Genesis, 31

1. Jacob learned that Laban's sons were saying, 'Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father; it is at our father's expense that he has acquired all this wealth,'

1. 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.

2. and Jacob also saw that Laban's manner towards him was not as it had been in the past.

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

3. Yahweh said to Jacob, 'Go back to the land of your ancestors, where you were born, and I shall be with you.'

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

4. So Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the fields where his flocks were,

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

5. and he said to them, 'I can see that your father's manner towards me is not as it was in the past, but the God of my father has been with me.

5. 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.

6. You yourselves know that I have worked for your father with all my might,

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

7. and that your father has tricked me, changing my wages ten times over, and yet God has not allowed him to harm me.

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

8. Whenever he said, "The spotted ones will be your wages," all the animals produced spotted young; whenever he said, "The striped ones will be your wages," all the animals produced striped young.

8. 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.

9. Thus God has reclaimed your father's livestock and given it to me.

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

10. Once, when the animals were on heat, I suddenly saw in a dream that the he-goats covering the females were striped or spotted or piebald.

10. 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.

11. In the dream the angel of God called to me, "Jacob!" I said, "Here I am."

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

12. He said, "Now take note: all the he-goats covering the females are striped or spotted or piebald -- for I too have noted all the things that Laban has been doing to you,

12. 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.

13. I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured oil on a pillar and made a vow to me. On your feet, then, leave this country and return to the land of your birth." '

13. 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.

14. In answer Rachel and Leah said to him, 'Are we still likely to inherit anything from our father's estate?

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

15. Does he not think of us as outsiders now? For not only has he sold us, but he has completely swallowed up the money he got for us.

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

16. All the wealth that God has reclaimed from our father belonged to us and our children in any case. So do whatever God has told you.'

16. 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.

17. Forthwith, Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,

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

18. and drove off all his livestock -- with all the possessions he had acquired, the livestock belonging to him which he had acquired in Paddan-Aram -- to go to his father Isaac in Canaan.

18. 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.

19. Laban was away, shearing his sheep; Rachel in the meanwhile had appropriated the household idols belonging to her father,

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

20. and Jacob had outwitted Laban the Aramaean so that he would not be forewarned of his flight.

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

21. Thus he got away with all he had. He was soon across the River and heading for Mount Gilead.

21. 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.

22. Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had fled.

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

23. Taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days and overtook him at Mount Gilead.

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

24. But God appeared to Laban the Aramaean in a dream that night and said to him, 'On no account say anything whatever to Jacob.'

24. 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.

25. Laban caught up with Jacob, who had pitched his tent in the hills; and Laban pitched camp on Mount Gilead.

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

26. Laban said to Jacob, 'What do you mean by outwitting me and then carrying off my daughters like prisoners of war?

26. 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?

27. Why did you flee in secret, stealing away without letting me know, so that I could send you on your way rejoicing, with songs and the music of tambourines and harps?

27. 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?

28. You did not even let me kiss my sons and daughters. You have behaved like a fool.

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

29. It is in my power to harm you, but the God of your father said to me last night, "On no account say anything whatever to Jacob."

29. 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.

30. Now it may be you really went because you had such a longing for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?'

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

31. Jacob answered Laban, 'I was afraid, thinking you were going to snatch your daughters from me.

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

32. But whoever is found in possession of your gods shall not remain alive. In the presence of our brothers, examine for yourself what I have, and take what is yours.' Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had appropriated them.

32. 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.

33. Laban went into Jacob's tent, and then into Leah's tent and the tent of the two slave-girls, but he found nothing. He came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.

33. 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.

34. Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting on them. Laban went through everything in the tent but found nothing.

34. 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.

35. Then Rachel said to her father, 'Do not look angry, my lord, because I cannot rise in your presence, for I am as women are from time to time.' Laban searched but did not find the idols.

35. 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.

36. Then Jacob lost his temper and took Laban to task. And Jacob said to Laban, 'What is my offence, what is my crime, for you to have hounded me like this?

36. 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?

37. You have gone through all my belongings; have you found anything belonging to your household? Produce it here in the presence of my brothers and yours, and let them decide between the two of us.

37. 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.

38. In all the twenty years I was under you, your ewes and your she-goats never miscarried, and I never ate rams from your flock.

38. 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.

39. Those mauled I never brought back to you, but bore the loss myself. You demanded compensation from me, whether the animal was stolen in daylight or at night.

39. 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.

40. In the daytime the heat devoured me, and frost at night; I never had a good night's sleep.

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

41. It was like this for the twenty years I spent in your household. Fourteen years I slaved for you for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, since you changed my wages ten times over.

41. 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.

42. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Kinsman of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my plight and my labours, and last night he delivered judgement.'

42. 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.

43. Laban replied to Jacob, 'These daughters are my daughters and these children are my children, this livestock is my livestock: everything you see belongs to me. But what can I do today about my daughters here or about the children they have borne?

43. 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?

44. So come, let us make a pact, you and me . . . , and let that serve as a witness between us.'

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

45. Jacob then took a stone and set it up as a memorial.

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

46. Jacob said to his kinsmen, 'Collect some stones,' and gathering some stones they made a cairn. They had a meal there, on the cairn, and

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

47. Laban called it Jegar-Sahadutha while Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48. Laban said, 'May this cairn be a witness between us today.' That is why he named it Galeed,

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

49. and also Mizpah, because he said, 'Let Yahweh act as watchman between us when we are no longer in sight of each other.

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

50. If you ill-treat my daughters or marry other women besides my daughters, even though no one be with us, remember: God is witness between us.'

50. 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.

51. Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Here is this cairn I have thrown up between us, and here the pillar.

51. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;

52. This cairn is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I am not to cross to your side of this cairn and you are not to cross to my side of this cairn and pillar, with hostile intent.

52. 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.

53. May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor judge between us.' Then Jacob swore by the Kinsman of his father Isaac.

53. 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.

54. He offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmen to the meal. They ate the meal, and passed the night on the mountain.

54. 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.

55.

55. 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.