Genesis 31
Christian Standard Bible
Jacob Separates from Laban
31 Now Jacob heard what Laban’s sons were saying: “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s and has built this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob saw from Laban’s face that his attitude toward him was not the same as before.
3 The Lord said to him, “Go back to the land of your ancestors and to your family, and I will be with you.”(A)
4 Jacob had Rachel and Leah called to the field where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I can see from your father’s face that his attitude toward me is not the same as before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that with all my strength I have served your father(B) 7 and that he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God has not let him harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The spotted sheep will be your wages,’ then all the sheep were born spotted. If he said, ‘The streaked sheep will be your wages,’ then all the sheep were born streaked.(C) 9 God has taken away your father’s herds and given them to me.
10 “When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. 11 In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see: all the males that are mating with the flocks are streaked, spotted, and speckled, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.(D) 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you poured oil on the stone marker and made a solemn vow to me.(E) Get up, leave this land, and return to your native land.’”
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we have any portion or inheritance in our father’s family? 15 Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? For he has sold us(F) and has certainly spent our purchase price. 16 In fact, all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has said to you.”
17 So Jacob got up and put his children and wives on the camels. 18 He took all the livestock and possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, and he drove his herds to go to the land of Canaan, to his father Isaac. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.(G) 20 And Jacob deceived[a] Laban the Aramean, not telling him that he was fleeing. 21 He fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for[b] the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Overtakes Jacob
22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night. “Watch yourself!” God warned him. “Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”(H)
25 When Laban overtook Jacob, Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban and his relatives also pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and taken my daughters away like prisoners of war! 27 Why did you secretly flee from me, deceive me, and not tell me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and lyres, 28 but you didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You have acted foolishly. 29 I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Watch yourself! Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s family—but why have you stolen my gods?” (I)
31 Jacob answered, “I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 If you find your gods with anyone here, he will not live!(J) Before our relatives, point out anything that is yours and take it.” Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent, and the tents of the two concubines,[c] but he found nothing. When he left Leah’s tent, he went into Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of the camel, and sat on them. Laban searched the whole tent but found nothing.
35 She said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;(K) I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.
Jacob’s Covenant with Laban
36 Then Jacob became incensed and brought charges against Laban. “What is my crime?” he said to Laban. “What is my sin, that you have pursued me? 37 You’ve searched all my possessions! Have you found anything of yours?[d] Put it here before my relatives and yours, and let them decide between the two of us. 38 I’ve been with you these twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock. 39 I did not bring you any of the flock torn by wild beasts; I myself bore the loss. You demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or by night. 40 There I was—the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 For twenty years in your household I served you—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks(L)—and you have changed my wages ten times! 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, certainly now you would have sent me off empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and my hard work,[e] and he issued his verdict last night.”
43 Then Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters; the children, my children; and the flocks, my flocks! Everything you see is mine! But what can I do today for these daughters of mine or for the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I.(M) Let it be a witness between the two of us.”
45 So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a marker.(N) 46 Then Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a mound, then ate there by the mound. 47 Laban named the mound Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.[f]
48 Then Laban said, “This mound is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore the place was called Galeed 49 and also Mizpah,[g](O) for he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are out of each other’s sight. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, though no one is with us, understand that God will be a witness between you and me.”(P) 51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Look at this mound and the marker I have set up between you and me. 52 This mound is a witness and the marker is a witness that I will not pass beyond this mound to you, and you will not pass beyond this mound and this marker to do me harm. 53 The God of Abraham, and the gods(Q) of Nahor—the gods of their father[h]—will judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. So they ate a meal and spent the night on the mountain. 55 Laban got up early in the morning, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban left to return home.
Footnotes
- 31:20 Lit And he stole the heart of
- 31:21 Lit and set his face to
- 31:33 Lit servants
- 31:37 Lit What have you found from all of the possessions of your house?
