The Genesis
Chapter
31
1 Well, Jacob overheard Laban's sons saying, 'Jacob has taken everything that belongs to our father and all our father's property… all of his glory!' 2 So Jacob came to realize that Laban [wasn't happy to see him anymore].
3 Then Jehovah said to Jacob: 'Now, return to your family and to your father's land, and I will be with you.'
4 So Jacob sent for LeAh and RachEl, [who were] out in the plains with the flocks, 5 and said to them: 'I know that your father is no longer [happy to see me]. However, the God of my father is still with me. 6 For although I've served your father with all my might, 7 he deceived me, changing what he owed me to [just] ten lambs… but God didn't allow him to [do me wrong]. 8 For if he said, The speckled will be your reward; then all the cattle would give birth to the speckled. And if he would have said, The white ones will be your reward; all the cattle would have been born white. 9 So it was God who has taken all these cattle from your father and given them to me.
10 'Why, while the cattle were pregnant with their young, while I was sleeping, {Look!} I saw billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep that were all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots. 11 Then a messenger from God called me in the dream, saying, Jacob! And I said, What is it? 12 And he said, Look up and see the billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep… they are all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots. Now, I've seen all things that Laban did to you; 13 for I'm the God who appeared to you at BethEl where you poured oil on a pillar to Me and [where you] swore an oath to Me. So now, get up and leave this land. Return to the land of your birth, and I will be with you!'
14 Then RachEl and LeAh asked, 'So, what about our inheritance in the house of our father? 15 Does he now consider us strangers? Why, he sold us and then spent our money! 16 Therefore, all the wealth and glory that God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children. So, do whatever God has told you to do!'
17 Then Jacob got up and mounted his women and children on their camels, 18 along with all the possessions and provisions he had obtained in MesoPotamia and all [the servants and animals] that belonged to him, so he could return to his father (IsaAc) in the land of CanaAn. 19 Meanwhile, as Laban was off shearing his sheep, RachEl stole her father's idols.
20 Jacob didn't let Laban the Syrian know that he was running away… 21 he and all who were his just left, crossing the river and traveling on to Mount GileAd. 22 Well, it was three days later that Laban the Syrian was finally told that Jacob had gone. 23 But then he gathered his brothers and chased after them, catching up with them after seven days at Mount GileAd.
24 However, God came to Laban the Syrian in his sleep that night and said to him: 'Be very careful not to say anything bad about Jacob.' 25 So when Laban caught up with Jacob (Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban had stationed his brothers all around the mountain), 26 he asked Jacob: 'What have you done… why did you run away secretly, steal from me, and use swords to take my daughters as captives? 27 If you had just told me first, I would have happily sent you away with singing, tambourines, and harps! 28 Didn't you consider me worthy to hug my children and my daughters before you did such a foolish thing?
29 'And now, although I have enough power in my hands to harm you; the God of your father spoke to me yesterday and said, Be very careful to never say anything bad about Jacob. 30 So now, go on, because you really wanted to return to the house of your father… but, why have you stolen my gods?'
31 And Jacob replied to Laban: '[I left secretly] because I was afraid that you would take your daughters and all my possessions away from me!' 32 Then Jacob went on to say: 'But whoever you find that has [stolen] your gods won't [be allowed to] live in the presence of our family. So, look around for anything I might have that's yours and take it!' [Well, Laban searched], but he couldn't find anything (Jacob didn't realize that his woman RachEl had stolen [the idols]). 33 Laban went in and searched LeAh's tent, then Jacob's tent, and then the tent of the two female servants, and he found nothing. Lastly, he entered RachEl's tent. 34 However, RachEl had hidden the idols among the camel's packs and she was sitting on them, 35 as she told her father: 'Don't be impudent, sir! I can't get up and stand before you, because it isn't my way and it isn't customary for women!' Well, Laban searched throughout the [camp] and he couldn't find the idols. 36 And all [of this] made Jacob very angry; so he argued with Laban and asked him: 'What wrong have I done to you and what is my sin that caused you to chase after me 37 and then search all the furnishings in my home? What have you found [that is part of] the furnishings of your house? Lay it out here between your relatives and mine, and let them decide!
38 'Why, I've been with you for twenty years, during which your sheep and nanny goats didn't fail to give birth… and I didn't eat any of the rams from your herds. 39 All that I ever took was the wild animals that I didn't bring to you. Why, I [paid] for anything that was stolen during the day or during the night, 40 as I was dried out with the heat of the day, [chilled] by frost in the night, and I seldom ever got much sleep!
