Chapter 31

And he heard⁴ the words of Laban's sons, saying,² Jacob hath taken away¹ all that [was] our father's; and of [that] which [was] our father's hath he gotten¹ all this glory.

And Jacob beheld⁴ the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it [was] not toward him as before.

And the LORD said⁴ unto Jacob, Return³ unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

And Jacob sent⁴ and called⁴ Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

And said⁴ unto them, I see⁶ your father's countenance, that it [is] not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been¹ with me.

And ye know¹ that with all my power I have served¹ your father.

And your father hath deceived¹⁴ me, and changed⁵² my wages ten times; but God suffered¹ him not to hurt⁵³ me.

If he said⁴ thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare¹ speckled: and if he said⁴ thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare¹ all the cattle ringstraked.

Thus God hath taken away⁵⁵ the cattle of your father, and given⁴ [them] to me.

And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived,¹⁵ that I lifted up⁴ mine eyes, and saw⁴ in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped⁶ upon the cattle [were] ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

And the angel of God spake⁴ unto me in a dream, [saying], Jacob: And I said,⁴ Here [am] I.

And he said,⁴ Lift up³ now thine eyes, and see,³ all the rams which leap⁶ upon the cattle [are] ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen¹ all that Laban doeth⁶ unto thee.

I [am] the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst¹ the pillar, [and] where thou vowedst¹ a vow unto me: now arise,³ get thee out³ from this land, and return³ unto the land of thy kindred.

And Rachel and Leah answered⁴ and said⁴ unto him, [Is there] yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Are we not counted⁸ of him strangers? for he hath sold¹ us, and hath quite² devoured⁴ also our money.

For all the riches which God hath taken⁵² from our father, that [is] ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said¹ unto thee, do.³

Then Jacob rose up,⁴ and set⁴ his sons and his wives upon camels;

And he carried away⁴ all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten,¹ the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten¹ in Padanaram, for to go² to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

And Laban went¹ to shear² his sheep: and Rachel had stolen⁴ the images that [were] her father's.

And Jacob stole away⁴ unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told⁵² him not that he fled.⁶

So he fled⁴ with all that he had; and he rose up,⁴ and passed over⁴ the river, and set⁴ his face [toward] the mount Gilead.

And it was told⁹³ Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.¹

And he took⁴ his brethren with him, and pursued⁴ after him seven days' journey; and they overtook⁵⁵ him in the mount Gilead.

And God came⁴ to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said⁴ unto him, Take heed¹⁰ that thou speak¹⁷ not to Jacob either good or bad.

Then Laban overtook⁵⁵ Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched¹ his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched¹ in the mount of Gilead.

And Laban said⁴ to Jacob, What hast thou done,¹ that thou hast stolen away⁴ unawares to me, and carried away¹⁷ my daughters, as captives⁷ [taken] with the sword?

Wherefore didst thou flee away² secretly,⁸ and steal away⁴ from me; and didst not tell⁵² me, that I might have sent thee away¹⁷ with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?

And hast not suffered¹ me to kiss¹⁵ my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly⁵² in [so] doing.²

It is in the power of my hand to do² you hurt: but the God of your father spake¹ unto me yesternight, saying,² Take thou heed¹⁰ that thou speak not¹⁵ to Jacob either good or bad.

And now, [though] thou wouldest needs² be gone,¹ because thou sore⁹ longedst⁸ after thy father's house, [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen¹ my gods?

And Jacob answered⁴ and said⁴ to Laban, Because I was afraid:¹ for I said,¹ Peradventure thou wouldest take by force⁴ thy daughters from me.

With whomsoever thou findest⁴ thy gods, let him not live:⁴ before our brethren discern⁵⁴ thou what [is] thine with me, and take³ [it] to thee. For Jacob knew¹ not that Rachel had stolen¹ them.

And Laban went⁴ into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found¹ [them] not. Then went he out⁴ of Leah's tent, and entered⁴ into Rachel's tent.

Now Rachel had taken¹ the images, and put⁴ them in the camel's furniture, and sat⁴ upon them. And Laban searched¹⁷ all the tent, but found¹ [them] not.

And she said⁴ to her father, Let it not displease^{4 5869} my lord that I cannot ^{3201 4} rise up² before thee; for the custom of women [is] upon me. And he searched,¹⁷ but found¹ not the images.

And Jacob was wroth,⁴ and chode⁴ with Laban: and Jacob answered⁴ and said⁴ to Laban, What [is] my trespass? what [is] my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued¹ after me?

Whereas thou hast searched¹⁴ all my stuff, what hast thou found¹ of all thy household stuff? set³ [it] here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge⁵⁵ betwixt us both.

This twenty years [have] I [been] with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young,¹⁴ and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.¹

That which was torn [of beasts] I brought⁵² not unto thee; I bare the loss¹⁷ of it; of my hand didst thou require¹⁷ it, [whether] stolen⁷ by day, or stolen⁷ by night.

[Thus] I was; in the day the drought consumed¹ me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed⁴ from mine eyes.

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served¹ thee fourteen ⁶²⁴⁰ years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed⁵⁵ my wages ten times.

Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away¹⁴ now empty. God hath seen¹ mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked⁵⁵ [thee] yesternight.

And Laban answered⁴ and said⁴ unto Jacob, [These] daughters [are] my daughters, and [these] children [are] my children, and [these] cattle [are] my cattle, and all that thou seest⁶ [is] mine: and what can I do⁴ this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?¹

Now therefore come³ thou, let us make⁴ a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

And Jacob took⁴ a stone, and set it up⁵⁵ [for] a pillar.

And Jacob said⁴ unto his brethren, Gather³ stones; and they took⁴ stones, and made⁴ an heap: and they did eat⁴ there upon the heap.

And Laban called⁴ it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called¹ it Galeed. ^{5707 1567}

And Laban said,⁴ This heap [is] a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called¹ Galeed;

And Mizpah; for he said,¹ The LORD watch⁴ between me and thee, when we are absent¹¹ one from another.

If thou shalt afflict¹⁷ my daughters, or if thou shalt take⁴ [other] wives beside my daughters, no man [is] with us; see,³ God [is] witness betwixt me and thee.

And Laban said⁴ to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast¹ betwixt me and thee;

This heap [be] witness, and [this] pillar [be] witness, that I will not pass over⁴ this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over⁴ this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge⁴ betwixt us. And Jacob sware¹¹ by the fear of his father Isaac.

Then Jacob offered⁴ sacrifice upon the mount, and called⁴ his brethren to eat² bread: and they did eat⁴ bread, and tarried all night⁴ in the mount.

And early in the morning Laban rose up,⁵⁵ and kissed¹⁷ his sons and his daughters, and blessed¹⁷ them: and Laban departed,⁴ and returned⁴ unto his place.