- 31:42 Lit and the work of my hands
- 31:47 Jegar-sahadutha is Aramaic, and Galeed is Hb; both names = Mound of Witness
- 31:49 = Watchtower
- 31:53 Two Hb mss, LXX omit the gods of their father
Genesis 31
International Standard Version
Jacob Decides to Leave Laban
31 Now Jacob[a] used to listen while Laban’s sons kept on complaining,[b] “Jacob has taken over everything our father owns! He made himself wealthy from what belongs to our father!” 2 Jacob also noticed that the way[c] Laban had been looking at him wasn’t as nice as it had been just two days earlier.[d]
3 Then the Lord ordered Jacob, “Go back to your father’s territory and to your relatives. I’ll be with you.”
4 Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was 5 and informed them, “I’ve noticed that the way[e] your father has been looking at us hasn’t been as nice as it was just two days ago.[f] But my father’s God has been with me. 6 You know I’ve been serving your father with all my heart. 7 Even so, your father has cheated me. He broke our wage agreement ten times. However, God didn’t allow him to harm me.
8 “When Laban said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flock gave birth to speckled ones. Then when he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ all the flock gave birth to streaked offspring.
9 “So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me. 10 As it was, when it was time for the livestock to breed, I once looked up in a dream, and the male goats that were mating[g] with the flock were producing streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring.
11 “Later, the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, ‘Jacob.’
“‘Here I am,’ I replied
12 “‘Look around!’ he said. ‘Go ahead, look! All the male goats have been mating with the flock, producing offspring that are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I’ve been watching everything that Laban has done to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, the place where you consecrated that stone and made a vow to me. Now get up, leave this territory, and return to your native land.’”[h]
Rachel and Leah Consent to Leave
14 Then Rachel and Leah asked him, “Do we have anything left of inheritance[i] remaining in our father’s house? 15 He’s treating us like foreigners. He sold us and spent all of the money[j] that rightfully belonged to us. 16 Furthermore, all of the wealth that God has stripped away from our father belongs to us now and to our children. So do everything that God tells you to do.” 17 So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels, 18 and drove all his livestock ahead of him, with everything that belonged to him, including the livestock that he had bought and accumulated in Paddan-aram,[k] intending to deliver them to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
Laban Pursues Jacob
19 Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father’s personal idols.[l] 20 Moreover, Jacob had deceived[m] Laban the Aramean,[n] because he had never told him that he was intending to leave. 21 Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river,[o] and headed to the hill country of Gilead. 22 Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left, 23 so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban[p] was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob[q] in the hill country of Gilead.
God Warns Laban
24 That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean[r] in a dream and warned him, “Be careful what you say to Jacob, whether it’s one word good or bad.” 25 Meanwhile, Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, where Laban had caught up with him.[s] Laban and his relatives encamped on that same mountain in the hill country of Gilead, too.
26 Then Laban asked Jacob, “What did you do? You deceived me,[t] carried off my daughters like you would war captives,[u] 27 ran away from me secretly,[v] and stole from me by not keeping me informed. Otherwise, I could have sent you off with a party and singing, accompanied by a band playing tambourines and harps. 28 As it is, you didn’t even allow me to kiss my grandchildren[w] and daughters goodbye! You’ve acted foolishly. 29 It’s actually in my power to do some serious[x] evil to you, but last night the God of your father told me, ‘Be careful what you say to Jacob whether good or evil.’ 30 Now, you can go if you must go, because you certainly are longing to go to your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”
Laban Searches for His Idols
31 “I was afraid,” Jacob replied. “I thought you might take your daughters from me. 32 Now as to your gods, if you find someone has them in their possession, he’s a dead man.[y] Take our relatives as witnesses, search through our belongings, and take whatever belongs to you that’s in my possession.” But Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the idols.[z] 33 So Laban entered Jacob’s tent, Leah’s tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn’t find them.[aa] Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.
