31:1 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”
31:2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.
31:3 Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
31:4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.
31:5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.
31:6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,
31:7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me.
31:8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young.
31:9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.
31:10 “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted.
31:11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’
31:12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.
31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’”
31:14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate?
31:15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.
31:16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”
31:17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,
31:18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
31:19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.
31:20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away.
31:21 So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled.
31:23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
31:24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”
31:25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too.
31:26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.
31:27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of tambourines and harps?
31:28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters good-by. You have done a foolish thing.
31:29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’
31:30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”
31:31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.
31:32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.
31:33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent.
31:34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.
31:35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.
31:36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “What sin have I committed that you hunt me down?
31:37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.
31:38 “I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.
31:39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night.
31:40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.
31:41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.
31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”
31:43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne?
31:44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
31:46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
31:47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.
31:48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed.
31:49 It was also called Mizpah, because he said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other.
31:50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”
31:51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me.
31:52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me.
31:53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.
31:54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.
31:55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.
31:1 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father; and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.
31:2 And Jacob saw Laban s countenance, and now it was not favorable toward him as previously.
31:3 And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.
31:4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,
31:5 And he said to them, I see that your father s countenance is not favorable toward me as previously, but the God of my father has been with me.
31:6 And you yourselves know that with all my strength I have served your father.
31:7 And your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to harm me.
31:8 If he spoke in this way, The speckled shall be your wages, then all the flock bore speckled; and if he spoke in this way, The streaked shall be your wages, then all the flock bore streaked.
31:9 Thus God has taken away your father s livestock and given them to me.
31:10 And at the time the flock was breeding, I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream; and there were the male goats, leaping upon the flock ? streaked, speckled, and spotted.
31:11 And the Angel of God said to me in the dream, Jacob; and I said, Here I am.
31:12 And He said, Lift up your eyes now, and see that all the male goats which leap upon the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.
31:13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to Me. Rise up now; go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.
31:14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father s house?
31:15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has even entirely used up the money given for us.
31:16 Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father is ours and our children s. So do now whatever God has said to you.
31:17 Then Jacob rose up and set his sons and his wives upon the camels;
31:18 And he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had acquired, the livestock in his possession which he had acquired in Paddan-aram, in order to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
31:19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father s.
31:20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramaean by not telling him that he was fleeing.
31:21 So he fled with all that he had, and he rose up and crossed over the River and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
31:22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
31:23 And he took his brothers with him and pursued after him the distance of a seven days journey; and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.
31:24 And God came to Laban the Aramaean in a dream of the night and said to him, Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.
31:25 And Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his brothers also pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead.
31:26 And Laban said to Jacob, What are you doing deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?
31:27 Why did you flee secretly and steal away from me and not tell me, when I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with tambourine and with lyre?
31:28 And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have acted foolishly.
31:29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.
31:30 And now, though you had to go because you longed greatly for your father s house, why did you steal my gods?
31:31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid, for I thought that you might take your daughters from me by force.
31:32 The one with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our brothers indicate what there is with me that is yours, and take it. Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
31:33 And Laban went into Jacob s tent and into Leah s tent and into the two female servants tent, but he did not find them. Then he went from Leah s tent and entered Rachel s tent.
31:34 Now Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them in the camel s saddle, and she sat upon them. And Laban rummaged through all the tent but did not find them.
31:35 And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before you, for the manner of women is upon me. So he searched but did not find the teraphim.
31:36 And Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my transgression? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?
31:37 Although you have rummaged through all my possessions, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my brothers and your brothers, that they may decide between the two of us.
31:38 These twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.
31:39 That which was torn by 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.
31:40 Thus I was: By day the dry heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.
31:41 These twenty years have I 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.
31:42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac, had not been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.
31:43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and 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?
31:44 So come now; let us make a covenant, I and you; and let it be a witness between me and you.
31:45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
31:46 And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones. So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
31:47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
31:48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and you today. Therefore its name was called Galeed
31:49 And Mizpah, because he said, Jehovah watch between me and you when we are absent from one another.
31:50 If you afflict my daughters, and if you take wives besides my daughters ? even though no man is with us ? see, God is witness between me and you.
31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Here is this heap, and here is the pillar which I have set between me and you.
31:52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you and that you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
31:53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the Dread of his father Isaac.
31:54 And Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his brothers to eat a meal, and they ate a meal and spent the night in the mountain.
31:55 And early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them, and Laban departed and returned to his place.