Genesis 31

1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, that they said, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and it is from our father's possessions that he has gotten all this wealth.”

Now it came to the ears of Jacob that Laban's sons were saying, Jacob has taken away all our father's property, and in this way he has got all this wealth.

2 Jacob saw the look on Laban's face. He saw that his attitude toward him had changed.

And Jacob saw that Laban's feeling for him was no longer what it had been before.

3 Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

Then the Lord said to Jacob, Go back to the land of your fathers, and to your relations, and I will be with you.

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

And Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come to him in the field among his flock.

5 and said to them, “I see your father's attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me.

And he said to them, It is clear to me that your father's feeling is no longer what it was to me; but the God of my father has been with me

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

And you have seen how I have done all in my power for your father,

7 Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not permitted him to hurt me.

But your father has not kept faith with me, and ten times he has made changes in my payment; but God has kept him from doing me damage.

8 If he said, 'The speckled animals will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled young. If he said, 'The striped will be your wages,' then the whole flock bore striped young.

If he said, All those in the flock which have marks are to be yours, then all the flock gave birth to marked young; and if he said, All the banded ones are to be yours, then all the flock had banded young.

9 In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

So God has taken away your father's cattle and has given them to me.

10 Once at the time of breeding season, I saw in a dream the male goats that were mating with the flock. The male goats were striped, speckled, and spotted.

And at the time when the flock were with young, I saw in a dream that all the he-goats which were joined with the she-goats were banded and marked and coloured.

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

And in my dream the angel of the Lord said to me, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.

12 He said, 'Lift up your eyes and see all the male goats that are breeding with the flock. They are striped, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

And he said, See how all the he-goats are banded and marked and coloured: for I have seen what Laban has done to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to me. Now rise up and leave this land and return to the land of your birth.'”

I am the God of Beth-el, where you put oil on the pillar and took an oath to me: now then, come out of this land and go back to the country of your birth.

14 Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Then Rachel and Leah said to him in answer, What part or heritage is there for us in our father's house?

15 Are we not treated by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has also completely devoured our money.

Are we not as people from a strange country to him? for he took a price for us and now it is all used up.

16 For all the riches that God has taken away from our father are now ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

For the wealth which God has taken from him is ours and our children's; so now, whatever God has said to you, do.

17 Then Jacob arose and placed his sons and his wives upon the camels.

Then Jacob put his wives and his sons on camels;

18 He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all his property, including the livestock he had acquired in Paddan Aram. Then he set out to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

And sending on before him all his cattle and his property which he had got together in Paddan-aram, he made ready to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods.

Now Laban had gone to see to the cutting of the wool of his sheep; so Rachel secretly took the images of the gods of her father's house.

20 Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he was leaving.

And Jacob went away secretly, without giving news of his flight to Laban the Aramaean.

21 So he fled with all that he had and quickly passed over the River, and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

So he went away with all he had, and went across the River in the direction of the hill-country of Gilead.

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

And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight.

23 So he took his relatives with him and pursued him for a seven days' journey. He overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him for seven days and overtook him in the hill-country of Gilead.

24 Now God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

25 Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives in the hill country of Gilead.

Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead.

26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you deceived me and carried away my daughters like prisoners of war?

And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war?

27 Why did you flee secretly and trick me and did not tell me? I would have sent you away with celebration and with songs, with tambourine and with harps.

Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music?

28 You did not allow me to kiss my grandsons and my daughters good bye. Now you have done foolishly.

You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.

29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and said, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.'

It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.

30 Now you have gone away because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?”

And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods?

31 Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid and thought that you would take your daughters from me by force I left secretly.

And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force.

32 Whoever has stolen your gods will not continue to live. In the presence of our relatives, identify whatever with me is yours and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken 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.

So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.

34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods, put them in a camel's saddle, and sat upon them. Laban searched the whole tent, but did not find them.

Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them.

35 She said to her father, “Do not be angry, my master, that I cannot stand up before you, for I am having my period.” So he searched but did not find his household gods.

And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.

36 Jacob was angry and argued with Laban. He said to him, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?

37 For you have searched all my possessions. What have you found of all your household goods? Set them here before our relatives, so that they may judge between us two.

Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us.

38 For twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten any rams from your flocks.

These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food.

39 What was torn by beasts I did not bring to you. Instead, I bore the loss of it. You always made me pay for every missing animal, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night.

40 There I was; in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and I went without sleep.

This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes.

41 These twenty years I have been in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. You have changed my wages ten times.

These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.

42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the one Isaac fears, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my oppression and how hard I worked, and he rebuked you last night.”

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.

43 Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the grandchildren are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children?

44 So now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be for a witness between you and me.”

Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us.

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar.

46 Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a pile. Then they ate there by the pile.

And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones.

47 Laban called it Jegar Saha Dutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.

48 Laban said, “This pile is a witness between me and you today.” Therefore its name was called Galeed.

And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed,

49 It is also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May Yahweh watch between you and me, when we are out of sight one from another.

And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings.

50 If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take any wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

If you are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us.

51 Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this pile, and look at the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me;

52 This pile is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this pile to you, and that you will not pass beyond this pile and this pillar to me, to do harm.

They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose.

53 May the God of Abraham, and the god of Nahor, the gods of their father, judge between us.” Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.

54 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his relatives to eat a meal. They ate and spent the entire night on the mountain.

And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain.

55 Early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his grandsons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.

And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.