41 'During these twenty years that I stayed in your house, I served you for fourteen years for your two daughters. [Then I spent the next] six years among your sheep… just to have you fraudulently set my wages as ten lambs! 42 Why, if it weren't for the God of my father AbraHam and for the fact that [you're] afraid of IsaAc's [God], you would have sent me away empty-handed! And it was because God saw how I was humiliated and how hard I've worked that He [scolded you] last night!'
43 Then Laban replied: 'These are my daughters and my sons… the cattle are mine and everything that you see belongs to my daughters and me! However, what should I do to them today… or to their children? 44 Come; let's conclude a treaty between you and me that will serve as a witness between us. Look, nobody else is here, so {Look!} God will serve as the witness between you and me.'
45 Then Jacob found a [large] stone and erected it as a pillar. 46 And Jacob told his family: 'Gather some stones.' So they brought stones and made a pile; then they [shared bread] on top of the pile. And thereafter, Laban said: 'This [pile of stones] is the witnesses between you and me today.' 47 And Laban called it The [Stone] Pile of Testimony, while Jacob referred to it as The Witness [Stone] Pile.
48 And Laban said to Jacob: 'Look at this pile and pillar that I've erected between you and me… this Witness [Stone] Pile and this [Stone] Pile of Testimony. We will call them, the [Stone] Pile Witnesses.'
49 And thereafter, [Laban] called this place, The Watchtower; for he said: 'May God keep watch over you and me, because we are about to leave each other. 50 But if you humble my daughters by taking women in addition to them, you will see that someone is with us who is watching. For God is the witness between you and me.'
51 Then Laban continued: 'Look! This pile of stones and this pillar are witnesses 52 that I won't come beyond this pillar to do anything bad to you, and you won't come [beyond this pillar] to me. 53 May the God of AbraHam and the God of NaHor judge between us!' Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father IsaAc, 54 and he offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He called his family together and they ate and drank, then they all went to sleep on the mountain. 55 And when Laban got up in the morning, he kissed his daughters and [their] sons and blest them, and then Laban turned around and went back to his home.
3 Then Jehovah said to Jacob: 'Now, return to your family and to your father's land, and I will be with you.'
4 So Jacob sent for LeAh and RachEl, [who were] out in the plains with the flocks, 5 and said to them: 'I know that your father is no longer [happy to see me]. However, the God of my father is still with me. 6 For although I've served your father with all my might, 7 he deceived me, changing what he owed me to [just] ten lambs… but God didn't allow him to [do me wrong]. 8 For if he said, The speckled will be your reward; then all the cattle would give birth to the speckled. And if he would have said, The white ones will be your reward; all the cattle would have been born white. 9 So it was God who has taken all these cattle from your father and given them to me.
10 'Why, while the cattle were pregnant with their young, while I was sleeping, {Look!} I saw billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep that were all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots. 11 Then a messenger from God called me in the dream, saying, Jacob! And I said, What is it? 12 And he said, Look up and see the billy goats and rams jumping on the nanny goats and sheep… they are all speckled, striped, and spotted with ash-colored spots. Now, I've seen all things that Laban did to you; 13 for I'm the God who appeared to you at BethEl where you poured oil on a pillar to Me and [where you] swore an oath to Me. So now, get up and leave this land. Return to the land of your birth, and I will be with you!'
14 Then RachEl and LeAh asked, 'So, what about our inheritance in the house of our father? 15 Does he now consider us strangers? Why, he sold us and then spent our money! 16 Therefore, all the wealth and glory that God has taken from our father belongs to us and to our children. So, do whatever God has told you to do!'
17 Then Jacob got up and mounted his women and children on their camels, 18 along with all the possessions and provisions he had obtained in MesoPotamia and all [the servants and animals] that belonged to him, so he could return to his father (IsaAc) in the land of CanaAn. 19 Meanwhile, as Laban was off shearing his sheep, RachEl stole her father's idols.
20 Jacob didn't let Laban the Syrian know that he was running away… 21 he and all who were his just left, crossing the river and traveling on to Mount GileAd. 22 Well, it was three days later that Laban the Syrian was finally told that Jacob had gone. 23 But then he gathered his brothers and chased after them, catching up with them after seven days at Mount GileAd.
