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Genesis 31
New International Version

Jacob Flees From Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons(A) were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”(B) 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.(C)

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back(D) to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”(E)

4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s(F) attitude toward me is not what it was before,(G) but the God of my father has been with me.(H) 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength,(I) 7 yet your father has cheated(J) me by changing my wages(K) ten times.(L) However, God has not allowed him to harm me.(M) 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,’(N) then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock(O) and has given them to me.(P)

10 “In breeding season I once had a dream(Q) in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God(R) said to me in the dream,(S) ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’(T) 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted,(U) for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.(V) 13 I am the God of Bethel,(W) where you anointed a pillar(X) and where you made a vow(Y) to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.(Z)’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share(AA) in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners?(AB) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.(AC) 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children.(AD) So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives(AE) on camels,(AF) 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated(AG) in Paddan Aram,[a](AH) to go to his father Isaac(AI) in the land of Canaan.(AJ)

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep,(AK) Rachel stole her father’s household gods.(AL) 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived(AM) Laban the Aramean(AN) by not telling him he was running away.(AO) 21 So he fled(AP) with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River,(AQ) and headed for the hill country of Gilead.(AR)

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 On the third day(AS) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.(AT) 23 Taking his relatives(AU) with him(AV), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(AW) 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean(AX) in a dream at night and said to him,(AY) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(AZ)

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(BA) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(BB) You’ve deceived me,(BC) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(BD) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(BE) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(BF) and harps?(BG) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(BH) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(BI) but last night the God of your father(BJ) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(BK) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(BL) But why did you steal(BM) my gods?(BN)”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(BO) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(BP) 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.(BQ)

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(BR) and into the tent of the two female servants,(BS) but he found nothing.(BT) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(BU) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(BV) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(BW) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;(BX) I’m having my period.(BY)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(BZ)

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(CA) you that you hunt me down?(CB) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(CC) Put it here in front of your relatives(CD) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(CE)

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(CF) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(CG) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 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(CH) by day or night.(CI) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(CJ) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(CK) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(CL) and six years for your flocks,(CM) and you changed my wages(CN) ten times.(CO) 42 If the God of my father,(CP) the God of Abraham(CQ) and the Fear of Isaac,(CR) had not been with me,(CS) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(CT) and last night he rebuked you.(CU)”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(CV) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant,(CW) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(CX)

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(CY) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(CZ) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[b](DA)

48 Laban said, “This heap(DB) is a witness between you and me today.”(DC) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[c](DD) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(DE) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(DF) between you and me.”(DG)

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap,(DH) and here is this pillar(DI) I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness,(DJ) that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap(DK) and pillar to my side to harm me.(DL) 53 May the God of Abraham(DM) and the God of Nahor,(DN) the God of their father, judge between us.”(DO)

So Jacob took an oath(DP) in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac.(DQ) 54 He offered a sacrifice(DR) there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal.(DS) After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters(DT) and blessed(DU) them. Then he left and returned home.[d](DV)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 31:18 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia
  2. Genesis 31:47 The Aramaic Jegar Sahadutha and the Hebrew Galeed both mean witness heap.
  3. Genesis 31:49 Mizpah means watchtower.
  4. Genesis 31:55 In Hebrew texts this verse (31:55) is numbered 32:1.
Close CEB

Genesis 31
Common English Bible

Jacob’s household leaves Laban

31 Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob took everything our father owned and from it he produced all of this wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban no longer liked him as much as he used to.

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your ancestors and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah and summoned them into the field where his flock was. 5 He said to them, “I am aware that your father no longer likes me as much as he used to. But my father’s God has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father as hard as I could. 7 But your father cheated me and changed my payment ten times. Yet God didn’t let him harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your payment,’ the whole flock gave birth to speckled young. And if he said, ‘The striped ones will be your payment,’ the whole flock gave birth to striped young. 9 God took away your father’s livestock and gave them to me. 10 When the flocks were mating, I looked up and saw in a dream that the male goats that mounted the flock were striped, speckled, and spotted. 11 In the dream, God’s messenger said to me, ‘Jacob!’ and I said, ‘I’m here.’ 12 He said, ‘Look up and watch all the striped, speckled, and spotted male goats mounting the flock. I’ve seen everything that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a sacred pillar and where you made a solemn promise to me. Now, get up and leave this country and go back to the land of your relatives.’”

14 Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there any share or inheritance left for us in our father’s household? 15 Doesn’t he think of us as foreigners since he sold us and has even used up the payment he received for us? 16 All of the wealth God took from our father belongs to us and our children. Now, do everything God told you to do.”

