Genesis 31

Jacob Leaves Secretly for Canaan

1Now 1Jacob heardH8085 the wordsH1697 of Laban’sH3837 sonsH1121, sayingH559, “JacobH3290 has takenH3947 away allH3605 that was our father’sH1, and from whatH834 belonged to our fatherH1 he has madeH6213 allH3605 thisH2088 2wealthH3519.” 2JacobH3290 sawH7200 the 3attitudeH6440 of LabanH3837, and beholdH2009, it was not friendly towardH5973 him as formerlyH8543. 3Then the LordH3068 saidH559 to JacobH3290, “4ReturnH7725 to the landH776 of your fathersH1 and to your relativesH4138, and 5I will be with you.” 4So JacobH3290 sentH7971 and calledH7121 RachelH7354 and LeahH3812 to his flockH6629 in the fieldH7704, 5and saidH559 to them, “6I seeH7200 your father’sH1 7attitudeH6440, that it is not friendly towardH413 me as formerlyH8543, but 8the GodH430 of my fatherH1 has beenH1961 with me. 69You knowH3045 that I have servedH5647 your fatherH1 with allH3605 my strengthH3581. 7Yet your fatherH1 has 10cheatedH8524 me and 11changedH2498 my wagesH4909 tenH6235 timesH4489; however, 12GodH430 did not allowH5414 him to hurtH7489 me. 8IfH518 13he spokeH559 thusH3541, ‘The speckledH5348 shall be your wagesH7939,’ then allH3605 the flockH6629 broughtH3205 forthH3205 speckledH5348; and ifH518 he spokeH559 thusH3541, ‘The stripedH6124 shall be your wagesH7939,’ then allH3605 the flockH6629 broughtH3205 forthH3205 stripedH6124. 9Thus GodH430 has 14takenH5337 awayH5337 your father’sH1 livestockH4735 and givenH5414 them to me. 10And it cameH1961 about at the timeH6256 when the flockH6629 were 15matingH3179 that I liftedH5375 up my eyesH5869 and sawH7200 in a dreamH2472, and beholdH2009, the maleH6260 goatsH6260 which were 16matingH5927 were stripedH6124, speckledH5348, and mottledH1261. 11Then 17the angelH4397 of GodH430 saidH559 to me in the dreamH2472, ‘JacobH3290,’ and I saidH559, ‘HereH2009 I am.’ 12He saidH559, ‘LiftH5375 up nowH4994 your eyesH5869 and seeH7200 that allH3605 the maleH6260 goatsH6260 which are 18matingH5927 are stripedH6124, speckledH5348, and mottledH1261; for 19I have seenH7200 allH3605 that LabanH3837 has been doingH6213 to you. 13I am 20the GodH410 of BethelH1008, whereH834H8033 you 21anointedH4886 a pillarH4676, whereH834H8033 you madeH5087 a vowH5088 to Me; nowH6258 ariseH6965, 22leaveH3318 thisH2088 landH776, and 23returnH7725 to the landH776 of your birthH4138.’” 14RachelH7354 and LeahH3812 saidH559 to him, “Do we stillH5750 have any portionH2506 or inheritanceH5159 in our father’sH1 houseH1004? 15Are we not reckonedH2803 by him as foreignersH5237? For 24he has soldH4376 us, and has alsoH1571 25entirelyH398 consumedH398 26our purchaseH3701 priceH3701. 16SurelyH3588 allH3605 the wealthH6239 whichH834 GodH430 has takenH5337 awayH5337 from our fatherH1 belongs to us and our childrenH1121; nowH6258 then, doH6213 whateverH3605H834 GodH430 has saidH559 to you.”

17Then JacobH3290 aroseH6965 and putH5375 his childrenH1121 and his wivesH802 upon camelsH1581; 18and he droveH5090 awayH5090 allH3605 his livestockH4735 and allH3605 his propertyH7399 whichH834 he had gatheredH7408, his acquiredH7075 livestockH4735 whichH834 he had gatheredH7408 in Paddan-aramH6307, 27to goH935 to the landH776 of CanaanH3667 to his fatherH1 IsaacH3327. 19When LabanH3837 had goneH1980 to shearH1494 his flockH6629, then RachelH7354 stoleH1589 the 2829householdH8655 idolsH8655 that were her father’sH1. 20And JacobH3290 30deceivedH1589 LabanH3837 the ArameanH761 by not tellingH5046 him that he was fleeingH1272. 21So he fledH1272 with allH3605 that he had; and he aroseH6965 and crossedH5674 the Euphrates RiverH5104, and setH7760 his faceH6440 toward the hillH2022 countryH2022 of 31GileadH1568.

