Genesis 31
New King James Version
Jacob Flees from Laban
31 Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this (A)wealth.” 2 And Jacob saw the (B)countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not (C)favorable toward him as before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, (D)“Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will (E)be with you.”
4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field, to his flock, 5 and said to them, (F)“I see your father’s [a]countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father (G)has been with me. 6 And (H)you know that with all my might I have served your father. 7 Yet your father has deceived me and (I)changed my wages (J)ten times, but God (K)did not allow him to hurt me. 8 If he said thus: (L)‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked. 9 So God has (M)taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
10 “And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted. 11 Then (N)the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for (O)I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, (P)where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now (Q)arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ”
14 Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, (R)“Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For (S)he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money. 16 For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”
17 Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels. 18 And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of (T)Canaan. 19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the (U)household[b] idols that were her father’s. 20 And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21 So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and (V)headed[c] toward the mountains of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob
22 And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 Then he took (W)his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 But God (X)had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you (Y)speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”
25 So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and (Z)carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword? 27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp? 28 And you did not allow me (AA)to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now (AB)you have done foolishly in so doing. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the (AC)God of your father spoke to me (AD)last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’ 30 And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you (AE)steal my gods?”
31 Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was (AF)afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’ 32 With whomever you find your gods, (AG)do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, 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 [d]household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban [e]searched all about the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot (AH)rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the [f]household idols.
36 Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my [g]trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both! 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock. 39 (AI)That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. (AJ)You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40 There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes. 41 Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I (AK)served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and (AL)you have changed my wages ten times. 42 (AM)Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and (AN)the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. (AO)God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and (AP)rebuked you last night.”
Laban’s Covenant with Jacob
43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44 Now therefore, come, (AQ)let us make a [h]covenant, (AR)you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”
45 So Jacob (AS)took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap. 47 Laban called it [i]Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it [j]Galeed. 48 And Laban said, (AT)“This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed, 49 also (AU)Mizpah,[k] because he said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from another. 50 If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father (AV)judge between us.” And Jacob (AW)swore by (AX)the [l]Fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain. 55 And early in the morning Laban arose, and (AY)kissed his sons and daughters and (AZ)blessed them. Then Laban departed and (BA)returned to his place.
Footnotes
- Genesis 31:5 Lit. face
- Genesis 31:19 Heb. teraphim
- Genesis 31:21 Lit. set his face toward
- Genesis 31:34 Heb. teraphim
- Genesis 31:34 Lit. felt
- Genesis 31:35 Heb. teraphim
- Genesis 31:36 transgression
- Genesis 31:44 treaty
- Genesis 31:47 Lit., in Aram., Heap of Witness
- Genesis 31:47 Lit., in Heb., Heap of Witness
- Genesis 31:49 Lit. Watch
- Genesis 31:53 A reference to God
Genesis 31
21st Century King James Version
31 And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and from that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory.”
2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as before.
3 And the Lord said unto Jacob, “Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee.”
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 and said unto them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God did not suffer him to hurt me.
8 If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be thy wages,’ then all the animals bore speckled; and if he said thus: ‘The ringstreaked shall be thy hire,’ then all the animals bore ringstreaked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the flocks of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the animals conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the animals were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.
11 And the angel of God spoke unto me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob!’ And I said, ‘Here am I.’
12 And he said, ‘Lift up now thine eyes and see: all the rams which leap upon the animals are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointed the pillar, and where thou vowed a vow unto Me. Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.’”
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?
15 Are we not counted by him strangers? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours and our children’s. Now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.”
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels.
18 And he carried away all his flocks and all his goods which he had gotten, the flocks of his getting which he had gotten in Padanaram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
19 And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.
20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
21 So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount of Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him on the mount of Gilead.
24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, “Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.”
25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched on the mount of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, “What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword?
27 Why didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with taboret and with harp,
28 and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying, ‘Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.’
30 And now, though thou wouldest be gone, because thou sorely longed after thy father’s house, yet why hast thou stolen my gods?”
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid; for I said, ‘Perhaps thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.’
32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live. Before our brethren, discern thou what is thine with me, and take it with thee.” For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
33 And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents, but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.
34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
35 And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, for the custom of women is upon me.” And he searched, but found not the images.
36 And Jacob was wroth, and chided Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
37 Whereas thou hast searched all my goods, what hast thou found of all thy household things? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge between us both.
38 These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy shegoats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39 That which was torn by beasts I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it. From my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
40 Thus I was: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house. I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flocks; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42 Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou would have sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.”
43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these 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?
44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be a witness between me and thee.”
45 And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, “Gather stones”; and they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha [that is, The heap of witness], but Jacob called it Galeed.
48 And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between me and thee this day.” Therefore was the name of it called Galeed,
49 and Mizpah [that is, A beacon or watchtower]; for he said, “The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.
50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives besides my daughters, no man is with us—see, God is witness between me and thee!”
51 And Laban said to Jacob, “Behold this heap and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and thee.
52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass beyond this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they ate bread, and tarried all night on the mount.
55 And 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.