Genesis 31

1 Postquam autem audivit verba filiorum Laban dicentium: Tulit Iacob omnia quæ fuerunt patris nostri, et de illius facultate ditatus, factus est inclytus:

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.

2 animadvertit quoque faciem Laban, quod non esset erga se sicut heri et nudiustertius,

And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, —and lo! it was not with him as afore-time.

3 maxime dicente sibi Domino: Revertere in terram patrum tuorum, et ad generationem tuam, eroque tecum.

Then said Yahweh unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, —that I may be with thee.

4 Misit, et vocavit Rachel et Liam in agrum, ubi pascebat greges,

So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto his flock;

5 dixitque eis: Video faciem patris vestri quod non sit erga me sicut heri, et nudiustertius: Deus autem patris mei fuit mecum.

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;

6 Et ipsæ nostis quod totis viribus meis servierim patri vestro.

and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I served your father.

7 Sed et pater vester circumvenit me, et mutavit mercedem meam decem vicibus: et tamen non dimisit eum Deus ut noceret mihi.

But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ten times, —yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with me.

8 Si quando dixit: Variæ erunt mercedes tuæ: pariebant omnes oves varios fœtus. Quando vero econtrario ait: Alba quæque accipies pro mercede: omnes greges alba pepererunt.

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.

9 Tulitque Deus substantiam patris vestri, et dedit mihi.

So hath God stripped away the herds of your father, and given them to me.

10 Postquam enim conceptus ovium tempus advenerat, levavi oculos meos, et vidi in somnis ascendentes mares super feminas, varios et maculosos, et diversorum colorum.

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.

11 Dixitque Angelus Dei ad me in somnis: Iacob? Et ego respondi: Adsum.

And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me!

12 Qui ait: Leva oculos tuos, et vide universos masculos ascendentes super feminas, varios, maculosos, atque respersos. Vidi enim omnia quæ fecit tibi Laban.

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.

13 Ego sum Deus Bethel, ubi unxisti lapidem, et votum vovisti mihi. Nunc ergo surge, et egredere de terra hac, revertens in terram nativitatis tuæ.

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.

14 Responderuntque Rachel et Lia: Numquid habemus residui quidquam in facultatibus, et hereditate domus patris nostri?

Then responded Rachel and Leah, and said to him, —Have we any longer a portion or an inheritance in the house of our father?

15 Nonne quasi alienas reputavit nos, et vendidit, comeditque pretium nostrum?

Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?

16 Sed Deus tulit opes patris nostri, et eas tradidit nobis, ac filiis nostris: unde omnia quæ præcepit tibi Deus, fac.

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.

17 Surrexit itaque Iacob, et impositis liberis, ac coniugibus suis super camelos, abiit.

So Jacob arose, —and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels;

18 Tulitque omnem substantiam suam, et greges, et quidquid in Mesopotamia acquisierat, pergens ad Isaac patrem suum in terram Chanaan.

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.

19 Eo tempore ierat Laban ad tondendas oves, et Rachel furata est idola patris sui.

Now, Laban, had gone, to shear his sheep, —so Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father,

20 Noluitque Iacob confiteri socero suo quod fugeret.

Thus Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, —in that he had not told him that he was about to flee.

21 Cumque abiisset tam ipse quam omnia quæ iuris sui erant, et amne transmisso pergeret contra Montem Galaad,

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.

22 nunciatum est Laban die tertio quod fugeret Iacob.

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

23 Qui, assumptis fratribus suis, persecutus est eum diebus septem: et comprehendit eum in Monte Galaad.

So he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a journey of seven days—and overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

24 Viditque in somnis dicentem sibi Deum: Cave ne quidquam aspere loquaris contra Iacob.

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.

25 Iamque Iacob extenderat in monte tabernaculum: cumque ille consecutus fuisset eum cum fratribus suis, in eodem Monte Galaad fixit tentorium.

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.

26 Et dixit ad Iacob: Quare ita egisti, ut clam me abigeres filias meas quasi captivas gladio?

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?

27 Cur ignorante me fugere voluisti, nec indicare mihi, ut prosequerer te cum gaudio, et canticis, et tympanis, et citharis?

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;

28 Non es passus ut oscularer filios meos et filias: stulte operatus es: et nunc quidem

and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.

29 valet manus mea reddere tibi malum: sed Deus patris vestri heri dixit mihi: Cave ne loquaris contra Iacob quidquam durius.

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.

