Genesis 31

Jacob Flees from Laban with His Family and Flocks

7 min read

1 And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s has 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 to Jacob, Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred; and I will be with you.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field to his flock,
5 And said to them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.
6 And you know that with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father has 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 your wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be your hire; then bore all the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus God has 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 my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped on the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
11 And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now your eyes, and see, all the rams which leap on the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted: for I have seen all that Laban does to you.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you vowed a vow to me: now arise, get you out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to 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 has sold us, and has quite devoured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God has taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatever God has said to you, do. ¶
17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on 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 brothers 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 to him, Take heed that you 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 brothers pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, What have you done, that you have stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
27 Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and did not tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28 And have not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? you have 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 spoke to me last night, saying, Take you heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 And now, though you would needs be gone, because you sore longed after your father’s house, yet why have you stolen my gods?
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure you would take by force your daughters from me.
32 With whomsoever you find your gods, let him not live: before our brothers discern you what is your with me, and take it to you. 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 on 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 you; for the custom of women is on me. And he searched but found not the images. ¶
36 And Jacob was wroth, and strived with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after me?
37 Whereas you have searched all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? set it here before my brothers and your brothers, that they may judge between us both.
38 This twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock have I not eaten.
39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not to you; I bore the loss of it; of my hand did you 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 my eyes.
41 Thus have I been twenty years in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle: and you have 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 you had sent me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night. ¶
43 And Laban answered and said to Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children which they have born?
44 Now therefore come you, let us make a covenant, I and you; and let it be for a witness between me and you.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said to his brothers, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there on 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 you this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;
49 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.
50 If you shall afflict my daughters, or if you shall take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and you.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and you:
52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you shall not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice on the mount, and called his brothers 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 to his place.
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