Laban Pursues Jacob

22When it was toldH5046 LabanH3837 on the thirdH7992 dayH3117 that JacobH3290 had fledH1272, 23then he tookH3947 his 32kinsmenH251 with him and pursuedH7291 him a distance of sevenH7651 days’H3117 journeyH1870, and he overtookH1692 him in the hillH2022 countryH2022 of GileadH1568. 2433GodH430 cameH935 to LabanH3837 the ArameanH761 in a 34dreamH2472 of the nightH3915 and saidH559 to him, “3536Be carefulH8104 that you do not speakH1696 to JacobH3290 eitherH4480 goodH2896 orH5704 badH7451.”

25LabanH3837 caughtH5381 up with JacobH3290. Now JacobH3290 had pitchedH8628 his tentH168 in the hillH2022 countryH2022, and LabanH3837 with his 37kinsmenH251 campedH8628 in the hillH2022 countryH2022 of GileadH1568. 26Then LabanH3837 saidH559 to JacobH3290, “WhatH4100 have you doneH6213 38by deceivingH1589 me and carryingH5090 awayH5090 my daughtersH1323 like captivesH7617 of the swordH2719? 27WhyH4100 did you fleeH1272 secretlyH2244 and 39deceiveH1589 me, and did not tellH5046 me so that I might have sentH7971 you awayH7971 with joyH8057 and with songsH7892, with 40timbrelH8596 and with 41lyreH3658; 28and did not allowH5203 me 42to kissH5401 my sonsH1121 and my daughtersH1323? NowH6258 you have doneH5528H6213 foolishlyH5528. 29It is in 43my powerH3027 to doH6213 you harmH7451, but 44the GodH430 of your fatherH1 spokeH559 to me lastH570 nightH570, sayingH559, ‘4546Be carefulH8104 not to speakH1696 eitherH4480 goodH2896 orH5704 badH7451 to JacobH3290.’ 30NowH6258 you have indeedH1980 goneH1980 away becauseH3588 you longedH3700 greatlyH3700 for your father’sH1 houseH1004; but whyH4100 did you stealH1589 47my godsH430?” 31Then JacobH3290 repliedH6030 to LabanH3837, “BecauseH3588 I was afraidH3372, for I thoughtH559 that you would takeH1497 your daughtersH1323 from me by forceH1497. 3248The one with whomH834 you findH4672 your godsH430 shall not liveH2421; in the presenceH5048 of our 49kinsmenH251 50pointH5234 out whatH4100 is yours 51amongH5973 my belongingsH5973 and takeH3947 it for yourself.” For JacobH3290 did not knowH3045 that RachelH7354 had stolenH1589 them.

33So LabanH3837 wentH935 into Jacob’sH3290 tentH168 and into Leah’sH3812 tentH168 and into the tentH168 of the twoH8147 maidsH519, but he did not findH4672 them. Then he wentH3318 out of Leah’sH3812 tentH168 and enteredH935 Rachel’sH7354 tentH168. 34Now RachelH7354 had takenH3947 the 52householdH8655 idolsH8655 and putH7760 them in the camel’sH1581 saddleH3733, and she satH3427 on them. And LabanH3837 feltH4959 throughH4959 allH3605 the tentH168 but did not findH4672 them. 35She saidH559 to her fatherH1, “Let not my lordH113 be angryH2734 that I cannotH3201H3808 53riseH6965 beforeH4480H6440 you, for the mannerH1870 of womenH802 is upon me.” So he searchedH2664 but did not findH4672 the 5455householdH8655 idolsH8655.