17 So Jacob got up, put his sons and wives on the camels, 18 and set out with all of his livestock and all of his possessions that he had acquired[a] in Paddan-aram in order to return to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. 19 Now, while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole the household’s divine images that belonged to her father. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not sending word to him that he was leaving. 21 So Jacob and his entire household left. He got up, crossed the river, and set out directly for the mountains of Gilead.

22 Three days later, Laban found out that Jacob had gone, 23 so Laban took his brothers with him, chased Jacob for seven days, and caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, “Be careful and don’t say anything hastily to Jacob one way or the other.”

25 Laban reached Jacob after Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains. So Laban and his brothers also pitched theirs in the mountains of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and taken off with my daughters as if they were prisoners of war. 27 Why did you leave secretly, deceiving me, and not letting me know? I would’ve sent you off with a celebration, with songs and tambourines and harps. 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my sons and my daughters good-bye. Now you’ve acted like a fool, 29 and I have the power to punish you. However, your father’s God told me yesterday, ‘Be careful and don’t say anything hastily to Jacob one way or the other.’ 30 You’ve rushed off now because you missed your father’s household so much, but why did you steal my gods?”

31 Jacob responded to Laban, “I was afraid and convinced myself that you would take your daughters away from me. 32 Whomever you find with your divine images won’t live. Identify whatever I have that is yours, in front of your brothers, and take it.” Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them. 33 Laban went into Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent, and her two servants’ tent and didn’t find them.

So he left Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken the divine images and put them into the camel’s saddlebag and sat on them. Laban felt around in the whole tent but couldn’t find them. 35 Rachel said to her father, “Sir, don’t be angry with me because I can’t get up for you; I’m having my period.” He searched but couldn’t find the divine images.

36 Jacob was angry and complained to Laban, “What have I done wrong and what’s my crime that you’ve tracked me down like this? 37 You’ve now felt through all of my baggage, and what have you found from your household’s belongings? Put it in front of our relatives, and let them decide between us. 38 For these twenty years I’ve been with you, your female sheep and goats haven’t miscarried, and I haven’t eaten your flock’s rams. 39 When animals were killed, I didn’t bring them to you but took the loss myself. You demanded compensation from me for any animals poached during the day or night. 40 The dry heat consumed me during the day, and the frost at night; I couldn’t sleep. 41 I’ve now spent twenty years in your household. I worked for fourteen years for your two daughters and for six years for your flock, and you changed my pay ten times. 42 If the God of my father—the God of Abraham and the awesome one of Isaac—hadn’t been with me, you’d have no doubt sent me away without anything. God saw my harsh treatment and my hard work and reprimanded you yesterday.”

Jacob and Laban’s treaty

43 Laban responded and told Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do now about my daughters and about their sons? 44 Come, let’s make a treaty, you and me, and let something be our witness.”[b]

45 So Jacob took a stone, set it up as a sacred pillar, 46 and said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones, made a mound, and ate there near the mound. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,[c] but Jacob called it Galeed.[d]

48 Laban said, “This mound is our witness today,” and, therefore, he too named it Galeed. 49 He also named it Mizpah,[e] because he said, “The Lord will observe both of us when we are separated from each other. 50 If you treat my daughters badly and if you marry other women, though we aren’t there, know that God observed our witness.”

51 Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this mound and here is the sacred pillar that I’ve set up for us. 52 This mound and the sacred pillar are witnesses that I won’t travel beyond this mound and that you won’t travel beyond this mound and this pillar to do harm. 53 The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor[f] will keep order between us.” So Jacob gave his word in the name of the awesome one of his father Isaac. 54 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and invited his relatives to a meal. They ate together and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [g] Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his sons and daughters, blessed them, and left to go back to his own place.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 31:18 LXX; MT includes he had acquired, the livestock in his possession.
  2. Genesis 31:44 Or convenant or testimony
  3. Genesis 31:47 Or mound of witness (Aram)
  4. Genesis 31:47 Or mound of witness
  5. Genesis 31:49 Or observation
  6. Genesis 31:53 LXX; MT includes their father’s God.
  7. Genesis 31:55 32:1 in Heb
Close LSB

Genesis 31
Legacy Standard Bible

Jacob Leaves While Laban Is Gone

31 Then [a]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 [b]wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly. 3 Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “(A)Return to the land of your fathers and to your kin, and (B)I will be with you.” 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field, 5 and he said to them, “(C)I see your father’s face, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but (D)the God of my father has been with me. 6 (E)You also know that I have served your father with all my power. 7 Yet your father has (F)cheated me and (G)changed my wages ten times; however, (H)God did not allow him to harm me. 8 If (I)he spoke thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if he spoke thus, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9 Thus God has (J)delivered your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10 Now it happened at the time when the flock were [c]mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were [d]mating were striped, speckled, and mottled. 11 Then (K)the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are [e]mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for (L)I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am (M)the God of Bethel, where you (N)anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, [f]leave this land, and (O)return to the land of your kin.’” 14 Then Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15 Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For (P)he has sold us and has also [g]entirely consumed [h]our purchase price. 16 Surely all the riches which God has delivered over to us from our father belong to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had accumulated, his acquired livestock which he had accumulated in Paddan-aram, in order (Q)to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19 Now Laban had gone to shear his flock. Then Rachel stole the [i](R)household idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob [j]deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the [k]River and set his face toward the hill country of (S)Gilead.

