Genesis 31
Expanded Bible
Jacob Runs Away
31 One day Jacob heard Laban’s sons talking. They said, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned, and ·in this way he has become rich [L he has gotten all this wealth from our father].” 2 Then Jacob ·noticed [saw] that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before. 3 The Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land ·where your ancestors lived [L of your fathers and your birthplace], and I will be with you [C indicating Jacob’s covenant with God].”
4 So Jacob ·told [L sent for] Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his flocks. 5 He said to them, “I have seen that your father is not as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You both know that I have ·worked [served] ·as hard as I could [L with all my power/strength] for your father, 7 but he ·cheated [mocked; deceived] me and changed my ·pay [wages] ten times. But God has not allowed your father to harm me. 8 When Laban said, ‘You can have all the speckled animals as your ·pay [wages],’ all the animals gave birth to speckled young ones. But when he said, ‘You can have all the streaked animals as your ·pay [wages],’ all the flocks gave birth to streaked babies [30:37–43]. 9 So God has taken the ·animals [livestock] away from your father and has given them to me.
10 “I had a dream during the season when the flocks were ·mating [L in heat]. I saw that the only male goats who were ·mating [mounting; L going up] were streaked, speckled, or spotted. 11 The ·angel [messenger] of God [16:7] spoke to me in that dream and said, ‘Jacob!’ I answered, ‘Yes!’ 12 The ·angel [messenger] said, ‘·Look [L Raise up your eyes and see]! Only the streaked, speckled, or spotted male goats are ·mating [mounting; L going up]. I have seen all ·the wrong things [L that which] Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God ·who appeared to you at [L of] Bethel, where you ·poured olive oil on [anointed] the ·stone you set up on end [pillar; 28:18–19] and where you made a ·promise [vow] to me. Now I want you to leave ·here [L this land] and go back to the land where you were born.’ ”
14 Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, “·Our father has nothing to give us when he dies [L Is there any lot/portion or inheritance still in our father’s house?]. 15 He has ·treated [considered] us like ·strangers [or foreigners]. He sold us to you, and ·then he spent all of the money you paid for us [L devoured the money]. 16 God took all this wealth from our father, and now it belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do.”
17 So Jacob [L rose up and] put his children and his wives on camels, 18 and they began their journey back to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan. All the flocks of animals that Jacob owned walked ahead of them. He carried ·everything [all the property] with him that he had gotten while he lived in ·northwestern Mesopotamia [L Paddan-aram].
19 While Laban was gone to ·cut the wool from [shear] his sheep, Rachel stole the ·idols [L teraphim; C probably his household gods] that belonged to ·him [L her father]. 20 And Jacob ·tricked [deceived; L stole the heart of] Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was ·leaving [fleeing]. 21 ·Jacob and his family [L He and all that was his] ·left quickly [fled], crossed the ·Euphrates River [L River; C the northern Euphrates separated Mesopotamia from Syria], and traveled toward the mountains of Gilead [C the northernmost part of Palestine].
22 Three days later ·Laban learned [L it was told/reported to Laban] that Jacob had ·run away [fled], 23 so he ·gathered [L took] his ·relatives [L brothers] and began to ·chase [pursue] him. After seven days Laban ·found [caught up with] him in the mountains of Gilead. 24 That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, “Be careful! Do not say anything to Jacob, good or bad.”
The Search for the Stolen Idols
25 So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had ·made his camp [L pitched his tent] in the mountains, so Laban and his ·relatives [L brothers] ·set up their camp [pitched] in the mountains of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You ·cheated me [deceived me; L stole my heart] and ·took [L carried away] my daughters as if you had captured them ·in a war [L with a sword]. 27 Why did you ·run away secretly [sneak off] and ·trick [deceive; L steal from] me? Why didn’t you tell me? Then I could have sent you away with joy and singing and with the music of tambourines and ·harps [lyres]. 28 You did not even let me kiss my ·grandchildren [L sons] and my daughters good-bye. You were very foolish to do this! 29 I have the power to harm you, but last night the God of your father spoke to me and warned me not to say anything to you, good or bad. 30 I know you want to go back to ·your home [L the house of your father], but why did you steal my ·idols [L gods; 31:19]?”
