Genesis 31
1 Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”
Jacob found out that Laban's sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father. All the wealth he has actually came from our father.”
2 Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not towards him as before.
Jacob also noticed that Laban was treating him differently to the way he had before.
3 The LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
The Lord told Jacob, “Go back to the country of your forefathers, to your family home. I will be with you.”
4 Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah, telling them to come and meet him out in the fields where he was with his flock.
5 and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not towards me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
“I've noticed that your father is treating me differently to the way he did before,” he told them. “But the God of my father will be with me.
6 You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.
You both know very well how hard I worked for your father.
7 Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.
But he's been cheating me—he's reduced my wages ten times! However, God hasn't let him hurt me.
8 If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.
If he said, ‘You can have the speckled ones as your wages,’ then the whole flock had speckled young. If he said, ‘You can have the streaked ones as your wages,’ then the whole flock had streaked young.
9 Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.
This is how God took your father's livestock and gave them to me.
10 During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leapt on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
During the time the flock was breeding I had a dream where I saw that the male goats mating with the flock were all streaked, speckled, or spotted.
11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’
Then in the dream the angel of the Lord spoke to me and said, ‘Jacob!’ I replied, ‘I'm here.’
12 He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.
He told me, ‘Take a look and you'll see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I've been watching everything that Laban has been doing to you.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”
I am the God of Bethel, where you poured olive oil on the stone pillar and made a solemn promise to me. Now get ready to leave this land and go back to your homeland.’”
14 Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
“There's nothing for us to inherit from our father's estate anyway,” Rachel and Leah replied.
15 Aren’t we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money.
“He treats us like foreigners because he sold us to you, and now he's spent all that money.
16 For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”
All the wealth that God has taken from him belongs to us and our children, so do whatever God has told you to do!”
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,
So Jacob got ready. He helped his children and his wives onto the camels,
18 and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.
and drove all his livestock in front of him. He took with him all his possessions and livestock he'd gained during his time in Paddan-aram, and left to go back to his father in the country of Canaan.
19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.
While Laban was away from home shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father.
20 Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.
Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not informing him that he was going to run away.
21 So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face towards the mountain of Gilead.
So Jacob left in a hurry with everything he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed towards the hill country of Gilead.
22 Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had run away.
23 He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.
Taking some of his relatives with him, he chased after Jacob and caught up with him seven days later in the hill country of Gilead.
24 God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
But during the night God came to Laban in a dream and told him, “Watch what you say to Jacob. Don't try to persuade him to come back, and don't threaten him either.”
25 Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.
Jacob had set up his tents in the hill country of Gilead when Laban caught up with him, so Laban and his relatives did the same.
26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?
“Why did you deceive me like this?” Laban asked Jacob. “You carried off my daughters as if they were some prisoners captured by the sword!
27 Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;
Why did you run away in secret, trying to trick me? Why didn't you come and tell me? I would have given you a good send-off, a celebration with singing and the music of tambourines and lyres.
28 and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.
You didn't even let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've really acted stupidly!
29 It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’
I could really punish you badly, but the God of your father spoke to me last night and told me, ‘Watch what you say to Jacob. Don't try to persuade him to come back, and don't threaten him either.’
30 Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”
Clearly you wanted to leave and go back to your family home, but why did you have to steal my idols?”
31 Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’
“I ran away because I was afraid,” Jacob explained to Laban. “I was worried that you would take your daughters from me by force.
32 Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.
As for your idols, anyone you find who has them will die. You can search everything in the presence of our relatives, and if you find I have anything that belongs to you, you can take it.” (Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the household idols.)
33 Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
Laban searched the tents of Jacob, Leah, and the two personal maids, but didn't find anything. He left Leah's tent and went into Rachel's tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.
Rachel had put the household idols in a camel's saddlebag and was sitting on it. Laban carefully searched the whole tent but couldn't find them.
35 She said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim.
She said to her father, “Sir, please don't get upset with me for not standing up in your presence, but I have my period.” He looked everywhere but didn't find the idols.
36 Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
Jacob got angry with Laban and confronted him, saying, “What crime am I guilty of? What wrong have I done to you that you've come hunting me down?
37 Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.
You've searched through all my possessions. Did you find anything belonging to you? If you did, bring it out here before my relatives and yours so they can decide who's right!
38 “These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks.
I've worked for you for these past twenty years. During that time none of your sheep and goats miscarried, and I haven't eaten a single ram from your flock.
39 That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
If any of them were killed by wild animals, I never even brought you the carcass to prove the loss—I bore the loss myself. But you on the other hand always made me compensate you for any animals that were stolen, whether at night or in broad daylight.
40 This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.
Whether it was sweating in the heat of the day, or freezing in the cold of the night when I couldn't sleep, I went on working for you for twenty years in your home.
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 worked fourteen years for your two daughters, and six more years with your flocks. You reduced my wages ten times!
42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”
If it weren't for the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the awesome God of Isaac, who took care of me, you would have dismissed me with nothing. But God saw my suffering, how hard I worked, and he condemned you 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! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?
Laban replied, “These are my daughters and these are my children and these are my flocks! In fact, everything you see here is mine! However, what can I do now about my daughters and their children?
44 Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”
So let's make a solemn agreement between you and I, and it will be a witness to our mutual commitment.”
45 Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
Jacob took a stone and set it upright as a pillar.
46 Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.
Then he told his relatives, “Go and collect some stones.” They all made a pile of stones and then sat beside it to eat a meal.
47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, while Jacob called it Galeed.
48 Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named Galeed
Laban announced, “This pile of stone serves as a witness between me and you.” This is why it was called Galeed.
49 and Mizpah, for he said, “The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
It was also called Mizpah, for as Laban said, “May the Lord keep a close eye on both of us when we're not together.
50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”
If you treat my daughters badly or marry more wives in addition to them, God will see what you do even if no one else finds out!”
51 Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.
Then Laban told Jacob, “Look at this pile of stones and this pillar that I have set up as a memorial of the agreement between you and me.
52 May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
They also act as a witness to our solemn promises to each other: I will not come past them to attack you; and you will not come past them to attack me.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor—the God of our forefathers—be the one to judge between us in any dispute.” Jacob in turn made his solemn promise in the name of the awesome God of his father Isaac.
54 Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.
Then he offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited all his relatives to eat a meal there. They spent the night 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.
Laban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters goodbye. He blessed them, and then left to go back home.
