Genesis 31

Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying: “Jacob has taken away everything that was our father’s, and from what belonged to our father he has acquired all this wealth and honor.”

And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.

Jacob noticed [a change in] the ^[a]attitude of Laban, and saw that it was not friendly toward him as before.

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

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

And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

and he said to them, “I see [a change in] your father’s attitude, that he is not friendly toward me as [he was] before; but the God of my father [Isaac] has been with me.

And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

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

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

Yet your father has cheated me [as often as possible] and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to hurt me.

And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

If he said, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then the entire flock gave birth to speckled [young]; and if he said, ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then the entire flock gave birth to streaked [young].

If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.

Thus God has taken away the flocks of your father and given them to me.

Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

And it happened at the time when the flock conceived that I looked up and saw in a dream that the rams which mated [with the female goats] were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

And the ^[b]Angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’

And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

He said, ‘Look up and see, all the rams which are mating [with the flock] are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you made a vow to Me; now stand up, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For he sold us [to you in marriage], and has also entirely used up our purchase price.

Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

Surely all the riches which God has taken from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has told you to do, do it.”

For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

Then Jacob stood [and took action] and put his children and his wives on camels;

Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

and he drove away all his livestock and [took along] all his property which he had acquired, the livestock he had obtained and accumulated in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel [went inside the house and] stole her father’s ^[c]household gods.

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

And Jacob ^[d]deceived Laban the Aramean (Syrian) by not telling him that he intended to leave and he slipped away secretly.

And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

So he fled with everything that he had, and got up and crossed the river [Euphrates], and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead [east of the Jordan River].

Laban Pursues Jacob

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

On the third day [after his departure] Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

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

So he took his relatives with him and pursued him for seven days, and they overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

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.”

And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the hill, and Laban with his relatives camped on the same hill of Gilead.

Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

Then Laban said to Jacob, “What do you mean by deceiving me and leaving without my knowledge, and carrying off my daughters as if [they were] captives of the sword?

And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

Why did you run away secretly and deceive me and not tell me, so that [otherwise] I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with [music on the] tambourine and lyre?

Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

And why did you not allow me to kiss my ^[e]grandchildren and my daughters [goodbye]? Now you have done a foolish thing [in behaving like this].

And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

It is in my power to harm you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak to Jacob, either good or bad.’

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Now [I suppose] you felt you must go because you ^[f]were homesick for your father’s house and family; but why did you steal my [household] ^[g]gods?”

And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

Jacob answered Laban, “[I left secretly] because I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our relatives [search my possessions and] point out whatever you find that belongs to you and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he came out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them in the camel’s saddlebag and sat on them. Laban searched through all her tent, but did not find them.

Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

So Rachel said to her father, “Do not be displeased, my lord, that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is on me and I am unwell.” He searched [further] but did not find the household idols.

And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched but found not the images.

Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. And he said to Laban, “What is my fault? What is my sin that you pursued me like this?

And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

Although you have searched through all my possessions, what have you found of your household goods? Put it here before my relatives and your relatives, so that they may decide [who has done right] between the two of us.

Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not lost their young, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

This twenty years 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.

I did not bring you the torn carcasses [of the animals attacked by predators]; I [personally] took the loss. You required of me [to make good] everything that was stolen, whether it occurred by day or night.

That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

This was my situation: by day the heat consumed me and by night the cold, and ^[h]I could not sleep.

Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for [my share of] your flocks, and you have ^[i]changed my wages ten times.

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and [the Feared One] of Isaac, had not been with me, most certainly you would have sent me away now empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and humiliation and the [exhausting] labor of my hands, so He rendered judgment and rebuked you last night.”

The Covenant of Mizpah

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Laban answered Jacob, “These ^[j]women [that you married] are my daughters, these children are my ^[k]grandchildren, these flocks are [from] my flocks, and all that you see [here] is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children to whom they have given birth?

And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

So come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a [memorial] pillar.

And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a mound [of stones], and they ate [a ceremonial meal together] there on the mound [of stones].

And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha (stone monument of testimony in ^[l]Aramaic), but Jacob called it ^[m]Galeed.

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban said, “This mound [of stones] is a witness [a reminder of the oath taken] today between you and me.” Therefore he [also] called the name Galeed,

And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

and Mizpah (^[n]watchtower), for Laban said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another.

And Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

If you should mistreat (humiliate, oppress) my daughters, or if you should take other wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us [as a witness], see and remember, God is witness between you and me.”

If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

Laban said to Jacob, “Look at this mound [of stones] and look at this pillar which I have set up between you and me.

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

This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this mound to harm you, and that you will not pass by this mound and this pillar to harm me.

This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

The God of Abraham [your father] and the God of Nahor [my father], and the ^[o]god [the image of worship] of their father [Terah, an idolater], judge between us.” But Jacob swore [only] by [the one true God] the Fear of his father Isaac.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

Then Jacob offered a sacrifice [to the Lord] on the mountain, and called his relatives to the meal; and they ate food and spent the night on the mountain.

Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

Early in the morning Laban got up and kissed his ^[p]grandchildren and his daughters [goodbye] and pronounced a blessing [asking God’s favor] on them. Then Laban left and returned home.

And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.