31 Jacob answered [L and said to] Laban, “I left without telling you, because I was afraid you would ·take [forcibly remove] your daughters away from me. 32 If you find anyone here who has taken your ·idols [gods], that person will ·be killed [L not live]! ·Your [L Our] ·relatives [L brothers] will be my witnesses. You may look for anything that belongs to you and take anything that is yours.” (Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen Laban’s idols.)
33 So Laban ·looked [L went] in Jacob’s tent, in Leah’s tent, and in the tent where the two slave women stayed, but he did not find his idols. When he left Leah’s tent, he went into Rachel’s tent. 34 Rachel had hidden the ·idols [teraphim; 31:19] inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Although Laban looked through the whole tent, he did not find them.
35 Rachel said to her father, “Father, don’t be angry with me. I am not able to stand up before you because ·I am having my monthly period [L the way of women is on me].” So Laban ·looked through the camp [L searched], but he did not find ·his idols [L the teraphim].
36 Then Jacob became very angry and accused Laban and said, “What ·wrong have I done [is my offense]? What ·law have I broken [L is my sin] to cause you to ·chase [hotly pursue] me? 37 You have ·looked [felt] through everything I own, but you have found nothing that belongs to you. If you have found anything, show it to everyone. Put it in front of your ·relatives [L brothers] and my ·relatives [L brothers], and let them ·decide which one of us is right [judge between us]. 38 I have ·worked for [L been with] you now for twenty years. During all that time none of the ·lambs [ewes] and kids ·died during birth [miscarried], and I have not eaten any of the ·male sheep [rams] from your flocks. 39 Any time an animal was killed by wild beasts, I did not bring it to you, but made up for the loss myself. You made me pay for any animal that was stolen during the day or night. 40 In the daytime the ·sun [heat] ·took away my strength [L consumed me], and at night I was cold and ·could not sleep [L sleep fled from my eyes]. 41 I [L was in your house and] worked like a slave for you for twenty years—the first fourteen to get your two daughters and the last six to earn your flocks. During that time you changed my ·pay [wages] ten times. 42 But the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the ·God [L Fear; C a title for God; Prov. 1:7] of Isaac, was with me. Otherwise, you would have sent me away with nothing. But he saw the ·trouble [affliction] I had and the hard work I did, and last night he ·corrected [admonished; reproved] you.”
Jacob and Laban’s Treaty
43 Laban said to Jacob, “·These girls [L The daughters] are my daughters. ·Their children belong to me [L The sons are my sons], and ·these flocks are mine [L the flocks are my flocks]. Everything you see here belongs to me, but ·I can do nothing to keep [L what can I do about…?] my daughters and their children. 44 ·Let us make [L Come, let us cut] ·an agreement [a covenant/treaty; 6:18], and let ·us set up a pile of stones to remind us of it [L it be a witness between us].”
45 So Jacob took a large rock and set it ·up on its end [L as a pillar]. 46 ·He [L Jacob] told his ·relatives [L brothers] to gather rocks, so they took the rocks and ·piled them up [made a pile/mound/heap]; then they ·ate [feasted] beside the pile [C treaties were often celebrated by a feast]. 47 Laban named that place in his language A Pile to Remind Us [Jegar-sahadutha; C he spoke Aramaic], and Jacob called the place Galeed [C the Hebrew version of the Aramaic name].