Laban Pursues Jacob

22 Then it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled; 23 so he took his [l]relatives with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 (T)And God came to Laban the Aramean in a (U)dream of the night and said to him, “[m](V)Beware lest you speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

25 So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his [n]relatives camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done [o]by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27 Why did you flee secretly and [p]deceive me and not tell me—so that I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, with (W)tambourine and with (X)lyre— 28 and not allow me (Y)to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have acted foolishly. 29 It is in my hand to do evil against you, but (Z)the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘[q](AA)Beware of speaking either good or evil to Jacob.’ 30 So now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal (AB)my gods?” 31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, because I said, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 (AC)The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our [r]relatives recognize what is yours [s]among my belongings and take it for yourself.” But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

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. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the [t]household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot (AD)rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the [u](AE)household idols.

36 Then 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 hotly pursued me? 37 Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Place it here before my [v]relatives and your [w]relatives, that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 Thus I was: by day the [x]heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house; (AF)I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you (AG)changed my wages ten times. 42 If (AH)the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the dread of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. (AI)God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He (AJ)rendered the decision last night.”

The Covenant at Mizpah

43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and (AK)the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these daughters of mine or to their children whom they have borne? 44 So now come, let us (AL)cut a covenant, [y]you and I, and (AM)let it be a witness between [z]you and me.” 45 Then Jacob took (AN)a stone and raised it up as a pillar. 46 And Jacob said to his [aa]relatives, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 And Laban (AO)called it [ab]Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it [ac]Galeed. 48 Then Laban said, “(AP)This heap is a witness between [ad]you and me this day.” Therefore it was named Galeed, 49 and [ae](AQ)Mizpah, for he said, “May Yahweh watch between [af]you and me when we are [ag]absent one from the other. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us, see, (AR)God is witness between [ah]you and me.” 51 And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold the pillar which I have set between [ai]you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this pillar to me for harm. 53 (AS)The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, (AT)judge between us.” So Jacob swore by (AU)the dread of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob (AV)offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his [aj]relatives to eat a [ak]meal; and they ate [al]the meal and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [am]And Laban arose early in the morning and (AW)kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 31:1 Lit he
  2. Genesis 31:1 Lit glory
  3. Genesis 31:10 Or conceiving
  4. Genesis 31:10 Lit leaping upon the flock
  5. Genesis 31:12 Lit leaping upon the flock
  6. Genesis 31:13 Lit go out from
  7. Genesis 31:15 Enjoyed the benefit of
  8. Genesis 31:15 Lit our money
  9. Genesis 31:19 Heb teraphim
  10. Genesis 31:20 Lit stole the heart of
  11. Genesis 31:21 The Euphrates River
  12. Genesis 31:23 Lit brothers
  13. Genesis 31:24 Lit Take heed to yourself
  14. Genesis 31:25 Lit brothers
  15. Genesis 31:26 Lit and you have stolen my heart
  16. Genesis 31:27 Lit steal me
  17. Genesis 31:29 Lit Take heed to yourself
  18. Genesis 31:32 Lit brothers
  19. Genesis 31:32 Lit with me
  20. Genesis 31:34 Heb teraphim
  21. Genesis 31:35 Heb teraphim
  22. Genesis 31:37 Lit brothers
  23. Genesis 31:37 Lit brothers
  24. Genesis 31:40 Or drought
  25. Genesis 31:44 Lit I and you
  26. Genesis 31:44 Lit me and you
  27. Genesis 31:46 Lit brothers
  28. Genesis 31:47 Lit the heap of witness in Aram
  29. Genesis 31:47 Lit the heap of witness in Heb
  30. Genesis 31:48 Lit me and you
  31. Genesis 31:49 Lit the watchtower
  32. Genesis 31:49 Lit me and you
  33. Genesis 31:49 Lit hidden
  34. Genesis 31:50 Lit me and you
  35. Genesis 31:51 Lit me and you
  36. Genesis 31:54 Lit brothers
  37. Genesis 31:54 Lit bread
  38. Genesis 31:54 Lit bread
  39. Genesis 31:55 Ch 32:1 in Heb
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