Genesis 31

1And 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.

1Jacob heard Laban’s sons complaining, 'Jacob has taken everything our father owned. He has gained all his wealth at our father’s expense.'

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

2Jacob also noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him had changed; he was no longer friendly as he had been before.

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

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, 'Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.'

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

4So Jacob sent a message and called Rachel and Leah out to the field where his flocks were.

5and said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as beforetime; but the God of my father hath been with me.

5He said to them, 'I can see that your father’s attitude toward me has changed, but the God of my father has been with me.'

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

6You both know that I have worked for your father with all my strength.

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

7Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to harm me.

8If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstreaked shall be thy wages; then bare all the flock ringstreaked.

8If he said, "The speckled ones will be your wages," then all the newborn animals were speckled. And if he said, "The streaked ones will be your wages," then all the animals were streaked.

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

9In this way, God has taken the livestock from your father and given them to me.

10And it came to pass at the time that the flock conceive, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the he-goats which leaped upon the flock were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.

10Once, during the mating season, I had a dream. I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled, and spotted.

11And the angel of God said unto me in the dream, Jacob: and I said, Here am I.

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

12And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see: all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

12He said, "Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted, for I have seen everything Laban has been doing to you."

13I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst a pillar, where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.

13"I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on a stone pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now get ready, leave this land, and return to the land where you were born."

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

14Rachel and Leah replied, 'Do we still have any part or inheritance in our father’s house?'

15Are we not accounted by him as foreigners? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our money.

15'Doesn't he treat us like foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up all the money paid for us.'

16For all the riches which God hath taken away from our father, that is ours and our children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

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 to do.'

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

17Then Jacob got ready and put his children and his wives on camels.

18and he carried away all his cattle, and all his substance which he had gathered, the cattle of his getting, which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, to go to Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan.

18He drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the property he had accumulated in Paddan-aram, to go back to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19Now Laban was gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.

19While Laban was away shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

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

20Jacob also deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was leaving.

21So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

21So he fled with everything he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

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

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

23And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and he overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

23Taking his relatives with him, Laban pursued Jacob for seven days and finally caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.

24And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said unto him, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

24But 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.'

25And Laban came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and Laban with his brethren encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

25Laban caught up with Jacob, who had pitched his tent in the hill country. Laban and his relatives also camped there in the hill country of Gilead.

26And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives of the sword?

26Laban said to Jacob, 'What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like prisoners of war.'

27Wherefore didst thou flee 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;

27'Why did you run away secretly and trick me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you off with a celebration, with songs, and with music from tambourines and harps?'

28and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now hast thou done foolishly.

28'You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have acted foolishly.'

29It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

29'I have the power to harm you, but last night the God of your father spoke to me. He said, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."'

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

30'Now, I know you left because you were homesick for your father’s family, but why did you steal my gods?'

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

31Jacob answered Laban, 'I left secretly because I was afraid. I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force.'

32With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall 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.

32'But if you find anyone here who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, look through everything I have and take what is yours.' Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maid-servants; but he found them not. And he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tent of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. After leaving Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent.

34Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. And Laban felt about all the tent, but found them not.

34Now Rachel had taken the idols and hidden them inside a camel’s saddle bag and was sitting on them. Laban searched the whole tent but found nothing.

35And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee; for the manner of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the teraphim.

35Rachel said to her father, 'Don't be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I am having my monthly period.' So he searched but could not find the household idols.

36And 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 hotly pursued after me?

36Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. 'What is my crime?' he asked. 'What wrong have I done that you have hunted me down?'

37Whereas thou hast felt about 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 two.

37'Now that you have searched through all my belongings, what have you found that belongs to your house? Put it here in front of our relatives, so they can judge between the two of us.'

38These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten.

38'I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate a single ram from your flocks.'

39That 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.

39'I never brought you the animals torn by wild beasts; I took the loss myself. You demanded that I pay for every animal stolen by day or night.'

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

40'I suffered through the heat of the day and the cold of the night, and I couldn't even sleep.'

41These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

41'For twenty years I worked in your household. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times.'

42Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

42'If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my hardship and the work of my hands, and last night he gave the verdict.'

43And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children whom they have borne?

43Laban answered Jacob, 'The women are my daughters, the children are my grandchildren, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do today for my daughters or for the children they have borne?'

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

44'Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.'

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

45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

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

46Jacob told his relatives, 'Gather some stones.' So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap.

47And Laban called it Jegar-saha-dutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

47Laban called the heap Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

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

48Laban said, 'This heap is a witness between you and me today.' That is why it was named Galeed.

49and Mizpah, for he said, Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

49It was also called Mizpah, because he said, 'May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight.'

50If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

50'If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, even though no one is with us, remember that God is the witness between you and me.'

51And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee.

51Laban also said to Jacob, 'Look at this heap of stones and this pillar I have set up between us.'

52This heap be witness, and the 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.

52'This heap and this pillar are witnesses that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you, and you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me.'

53The 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.

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.

54And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain.

54Jacob offered a sacrifice there on the mountain and invited his relatives to a meal. They ate and spent the night there.

55And 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.

55Early the next morning, Laban got up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home.