48 Laban said to Jacob, “This ·pile of rocks [mound; heap] will ·remind us of the agreement [L be a witness] between us.” That is why the place was called ·A Pile to Remind Us [Galeed]. 49 It was also called Mizpah [C sounds like “watch” in Hebrew], because Laban said, “Let the Lord watch over us while we are ·separated [absent] from each other. 50 Remember that God is our witness even if no one else is around us. He will know if you ·harm [abuse] my daughters or ·marry [take] other women. 51 Here is the ·pile of rocks [mound; heap] that I have ·put [thrown up] between us and here is the ·rock I set up on end [pillar]. 52 This ·pile of rocks [mound; heap] and this ·rock set on end [pillar] will ·remind us of our agreement [L be a witness]. I will never go past this ·pile [mound; heap] to hurt you, and you must never come to my side of them to hurt me. 53 Let the God of Abraham, who is the God of Nahor and the God of their ·ancestors [fathers], ·punish either of us if we break this agreement [L judge between us].”
So Jacob made a promise ·in the name of the God whom his father Isaac worshiped [L by the fear of his father Isaac]. 54 Then Jacob ·killed an animal and offered it as [L offered] a sacrifice on the mountain, and he invited his ·relatives [L brothers] to share in the meal [31:46]. After they finished eating, they spent the night on the mountain. 55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his ·grandchildren [L sons] and his daughters and blessed them, and then he left to return ·home [L to his place].
Genesis 31
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 of 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 suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
11 And the angel of God spake 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 cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst 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 of 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 cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for 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 Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount 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 in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in 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 Wherefore 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 tabret, 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 spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure 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 to 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 furniture, 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 chode with 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 stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of 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 cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour 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 cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: 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; 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 beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:
