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.”

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

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

3 Then Yahweh 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 to his flock

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the fields to 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 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 it is with all my strength that I have served your father.

And you know that with all my power I have served your father.

7 Your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God has not permitted 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, '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 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 In this way God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

And God has taken away the cattle of your father, and 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 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.' 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, '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, 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 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 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 and said to him, “Is there 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 Are we not treated by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has also completely devoured our money.

Are we not reckoned of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has even constantly devoured our money.

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 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 arose and placed his sons and his wives upon the camels.

And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon 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 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 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods.

And Laban had gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that [belonged] to her father.

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

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

21 So he fled with all that he had and quickly passed over the River, and headed 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 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

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

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 he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on mount 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.”

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 overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban also camped with his relatives 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, that you deceived me and carried away my daughters like prisoners of 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 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 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 You did not allow me to kiss my grandsons and my daughters good bye. 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 and said, 'Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor 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 gone away because you longed to return to your father's house. But why did you steal 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 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 answered and said to Laban, I was afraid; for I said, Lest thou shouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

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.

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 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 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 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 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. He said to him, “What is my offense? 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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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

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 household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. 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 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.”

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 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?

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

And now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be a witness between me and thee.

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

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 pile. Then they ate there by the pile.

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 Saha Dutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

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

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called 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, 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 any wives besides my daughters, although no one else is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.”

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, “Look at this pile, and look at the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up between me and thee:

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.

[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 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.

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 a meal. They ate and spent the entire 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 got up, kissed his grandsons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.

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.