36Then JacobH3290 becameH2734 angryH2734 and contendedH7378 with LabanH3837; and JacobH3290 saidH559 to LabanH3837, “WhatH4100 is my transgressionH6588? WhatH4100 is my sinH2403 that you have hotlyH1814 pursuedH1814 me? 37ThoughH3588 you have feltH4959 throughH4959 allH3605 my goodsH3627, whatH4100 have you foundH4672 of allH3605 your householdH1004 goodsH3627? SetH7760 it hereH3541 beforeH5048 my 56kinsmenH251 and your 57kinsmenH251, that they may decideH3198 betweenH996 us twoH8147. 38TheseH2088 twentyH6242 yearsH8141 I have been with you; your ewesH7353 and your femaleH5795 goatsH5795 have not miscarriedH7921, norH3808 have I eatenH398 the ramsH352 of your flocksH6629. 39That which was tornH2966 of beasts I did not bringH935 to you; I boreH2398 the lossH2398 of it myselfH595. You requiredH1245 it of my handH3027 whether stolenH1589 by dayH3117 or stolenH1589 by nightH3915. 40Thus I was: by dayH3117 the 58heatH2721 consumedH398 me and the frostH7140 by nightH3915, and my sleepH8142 fledH5074 from my eyesH5869. 41TheseH2088 twentyH6242 yearsH8141 I have been in your houseH1004; 59I servedH5647 you fourteenH702H6240 yearsH8141 for your twoH8147 daughtersH1323 and sixH8337 yearsH8141 for your flockH6629, and you 60changedH2498 my wagesH4909 tenH6235 timesH4489. 42IfH3884 61the GodH430 of my fatherH1, the GodH430 of AbrahamH85, and the fearH6343 of IsaacH3327, hadH1961 not beenH1961 for me, surelyH3588 nowH6258 you would have sentH7971 me awayH7971 empty-handedH7387. 62GodH430 has seenH7200 my afflictionH6040 and the toilH3018 of my handsH3709, so He 63renderedH3198 judgmentH3198 lastH570 nightH570.”

The Covenant of Mizpah

43Then LabanH3837 repliedH6030 to JacobH3290, “The daughtersH1323 are my daughtersH1323, and the childrenH1121 are my childrenH1121, and 64the flocksH6629 are my flocksH6629, and allH3605 that you seeH7200 is mine. But whatH4100 can I doH6213 this dayH3117 to theseH428 my daughtersH1323 orH176 to their childrenH1121 whomH834 they have borneH3205? 44So nowH6258 comeH1980, let us 65makeH3772 a covenantH1285, 66you and I, and 67let it be a witnessH5707 betweenH996 68you and me.” 45Then JacobH3290 tookH3947 69a stoneH68 and setH7311 it up as a pillarH4676. 46JacobH3290 saidH559 to his 70kinsmenH251, “GatherH3950 stonesH68.” So they tookH3947 stonesH68 and madeH6213 a heapH1530, and they ateH398 thereH8033 by the heapH1530. 47Now LabanH3837 71calledH7121 it 72Jegar-sahaduthaH3026, but JacobH3290 calledH7121 it 73GaleedH1567. 48LabanH3837 saidH559, “74ThisH2088 heapH1530 is a witnessH5707 betweenH996 75you and me this dayH3117.” ThereforeH5921H3651 it was namedH7121H8034 GaleedH1567, 49and 7677MizpahH4709, for he saidH559, “May the LordH3068 watchH6822 betweenH996 78you and me whenH3588 we are 79absentH5641 oneH376 from the otherH7453. 50IfH518 you mistreatH6031 my daughtersH1323, or ifH518 you takeH3947 wivesH802 besidesH5921 my daughtersH1323, although noH369 manH376 is with us, seeH7200, 80GodH430 is witnessH5707 betweenH996 81you and me.” 51LabanH3837 saidH559 to JacobH3290, “BeholdH2009 thisH2088 heapH1530 and beholdH2009 the pillarH4676 whichH834 I have setH3384 betweenH996 82you and me. 52ThisH2088 heapH1530 is a witnessH5707, and the pillarH4676 is a witnessH5713, that I will not passH5674 by thisH2088 heapH1530 to you for harm, and you will not passH5674 by thisH2088 heapH1530 and thisH2088 pillarH4676 to me, for harmH7463. 5383The GodH430 of AbrahamH85 and the GodH430 of NahorH5152, the GodH430 of their fatherH1, 84judgeH8199 betweenH996 us.” So JacobH3290 sworeH7650 by 85the fearH6343 of his fatherH1 IsaacH3327. 54Then JacobH3290 86offeredH2076 a sacrificeH2077 on the mountainH2022, and calledH7121 his 87kinsmenH251 to 88the mealH398H3899; and they ateH398 89the mealH3899 and spentH3885 the nightH3885 on the mountainH2022. 5590EarlyH7925 in the morningH1242 LabanH3837 aroseH7925, and 91kissedH5401 his sonsH1121 and his daughtersH1323 and blessedH1288 them. Then LabanH3837 departedH1980 and returnedH7725 to his placeH4725.