34 Meanwhile, Rachel had taken the idols,[ab] placed them inside the saddle of her camel, and sat on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but found nothing. 35 Then Rachel told her father, “Sir, please don’t be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It’s that time of the month.”[ac] So Laban[ad] searched for the idols,[ae] but never did find them.[af]
Jacob Rebukes Laban
36 Then Jacob got angry and started an argument with Laban. “What have I done?” he demanded. “What’s my crime that would cause you to come pursue me so violently? 37 Now that you’ve searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives[ag] and we’ll let them judge between us! 38 Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I’ve been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock, 39 and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night. 40 As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest. 41 I’ve lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you changed[ah] my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the God whom Isaac feared—had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty handed. But God saw my misery and how hard I’ve worked with my own hands—and he rebuked you last night.”
43 But Laban answered Jacob, “These women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and the children they have borne? 44 Come, let’s make a covenant just between you and me. And let it serve as a witness between you and me.”
45 So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob told his relatives, “Go gather some stones.” So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones. 47 Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha,[ai] but Jacob named it Galeed.[aj]
48 Then Laban said, “This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today.” That’s how the place came to be named Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[ak] because Laban[al] said, “May the Lord watch between you and me, when we are estranged[am] from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching[an] us, keep in mind that God stands as a witness between you and me.”
51 “Look!” Laban added, “Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I’ve set up between you and me. 52 This stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm. 53 May Abraham’s God and Nahor’s god judge between us.”
So Jacob made an oath by his father’s Fear,[ao] 54 offered sacrifices there on the mountain, and called on his relatives to eat some food. So they ate the food and spent the night on the mountain. 55 [ap]Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home.[aq]
Footnotes
- Genesis 31:1 Lit. He
- Genesis 31:1 Lit. saying
- Genesis 31:2 Lit. face
- Genesis 31:2 Lit. been the day before yesterday
- Genesis 31:5 Lit. the face of
- Genesis 31:5 Lit. was the day before yesterday
- Genesis 31:10 Lit. climbing up
- Genesis 31:13 Lit. to the land of your birth
- Genesis 31:14 Lit. portion and inheritance
- Genesis 31:15 Lit. silver
- Genesis 31:18 Paddan-aram was located in northwest Mesopotamia
- Genesis 31:19 Lit. father’s teraphim; i.e. personal idols typically stored inside a small household shrine
- Genesis 31:20 Lit. had stolen away the heart of
- Genesis 31:20 In later centuries this region would be called Syria
- Genesis 31:21 I.e. possibly the Euphrates River
- Genesis 31:23 Lit. He
- Genesis 31:23 Lit. him
- Genesis 31:24 In later centuries this region would be called Syria
- Genesis 31:25 Lit. Jacob
- Genesis 31:26 Lit. You stole my heart
- Genesis 31:26 Lit. captives of the sword
- Genesis 31:27 Lit. me, hiding yourself
- Genesis 31:28 Lit. sons
- Genesis 31:29 The Heb. lacks some serious
- Genesis 31:32 Lit. he is not to live
- Genesis 31:32 Lit. them
- Genesis 31:33 The Heb. lacks them
- Genesis 31:34 Lit. teraphim; i.e. personal idols typically stored inside a small household shrine
- Genesis 31:35 Lit. that manner of women for me
- Genesis 31:35 Lit. he
- Genesis 31:35 Lit. teraphim; i.e. personal idols typically stored inside a small household shrine
- Genesis 31:35 The Heb. lacks them
- Genesis 31:37 Lit. my relatives and your relatives
- Genesis 31:41 Lit. you cut through
- Genesis 31:47 The Aram. name Jegar-sahadutha means stack of witness
- Genesis 31:47 The Heb. name Galeed means stack of witness
- Genesis 31:49 The Heb. word Mizpah means watchtower
- Genesis 31:49 Lit. he
- Genesis 31:49 Or concealed
- Genesis 31:50 Lit. with
- Genesis 31:53 I.e. the Lord
- Genesis 31:55 This v. is 32:1 in MT
- Genesis 31:55 Lit. for his place
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