Genesis 31:1-16

English Standard Version

Jacob Flees from Laban

31 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father's, and from what was our father's he has gained all this wealth.” ² And Jacob saw ^(A)that Laban did not regard him with favor as before. ³ Then the Lord said to Jacob, ^(B)“Return to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

⁴ So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was ⁵ and said to them, ^(C)“I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father ^(D)has been with me. ^6 (E)You know that I have served your father with all my strength, ⁷ yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ^(F)ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. ⁸ If he said, ^(G)‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. ⁹ Thus God has ^(H)taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. ¹⁰ In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. ¹¹ Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ ¹² And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for ^(I)I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. ¹³ I am the God of Bethel, ^(J)where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now ^(K)arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’” ¹⁴ Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there ^(L)any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? ¹⁵ Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For ^(M)he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. ¹⁶ All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”