Genesis 31

Jacob heard what Laban’s sons were saying. “Jacob has taken everything our father owned,” they said. “He has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”

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 that Laban’s feelings toward him had changed.

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

Then the Lord spoke to Jacob. He said, “Go back to your father’s land and to your relatives. 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 word to Rachel and Leah. He told them to come out to the fields where his flocks were.

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

He said to them, “I see that your father’s feelings toward me have changed. But the God of my father 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’ve worked for your father with all my strength.

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

But your father has cheated me. He has changed my pay ten times. In spite of everything that’s happened, God hasn’t let him harm me.

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

Sometimes Laban would say, ‘The speckled ones will be your pay.’ Then all the flocks had little ones with speckles. At other times he would say, ‘The striped ones will be your pay.’ Then all the flocks had little ones with stripes.

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.

So God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

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

“Once during the mating season I had a dream. In my dream I looked and saw male goats mating with the flock. The goats had stripes, speckles or spots.

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.

The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘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 around you. See the male goats mating with the flock. All of them have stripes, speckles or spots. That’s because I have seen everything 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. That is where you poured olive oil on a sacred stone. There you made a promise to me. Now leave this land. Go back to your own land.’ ”

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 replied, “Do we still have any share of our father’s property?

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

Doesn’t our father think of us as outsiders? First he sold us. Now he has used up what he was paid for us.

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

All the wealth God took away from our father really belongs to us and our children. So do what God has told you to do.”

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 put his children and wives on camels.

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

He drove all his livestock ahead of him. He also took with him everything he had acquired in Paddan Aram. He left 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.

Laban had gone to clip the wool from his sheep. While he was gone, Rachel stole the statues of the family gods that belonged to her father.

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

And that’s not all. Jacob tricked Laban, the Aramean. He didn’t tell him he was running away.

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

So Jacob ran off with everything he had. He crossed the Euphrates River. And he headed for the hill country of Gilead.

Laban Chases 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 Laban was told that Jacob had run away.

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

He took his relatives with him and went after Jacob. Seven days later he caught up with 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.

Then God came to Laban, the Aramean, in a dream at night. He said to him, “Be careful. Do not say anything to Jacob, whether it is 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.

Jacob had set up his tent in the hill country of Gilead. That’s where Laban caught up with him. Laban and his relatives camped there too.

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

Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have tricked me. You have taken my daughters away like prisoners of war.

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 in secret and trick me? Why didn’t you tell me? Then I could have sent you away happily. We could have sung to the music of tambourines and harps.

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?

You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing.

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

I have the power to harm you. But last night the God of your father spoke to me. He said, ‘Be careful. Do not say anything to Jacob, whether it is 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 you have run away. You longed to go back to your father’s home. But why did you have to steal the statues of my 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 was afraid. 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.

But if you find anyone who has the statues of your gods, that person will not remain alive. While our relatives are watching, look for yourself. See if there’s anything of yours here with me. If you find anything belonging to you, take it.” But Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the statues.

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 Leah’s tent. He went into the tent of their two female servants. But he didn’t find anything. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he 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.

Rachel was the one who had taken the statues of Laban’s family gods. She had put them inside her camel’s saddle. She was sitting on them. Laban searched the whole tent. But he didn’t find anything.

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.

Rachel said to her father, “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t get up for you right now. But don’t be angry with me. I’m having my monthly period.” So he searched everywhere but couldn’t find the statues of his gods.

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.

Jacob was very angry with Laban. “What is my crime?” he asked. “What have I done to you that you hunt me down 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?

You have searched through all my things. What have you found that belongs to your family? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine. Let them decide 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.

“I’ve been with you for 20 years now. The little ones of your sheep and goats were not dead when they were born. I haven’t eaten rams from 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 didn’t bring you animals torn apart by wild beasts. I made up for the loss myself. Also, you made me pay for anything stolen 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.

And what was my life like? The heat burned me in the daytime. And it was so cold at night that I froze. I couldn’t sleep.

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

That’s what it was like for the 20 years I was living with you. I worked for 14 years to marry your two daughters. I worked for six years to get my share of your flocks. You changed my pay 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.

But the God of my father was with me. He is the God of Abraham and the God Isaac worshiped. If he hadn’t been with me, you would surely have sent me away without anything to show for all my work. But God has seen my hard times. He has seen all the work my hands have done. So last night he warned you.”

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, “The women are my daughters. The children are my children. The flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do today about these daughters of mine? What can I do about the children they’ve had?

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?

Come now. Let’s make a formal agreement, you and I. Let it be a witness between us.”

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 set up a stone as a way to remember.

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

He said to his relatives, “Get some stones.” So they took stones and put them in a pile. And they ate there by it.

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 named the pile of stones Jegar Sahadutha. Jacob named it Galeed.

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

Laban said, “This pile of stones is a witness between you and me today.” That’s why it was named Galeed.

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

It was also called Mizpah. That’s because Laban said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.

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

Don’t treat my daughters badly. Don’t get married to any women besides my daughters. There isn’t anyone here to see what we’re doing. But remember that God is a 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 also said to Jacob, “Here is this pile of stones. And here is this stone I’ve set up. I’ve set them 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 pile is a witness. And this stone is a witness. They are witnesses that I won’t go past this pile to harm you. And they are witnesses that you won’t go past this pile and this stone 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 and Nahor is also the God of their father. May their God decide which of us is right.”

So Jacob made a promise using the name of the God his father Isaac worshiped.

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.

He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country. And he invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

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 the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters. He gave them his blessing. Then he 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.