24 However, God came to Laban the Syrian in his sleep that night and said to him: 'Be very careful not to say anything bad about Jacob.' 25 So when Laban caught up with Jacob (Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, and Laban had stationed his brothers all around the mountain), 26 he asked Jacob: 'What have you done… why did you run away secretly, steal from me, and use swords to take my daughters as captives? 27 If you had just told me first, I would have happily sent you away with singing, tambourines, and harps! 28 Didn't you consider me worthy to hug my children and my daughters before you did such a foolish thing?
29 'And now, although I have enough power in my hands to harm you; the God of your father spoke to me yesterday and said, Be very careful to never say anything bad about Jacob. 30 So now, go on, because you really wanted to return to the house of your father… but, why have you stolen my gods?'
31 And Jacob replied to Laban: '[I left secretly] because I was afraid that you would take your daughters and all my possessions away from me!' 32 Then Jacob went on to say: 'But whoever you find that has [stolen] your gods won't [be allowed to] live in the presence of our family. So, look around for anything I might have that's yours and take it!' [Well, Laban searched], but he couldn't find anything (Jacob didn't realize that his woman RachEl had stolen [the idols]). 33 Laban went in and searched LeAh's tent, then Jacob's tent, and then the tent of the two female servants, and he found nothing. Lastly, he entered RachEl's tent. 34 However, RachEl had hidden the idols among the camel's packs and she was sitting on them, 35 as she told her father: 'Don't be impudent, sir! I can't get up and stand before you, because it isn't my way and it isn't customary for women!' Well, Laban searched throughout the [camp] and he couldn't find the idols. 36 And all [of this] made Jacob very angry; so he argued with Laban and asked him: 'What wrong have I done to you and what is my sin that caused you to chase after me 37 and then search all the furnishings in my home? What have you found [that is part of] the furnishings of your house? Lay it out here between your relatives and mine, and let them decide!
38 'Why, I've been with you for twenty years, during which your sheep and nanny goats didn't fail to give birth… and I didn't eat any of the rams from your herds. 39 All that I ever took was the wild animals that I didn't bring to you. Why, I [paid] for anything that was stolen during the day or during the night, 40 as I was dried out with the heat of the day, [chilled] by frost in the night, and I seldom ever got much sleep!
41 'During these twenty years that I stayed in your house, I served you for fourteen years for your two daughters. [Then I spent the next] six years among your sheep… just to have you fraudulently set my wages as ten lambs! 42 Why, if it weren't for the God of my father AbraHam and for the fact that [you're] afraid of IsaAc's [God], you would have sent me away empty-handed! And it was because God saw how I was humiliated and how hard I've worked that He [scolded you] last night!'
43 Then Laban replied: 'These are my daughters and my sons… the cattle are mine and everything that you see belongs to my daughters and me! However, what should I do to them today… or to their children? 44 Come; let's conclude a treaty between you and me that will serve as a witness between us. Look, nobody else is here, so {Look!} God will serve as the witness between you and me.'
45 Then Jacob found a [large] stone and erected it as a pillar. 46 And Jacob told his family: 'Gather some stones.' So they brought stones and made a pile; then they [shared bread] on top of the pile. And thereafter, Laban said: 'This [pile of stones] is the witnesses between you and me today.' 47 And Laban called it The [Stone] Pile of Testimony, while Jacob referred to it as The Witness [Stone] Pile.
48 And Laban said to Jacob: 'Look at this pile and pillar that I've erected between you and me… this Witness [Stone] Pile and this [Stone] Pile of Testimony. We will call them, the [Stone] Pile Witnesses.'
49 And thereafter, [Laban] called this place, The Watchtower; for he said: 'May God keep watch over you and me, because we are about to leave each other. 50 But if you humble my daughters by taking women in addition to them, you will see that someone is with us who is watching. For God is the witness between you and me.'
51 Then Laban continued: 'Look! This pile of stones and this pillar are witnesses 52 that I won't come beyond this pillar to do anything bad to you, and you won't come [beyond this pillar] to me. 53 May the God of AbraHam and the God of NaHor judge between us!' Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father IsaAc, 54 and he offered a sacrifice on the mountain. He called his family together and they ate and drank, then they all went to sleep on the mountain. 55 And when Laban got up in the morning, he kissed his daughters and [their] sons and blest them, and then Laban turned around and went back to his home.
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