been doing to thee.
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.
13 I, am the GOD of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow to me a vow, —Now, rise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
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.'"
14 Then responded Rachel and Leah, and said to him, —Have we any longer a portion or an inheritance in the house of our father?
Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?
Aren't we regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has used up what was paid for us.
16 Surely all the riches which God hath stripped off from our father, unto us, it belongeth, and unto our sons, —Now, therefore, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
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."
17 So Jacob arose, —and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels;
Then Jacob got up and put his sons and his wives on the camels,
18 and drave away all his herds and all his goods which he had gathered, the gains he had gained, which he had gathered in Padan-aram; that he might go in unto Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan.
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.
19 Now, Laban, had gone, to shear his sheep, —so Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father,
Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father.
20 Thus Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, —in that he had not told him that he was about to flee.
Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he intended to flee.
21 So he fled, he—and all that he had, and he arose, and passed over the River, —and set his face towards the mountain of Gilead.
So he fled with everything that he had, and he arose and crossed the River, and set out toward the hill country of Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban, on the third day, —that Jacob had fled.
Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 So he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a journey of seven days—and overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him for seven days, and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
24 And God went in unto Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, —and said to him Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob either good or bad.
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."
25 So then Laban came up with Jacob, —Jacob, having pitched his tent in the mountain, Laban, also, with his brethren pitched in the mountain of Gilead.
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.
26 Then said Laban to Jacob, What hadst thou done, that thou shouldst steal away unawares to me, —and shouldst carry off my daughters, as captives of the sword?
Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken in war?
27 Wherefore didst thou secretly flee, and rob me, —and didst not tell me, that I might send thee away with rejoicing and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre;
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.
28 and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.
And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.
29 It is in the power of my hand, to deal with thee for harm, —but the God of your father, last night, spake unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob, either good or bad.
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.'
30 But, now, though thou, didst even take thy journey, because thou, didst sorely long, for the house of thy father, wherefore didst thou steal away my gods?
Now you have indeed gone away, because you longed greatly for your father's house. But why have you stolen my gods?"
31 And Jacob answered and said unto Laban, —Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take by force thy daughters from me!
Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.'
32 He with whom thou find thy gods, shall not live! Before our brethren, note thou for thyself what is with me and take what is thine. Neither did Jacob know that, Rachel, had stolen them.
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.
33 Then entered Laban into the tent of Jacob and into the tent of Leah and into the tent of the two handmaids, and found nothing, —then went he forth out of the tent of Leah, and entered into the tent of Rachel.
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.
34 Now Rachel, had taken the household gods and put them in the basket-saddle of the camel, and taken her seat upon them. And Laban felt about throughout all the tent, and found them not.
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.
35 And she said unto her father, Let it not be vexing in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up at thy presence, for, the way of women, is upon me. So he made search, but found not the household gods,
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.
36 And it was vexing to Jacob and he contended with Laban, —and Jacob responded and said to Laban, What was my trespass, what my sin, that thou shouldst have come burning after me?
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?
37 Now that thou hast felt about among all my goods, what hast thou found of the goods of thine own house? Set it out here, right before my brethren and thy brethren, —that they may give sentence betwixt us two.
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.
38 This twenty years’ time, 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,
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.
39 The torn, have I not brought in unto thee—I bare the loss, At my hand, didst thou require it, —Stolen by day, or stolen by night.
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.
40 Thus have I been—By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, —So that my sleep fled away from mine eyes.
I was consumed by the heat during the day and by the frost at night, and sleepless nights.
41 This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, —I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep—And thou didst change my wages ten times: —
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.
42 But that the God of my father—The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac—Proved to be mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence last night!
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."
43 Then responded Laban and said unto Jacob—the daughters, are my daughters, And the sons, are my sons, And the sheep are my sheep, And, all that, thou, beholdest, To me doth it belong! But to my daughters, what can I do to these this day, Or to their sons whom they have borne?
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?
44 Now, therefore, come on! Let us solemnise a covenant, I and thou, —So shall it be a witness betwixt me and thee.
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."
45 So Jacob took a stone, —and set it up as a pillar.
Jacob took a stone and set it up as a standing-stone.
46 Then said Jacob to his brethren—Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, —and they did eat there, by the heap.
Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." So they took stones and made a mound. They ate there by the mound.
47 And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, —but, Jacob, called it, Galeed.
Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 Then said Laban: This heap, be witness betwixt me, and thee, to-day. For this cause, is the name thereof called Galeed;
Laban said, "This mound is a witness between me and you today." Therefore it was named Galeed
49 also, The Watch Tower, as to which it is said, Yahweh watch betwixt me and thee, when we are parted one from another.
and Mizpah, for he said, "God watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
50 If thou oppress my daughters, or if thou take wives besides my daughters, —there may be no man with us—see! God, be witness betwixt me, and thee!
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."
51 And Laban said to Jacob—Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set betwixt me, and thee:
Laban said to Jacob, "See this mound, and see the standing-stone, which I have set between me and you.
52 A witness, be this heap, and, a witness, the pillar, —That, I, am not to pass, unto thee, over this heap, And, thou, art not to pass, unto me, over this heap and this pillar for harm.
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.
53 The Gods of Abraham and the Gods of Nahor judge betwixt us—the Gods of their fathers. And Jacob sware by the Dread of his father Isaac:
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, judge between us." Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 and Jacob offered sacrifice in the mountain, and called on his brethren to eat bread. So they did eat bread, and tarried the night in the mountain.
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.
55 And Laban rose up early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban went his way and returned to his place.
Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.
