Chapter 31 And he heard the words of Laban's son, 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.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as
before.
And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy
kindred, and I will be with thee.
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, 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, and ye know that with all my power I
have served your father.
And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times.
But God suffered him not to hurt me.
If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages, then all the cattle bear speckled.
And if he said thus, The ring-straked shall be thy hire, then bear all the
cattle ring-straked.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
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 ring-straked, speckled, and grizzled.
And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob.
And I said, Here am I.
And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the
cattle are ring-straked, speckled, and grizzled.
For I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
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.
And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or
inheritance for us in our father's house?
Are we not counted of him strangers?
For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
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.
Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels, and he carried away
all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten.
The cattle of his getting, which he had gotten and paid an heirom, for to go to
Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
And Laban went to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the images that were
her father's.
And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he
fled.
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.
And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey,
and they overtook him in the Mount Gilead.
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.
Then Laban overtook Jacob.
Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount, and Laban with his brethren pitched
in the mount of Gilead.
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?
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?
And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters?
Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
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.
And now, though thou wouldst needs be gone, because thou sore longest after thy
father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
And Jacob answered, and said to Laban, Because I was afraid.
For I said, Peradventure, thou wouldst take by force thy daughters from me,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
That which was torn of beasts, I brought not unto thee.
I bear the loss of it.
Of my hand didst thou acquire it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night?
Thus I was, in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night,
and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
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.
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 labor of my hands, and rebuked
thee yesternight.
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 borne?
Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it be for a
witness between me and thee.
Gather stones.
This heap is a witness between me and thee this day.
The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.
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.
And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast
betwixt me and thee.
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.
The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us.
And Jacob swear by the fear of his father Isaac.
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.
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.