THE FIRST BOOK OF
MOSES,
called
G E N E S I S
Genesis 31 ©
Jacob, observing Laban’s envy, departs with all he has, by God’s command, and with the consent of his wives, without Laban’s knowledge, towards the land of Canaan, and Rachel steals her father’s idols, vs.1, etc. Laban, hearing of it, pursues Jacob, and overtakes him on Mount Gilead, where he is warned by God to deal friendly with him; nevertheless he taxes him sharply for this secret departure, and the stealing away of his idols, 22. Jacob excuses himself, and when Laban could not find his idols anywhere, Jacob rebukes him vehemently, upbraiding him with all the discourtesies he had suffered at his hands, 31. Howbeit, at last they make a covenant, between them and part from each other in peace, 44.
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 1all this glory.
And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him 2as before.
And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return 3unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and 4I will be with thee.
And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah 5to the field unto his flock,
And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but 6the God of my father 7hath been with me.
And ye know that with all my 8power I have served your father.
And your father 9hath deceived me, and changed my wages 10ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
11If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstrakeda shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to 12me.
And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw 13in a dream, and, behold, the 14rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and 15grisled.
And 16the 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 ringstraked,b speckled, and grisled:c for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
I am the 17God of Beth-el, whered thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return 18unto the land of thy kindred.
And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, 19Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
20Are we not counted of him strangers? for 21he hath sold us, and 22hath quite devoured also 23our money.
For 24all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our 25children’s: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
¶Then Jacob rose up, and set his 26sons and his wives upon camels;
And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, 27the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten 28in Padan-aram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen 29the images that were her father's.
And Jacob 30stole 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 31the river, and 32set his face toward the mount 33Gilead.
34And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
And he took his 35brethren with him, and pursued after him 36seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
And 37God came to Laban the Syrian 38in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either 39good or bad.
¶Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had 40pitched 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 41stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, 42as captives taken with the sword?
43Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and 44steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have 45sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret,e and with 46harp?
And hast not suffered me 47to 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 48good or bad.
And now, though 49thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou 50sore longedst after thy father's house, yet 51wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for 52I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from 53me.
With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren 54discern thou 55what 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 56camel’s furniture,f and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
And she said to her father, 57Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; 58for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
¶And Jacob was wroth, and chodeg with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, 59that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
Whereas thou hast searched 60all 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 61I 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.
Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep 62departed from mine eyes.
63Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years 64for thy cattle: and 65thou hast changed my wages ten times.
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and 66the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath 67seen mine affliction and the labour 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 68what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their 69children which they have born?
Now therefore come thou, let us 70make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
71And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
And Jacob said unto 72his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and 73they did eat there upon the heap.
And Laban called it 74Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it 75Galeed.
And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called 76Galeed;
And 77Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent 78one from another.
If thou shalt 79afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, 80no 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, 81that 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.
82The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware 83by the fear of his father Isaac.
Then Jacob 84offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat 85bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.
And early in the morning Laban rose up, and 86kissed his sons and his daughters, and 87blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.