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. Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's; and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth."

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

2. And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him with favor 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. Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you."

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

4. So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was,

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 to them, "I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.

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

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

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. yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm 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, `The spotted shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, `The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore striped.

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

9. Thus God has 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. In the mating season of the flock I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream that the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled.

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

11. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, `Jacob,' and I said, `Here I am!'

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 your eyes and see, all the goats that leap upon the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.

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 you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go forth from this land, and return to the land of your birth.'"

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

14. Then Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left to 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 regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has been using up the money given for us.

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. All the property which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, whatever God has said to you, do."

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

17. So Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives on 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 drove away all his cattle, all his livestock which he had gained, the cattle in his possession which he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.

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

19. Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's household gods.

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

20. And Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee.

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

21. He fled with all that he had, and arose and crossed the Euphra'tes, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

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

22. When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled,

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

23. he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of 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. But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said to him, "Take heed that you say not a word 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. And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen encamped in the hill country 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 have you done, that you have cheated me, and carried away my daughters like captives of 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. Why did you flee secretly, and cheat me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre?

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

28. And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly.

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 my power to do you harm; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, `Take heed that you speak to Jacob neither good nor 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 you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?"

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

31. Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force.

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. Any one with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it." Now Jacob did not know 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. So Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent, and entered Rachel's.

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 household gods and put them in the camel's saddle, and sat upon them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them.

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 not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me." So he searched, but did not find the household gods.

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. Then Jacob became angry, and upbraided Laban; Jacob said to Laban, "What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued 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. Although you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsmen and your kinsmen, that they may decide between us two.

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. These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your she-goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.

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 by wild beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself; of my hand you required 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; by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my 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. 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.

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. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."

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. Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

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

44. Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be a witness between you and me."

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

45. So Jacob took a stone, and set it up as 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 to his kinsmen, "Gather stones," and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there by the heap.

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

47. Laban called it Je'gar-sahadu'tha: 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. Laban said, "This heap is a witness between you and me today." Therefore he named it 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 the pillar Mizpah, for he said, "The LORD watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.

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 you ill-treat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, remember, God is witness between you and me."

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

51. Then Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap and the pillar, which I have set between you and me.

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 is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to 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 between us." So Jacob swore 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. and Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his kinsmen to eat bread; and they ate bread and tarried all night on the mountain.

55.

55. Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them; then he departed and returned home.