52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over 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 betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in 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.
創世記 31
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
雅各逃離拉班
31 雅各聽見拉班的兒子們說：「雅各奪去了我們父親的一切！他的財富都是從我們父親那裡得來的。」 2 雅各發覺拉班對他的態度不如從前了。 3 這時，耶和華對雅各說：「回到你的家鄉和親族那裡吧！我必與你同在。」 4 於是，雅各就派人把拉結和利亞叫到放羊的地方， 5 對她們說：「我感到你們父親對我不如從前了，但我父親的上帝常與我同在。 6 你們知道我是怎樣盡心盡力地替你們父親工作， 7 他卻欺騙我，把我的工酬更改了十次。然而，上帝不讓他苦待我。 8 如果他說把有斑點的羊給我當酬勞，羊群生的就都是有斑點的；如果他說把有條紋的給我，羊群生的就都是有條紋的。 9 上帝就這樣把你們父親的牲畜奪過來給了我。
10 「在羊群交配的季節，我夢見所有和母羊交配的公羊都是有條紋或有斑點的。 11 在夢中，上帝的天使叫我，我說，『僕人在。』 12 他說，『拉班對你的所作所為，我都看見了。現在你留心看看，與母羊交配的公羊都是有條紋或有斑點的。 13 我就是你在伯特利遇見的上帝。你在那裡用油澆過柱子，向我許過願。現在，你要動身離開這裡，回到你的家鄉。』」
14 拉結和利亞說：「父親的家產沒有我們的份兒， 15 我們早就被當作外人了，他賣了我們，把我們的身價全部吞了。 16 上帝從我們父親那裡奪過來的一切財產，本來就屬於我們和我們的兒女。現在你只管照上帝的吩咐做吧！」
17 雅各便起來讓兒女和妻子都騎上駱駝， 18 帶著他在巴旦·亞蘭得到的所有牲畜和財物，啟程去迦南的父親以撒那裡。 19 那時拉班正在外面剪羊毛，拉結偷了父親的家庭神像。 20 雅各不辭而別，背著亞蘭人拉班偷偷地跑了。 21 他帶著所有的一切渡過幼發拉底河，逃往基列山區。
拉班追趕雅各
22 到了第三天，拉班才知道雅各逃走了。 23 於是，他帶著族人去追趕，追了七天，在基列山區追上了雅各。 24 當天晚上，上帝在夢中對亞蘭人拉班說：「你要當心，不可對雅各多說什麼。」
25 拉班追上了雅各，那時雅各在基列山搭起帳篷，拉班和他的族人也在那裡搭起帳篷。 26 拉班對雅各說：「你做的是什麼？你欺瞞我，把我的女兒像戰俘一樣帶走。 27 你為什麼要偷偷地溜走？你為什麼不告訴我，我好擊鼓、彈琴、唱歌歡送你？ 28 你甚至不讓我親吻外孫和女兒，與他們道別，你這樣做真愚蠢。 29 我有能力傷害你，但你父親的上帝昨夜對我說，『你要小心，不可對雅各多說什麼。』 30 你思家心切，一定要走，但你為什麼要偷走我的神像呢？」
31 雅各對拉班說：「我逃跑是因為害怕你會奪回你的女兒。 32 至於你的神像，你在誰身上搜出來，誰就是該死的。你可以當著眾弟兄的面察看，如果在我這裡有什麼物件是你的，你只管拿走。」雅各不知道拉結偷走了神像。
33 拉班進入雅各、利亞和兩個婢女的帳篷搜查，卻搜不出什麼。拉班離開利亞的帳篷進入拉結的帳篷， 34 那時拉結已經把神像藏在駱駝的鞍座裡，自己坐在上面。拉班搜遍了整個帳篷什麼也找不到。 35 拉結對父親說：「父親，請別生氣，我有月事在身，不便起來。」結果，拉班搜來搜去找不到神像。
36 雅各發怒，斥責拉班說：「我做錯了什麼、犯了什麼罪以致你對我窮追不捨？ 37 你搜遍我所有的東西，搜到了什麼？現在就當著眾弟兄的面拿出來，讓他們評評理吧！ 38 我在你家這二十年，你的母綿羊、母山羊沒有掉過胎，我也沒有吃過你公羊的肉。 39 我沒有把被野獸撕裂的羊帶來給你，而是自己賠上。無論在白晝或黑夜被偷去的，你都要我賠償。 40 我白天受盡烈日煎熬，晚上飽嚐夜露寒霜，不得好睡。 41 這二十年來，我為了你的兩個女兒，替你工作了十四年，又用了六年才從你那裡得到這些羊，你把我的工錢更改了十次。 42 如果不是我父親以撒敬畏的上帝，就是亞伯拉罕的上帝與我同在，你肯定會讓我兩手空空地回家。但上帝看見了我的難處和勞苦，所以在昨夜責備了你。」
雅各和拉班立約
43 拉班回答說：「女兒是我的，這些孩子是我的，羊群也是我的，你的一切都是我的，我又怎會傷害我的女兒和她們的孩子呢？ 44 來吧，你我立約為證。」 45 於是，雅各拿來一塊石頭，立作柱子， 46 又吩咐族人去收集石頭。他們把石頭堆成一堆，在旁邊吃喝。 47 拉班稱那石堆為伊迦爾·撒哈杜他[a]，雅各卻稱那石堆為迦累得[b]。
48 拉班說：「今日，這石堆是你我之間的憑證。」因此，那地方名叫迦累得， 49 又叫米斯巴，因為拉班說：「我們分手以後，願上帝親自鑒察我們。 50 倘若你虐待我的女兒，或在她們以外另娶妻子，即使沒人知道，也有上帝在你我之間做見證。」
51 拉班又說：「看我在你我之間立的這石堆和石柱。 52 這石堆和石柱都是憑證，我一定不會越過石堆去害你，你也不可越過石堆和石柱來害我。 53 願亞伯拉罕和拿鶴的上帝，就是他們父親的上帝，在你我之間判斷是非。」雅各便在他父親以撒敬畏的上帝面前起誓， 54 又在山上獻祭，請眾弟兄吃飯。飯後，他們一同在山上過夜。
55 拉班清早起來，親吻外孫和女兒，給他們祝福，然後回家去了。
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