Genesis Chapter 31

Genesis Chapter 31
1 Now he heard the words of Laban’s
sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all
that was our father’s, and of our father’s
goods hath he gotten all this honor. 2
Also Jacob beheld the countenance of
Laban, that it was not towards him as in
times past:
3 And the Lord had said unto Jacob,
Turn again into the land of thy fathers,
and to thy kindred, and I will be with
thee.
4 Therefore Jacob sent and called
Rachel and Leah to the field unto his
flock. 5 Then said he unto them, I see
your father’s countenance, that it is not
towards me as it was wont, and the God
of my father hath been with me. 6 And ye
know that I have served your father with
all my might. 7 But your father hath
deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times: but God suffered him not to hurt
me.
8 If he thus said, The spotted shall be thy
wages, then all the sheep bear spotted:
and if he said thus, the parti colored
shall be thy reward, then bear all the
sheep parti colored.
9 Thus hath God taken away your
father’s substance, and given it me. 10
For in ramming time I lifted up mine
eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the
he goats leaped upon the she goats, that
were parti colored with little and great
spots spotted.
11 And the Angel of God said to me in a
dream, Jacob. And I answered, Lo, I am
here.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes,
and see all the he goats leaping upon the
she goats that are parti colored, spotted
with little and great spots: for I have
seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou
anointedst the pillar, where thou
vowedst a vow unto me. Now arise, get
thee out of this country and return unto
the land where thou wast born.
14 Then answered Rachel and Leah, and
said unto him, Have we any more
portion and inheritance in our father’s
house?
15 Doth not he count us as strangers?
For he hath sold us, and hath eaten up
and consumed our money.
16 Therefore all the riches, which God
hath taken from our father, is our’s and
our children’s: now then whatsoever
God hath said unto thee, do it. 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 substance
which he had gotten, to wit, his riches,
which he had gotten in Padan-aram, for
to go to Isaac his father unto the land of
Canaan.
19 When Laban was gone to shear his
sheep, Then Rachel stole her father’s
idols.
20 Thus Jacob stole away the heart of
Laban the Aramite [Syrian]: for he told
him not that he fled.
21 So fled he with all that he had, and he
rose up, and passed the river, and set his
face toward mount Gilead.
22 And the third day after was it told
Laban that Jacob fled.
23 Then he took his brethren with him,
and followed after him seven days
journey, and overtook him at mount
Gilead.
24 And God came to Laban the Aramite
[Syrian] in a dream by night, and said
unto him, Take heed that thou speak not
to Jacob ought save good. 25 Then
Laban overtook Jacob, and Jacob had
pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban
also with his brethren pitched upon
mount Gilead.
26 Then Laban said to Jacob, What hast
thou done? Thou hast even stolen away
mine heart and carried away my
daughters as though they had been taken
captives with the sword.
27 Wherefore didst thou flee so secretly
and steal away from me, and didst not
tell me, that I might have sent thee forth
with mirth and with songs, with timbrel
and with harp?
28 But thou hast not suffered me to kiss
my sons and my daughters: now thou hast
done foolishly in doing so.
29 I am able to do you evil: but the God
of your father spake unto me yester night,
saying, Take heed that thou speak not to
Jacob ought save good. 30 Now though
thou wentest thy way, because thou
greatly longest after thy father’s house,
yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
31 Then Jacob answered, and said to
Laban, Because I was afraid, and thought
that thou wouldest have taken thy
daughters from me.
32 But with whom thou findest thy gods,
let him not live. Search thou before our
brethren what I have of thine, and take it
to thee, (but Jacob wist not that Rachel
had stolen them)
33 Then came Laban into Jacob’s tent,
and into Leah’s tent, and into the two
maid’s tents, but found them not. So he
went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into
Rachel’s tent.
34 (Now Rachel had taken the idols, and
put them in the camel’s litter and sat
down upon them) and Laban searched all
the tent, but found them not. 35 Then
said she to her father, My Lord, be not
angry that I cannot rise up before thee:
for the custom of women is upon me: so
he searched, but found not the idols.
36 Then Jacob was wroth, and chode
with Laban: Jacob also answered and
said to Laban, What have I trespassed?
What have I offended, that thou hast
pursued after me?
37 Seeing thou hast searched all my
stuff, what hast thou found of all thine
household stuff? Put it here before my
brethren and thy brethren, that they may
judge between us both.
38 This twenty years I have been with
thee: thine ewes and thy goats have not
cast their young, and the rams of thy
flock have I not eaten. 39 Whatsoever
was torn of beasts, I brought it not unto
thee, but made it good myself: of mine
hand didst thou require it, were it stolen
by day or stolen by night.
40 I was in the day consumed with heat,
and with frost in the night, and my sleep
departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus have I been twenty year in thine
house, and served thee fourteen years for
thy two daughters, and six years for thy
sheep, 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: but God beheld my
tribulation, and the labor of mine hands,
and rebuked thee yester night.
43 Then Laban answered, and said unto
Jacob, These daughters are my
daughters, and these sons are my sons,
and these sheep are my sheep, and all
that thou seest, is mine, and what can I
do this day unto these my daughters, or
to their sons which they have born?
44 Now therefore come and let us make
a covenant, I and thou, which may be a
witness between me and thee.
45 Then took Jacob a stone, and set it up
as a pillar:
46 And Jacob said unto his brethren,
Gather stones: who brought stones, and
made an heap, and they did eat there
upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,
and Jacob called it Galeed. 48 For
Laban said, This heap is witness
between me and thee this day: therefore
he called the name of it Galeed. Also he
called it 49 Mizpah, because he said,
The Lord look between me and thee,
when we shall be departed one from
another,
50 If thou shalt vex my daughters, or
shalt take wives beside my daughters:
there is no man with us, behold, God is
witness between me and thee.
51 Moreover Laban said to Jacob,
Behold this heap, and behold, the pillar,
which I have set between me and thee,
52 This heap shall be witness, and the
pillar shall be witness, that I will not
come over this heap to thee, and that
thou shalt not pass over this heap and
this pillar unto me for evil.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of
Nabor , and the God of their father be
judge between us: But Jacob swear by
the fear of his father Isaac. 54 Then
Jacob did offer a 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 departing, went
unto his place again.