30 Esto, ad tuos ire cupiebas, et desiderio erat tibi domus patris tui: cur furatus es deos meos?

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?

31 Respondit Iacob: Quod inscio te profectus sum, timui ne violenter auferres filias tuas.

And Jacob answered and said unto Laban, —Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take by force thy daughters from me!

32 Quod autem furti me arguis: apud quemcumque inveneris deos tuos, necetur coram fratribus nostris. Scrutare, quidquid tuorum apud me inveneris, et aufer. Hæc dicens, ignorabat quod Rachel furata esset idola.

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.

33 Ingressus itaque Laban tabernaculum Iacob et Liæ, et utriusque famulæ, non invenit. Cumque intrasset tentorium Rachelis,

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.

34 illa festinans abscondit idola subter stramenta cameli, et sedit desuper: scrutantique omne tentorium, et nihil invenienti,

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.

35 ait: Ne irascatur dominus meus quod coram te assurgere nequeo: quia iuxta consuetudinem feminarum nunc accidit mihi. Sic delusa solicitudo quærentis est.

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,

36 Tumensque Iacob, cum iurgio ait: Quam ob culpam meam, et ob quod peccatum meum sic exarsisti post me,

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?

37 et scrutatus es omnem supellectilem meam? Quid invenisti de cuncta substantia domus tuæ? pone hic coram fratribus meis, et fratribus tuis, et iudicent inter me, et te.

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.

38 Idcirco viginti annis fui tecum? oves tuæ et capræ steriles non fuerunt, arietes gregis tui non comedi:

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,

39 nec captum a bestia ostendi tibi, ego damnum omne reddebam: quidquid furto peribat, a me exigebas:

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.

40 die noctuque æstu urebar, et gelu, fugiebatque somnus ab oculis meis.

Thus have I been—By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, —So that my sleep fled away from mine eyes.

41 Sicque per viginti annos in domo tua servivi tibi, quatuordecim pro filiabus, et sex pro gregibus tuis: immutasti quoque mercedem meam decem vicibus.

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: —

42 Nisi Deus patris mei Abraham, et timor Isaac affuisset mihi, forsitan modo nudum me dimisisses: afflictionem meam et laborem manuum mearum respexit Deus, et arguit te heri.

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!

43 Respondit ei Laban: Filiæ meæ et filii, et greges tui, et omnia quæ cernis, mea sunt: quid possum facere filiis et nepotibus meis?

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?

44 Veni ergo, et ineamus fœdus: ut sit in testimonium inter me et te.

Now, therefore, come on! Let us solemnise a covenant, I and thou, —So shall it be a witness betwixt me and thee.

45 Tulit itaque Iacob lapidem, et erexit illum in titulum:

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

46 dixitque fratribus suis: Afferte lapides. Qui congregantes fecerunt tumulum, comederuntque super eum:

Then said Jacob to his brethren—Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, —and they did eat there, by the heap.

47 quem vocavit Laban Tumulum Testis: et Iacob, Acervum Testimonii, uterque iuxta proprietatem linguæ suæ.

And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, —but, Jacob, called it, Galeed.

48 Dixitque Laban: Tumulus iste erit testis inter me et te hodie: et idcirco appellatum est nomen eius Galaad, id est, Tumulus Testis.

Then said Laban: This heap, be witness betwixt me, and thee, to-day. For this cause, is the name thereof called Galeed;

49 Intueatur et iudicet Dominus inter nos quando recesserimus a nobis,

also, The Watch Tower, as to which it is said, Yahweh watch betwixt me and thee, when we are parted one from another.

50 si afflixeris filias meas, et si introduxeris alias uxores super eas: nullus sermonis nostri testis est absque Deo, qui præsens respicit.

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!

51 Dixitque rursus ad Iacob: En tumulus hic, et lapis quem erexi inter me et te,

And Laban said to Jacob—Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set betwixt me, and thee:

52 testis erit: tumulus, inquam, iste et lapis sint in testimonium, si aut ego transiero illum pergens ad te, aut tu præterieris, malum mihi cogitans.

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.

53 Deus Abraham, et Deus Nachor iudicet inter nos, Deus patris eorum. Iuravit ergo Iacob per timorem patris sui Isaac:

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:

54 immolatisque victimis in monte, vocavit fratres suos ut ederent panem. Qui cum comedissent, manserunt ibi.

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.

55 Laban vero de nocte consurgens, osculatus est filios, et filias suas, et benedixit illis: reversusque est in locum suum.

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.