1 ¶ And he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s, he has gotten all this glory.

Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that our father had. He has become rich with what had belonged to our father.”

2 A nd Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

Jacob saw that Laban did not show him as much favor as he did before.

3 A lso the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to those of your family. And I will be with you.”

4 A nd Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his sheep

So Jacob called Rachel and Leah to come to his flock in the field.

5 a nd said unto 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.

He said to them, “I see that your father does not show me as much favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.

6 A nd ye know that with all my strength I have served your father.

You know that I have worked for your father with all my strength.

7 A nd your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

Yet your father has not been fair with me. He has changed my pay ten times. But God did not let him hurt me.

8 I f he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the sheep bore speckled; and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then all the sheep bore ringstraked.

If he said, ‘The animals that have spots will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with spots. If he said, ‘The animals with black marks will be your pay,’ then all the flock gave birth to young ones with black marks.

9 T hus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

So God has taken away your father’s animals and has given them to me.

10 A nd it came to pass at the time that the sheep conceived, that I lifted up my eyes and saw in dreams, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the females were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.

I had a dream at the time the flocks were mating. I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating with the female goats had black marks and spots.

11 A nd the angel of God spoke unto me in dreams, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’

12 A nd he said, Lift up now thine eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the sheep are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled; for I have seen all that Laban has done unto thee.

He said, ‘Look and see how all the male goats that are mating with the others have black marks and spots. For I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar and where thou didst vow a vow unto me. Now arise, go out from this land and return unto the land of thy nature.

I am the God of Bethel, where you set up a stone in honor to Me, and where you made a promise to Me. Now get up, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

14 A nd Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

Rachel and Leah answered him, “Do we still have any part or share in our father’s house?

15 A re we not counted of him strangers? For he has sold us and has even devoured all our price.

Does he not think of us as strangers? For he has sold us. And he has used all the money that was paid for us.

16 F or all the riches which God has taken from our father, is ours and our son’s; now then, whatever God has said unto thee, do.

All the riches that God has taken away from our father belong to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do.”

17 ¶ Then Jacob rose up and set his sons and his wives upon the camels;

Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels.

18 a nd he carried away all his livestock and all his goods which he had gotten, the livestock of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, to return unto Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

He took away all his animals, all the riches he had gathered and all the cattle he had gathered in Paddan-aram. And he left to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 A nd Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the idols of her father.

Laban had gone to cut the wool from his flock. And Rachel stole the gods of her father’s house.

20 A nd Jacob stole away the heart of Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he fled.

Jacob fooled Laban the Syrian by not telling him that he was going.

21 S o he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed the river and set his face toward Mount Gilead.

So he left with all he had. He went and crossed the Euphrates River, and turned toward the hill country of Gilead. Laban Follows after Jacob

22 A nd it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

But Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had gone.

23 T hen he took his brethren with him and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in Mount Gilead.

So he took the men of his family with him, and followed Jacob for seven days. He found him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 A nd God came to Laban the Aramean in dreams by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

But God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night. He said to him, “Be careful that you do not speak good or bad to Jacob.”

25 ¶ Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched in Mount Gilead.

Then Laban came to Jacob. Now Jacob had put up his tent in the hill country. Laban and the men of his family put up their tents in the hill country of Gilead.

26 A nd Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away my heart and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

Laban said to Jacob, “What do you mean by fooling me and carrying away my daughters as if they were taken by the sword?

27 W hy 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 tambourine and with harp?

Why did you leave in secret and fool me? Why did you not tell me, so I would have sent you away with joy and with songs and with sounds of joy on the timbrel and harp.

28 A nd hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

Why did you not let me kiss my grandchildren and daughters good-bye? Now you have been foolish.

29 I t is in the power of my hand to do you hurt, but the God of your father spoke unto me last night, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

I have the power to hurt you. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak good or bad to Jacob.’

30 A nd now, that thou art leaving, because thy desire is after thy father’s house, yet why hast thou stolen my gods?

Now you have gone away because you had a desire for your father’s house. But why did you steal my gods?”

31 A nd Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid; for I said, Peradventure thou would take by force thy daughters from me.

Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid you might take your daughters from me and make them stay.

32 W ith whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let them not live; before our brethren discern what is thine with me and take it to thee. For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

The one with whom you find your gods will not live. In front of those of our family, look for what I have that is yours, and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33 A nd Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and came to Rachel’s tent.

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two women who served Rachel and Leah. But he did not find his gods. Then he went from Leah’s tent into Rachel’s tent.

34 N ow Rachel took the images and put them in a camel’s saddle and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent but did not find them.

Now Rachel had taken the gods of Laban’s house and put them in the seat that was used on the camel’s back. And she sat upon them. Laban looked through the whole tent, but did not find them.

35 A nd 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 did not find the images.

She said to her father, “My lord, do not be angry that I cannot rise in front of you. For the way of women is upon me.” So he looked, but could not find the gods.

36 ¶ Then Jacob was wroth and contended 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?

Then Jacob became angry and argued with Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What have I done wrong? What is my sin that made you run after me?

37 W hereas 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 between us both.

What things of your house have you found by looking through all that belongs to me? Set it here in front of my brothers and your brothers, so they may judge between us.

38 T hese twenty years I have been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not aborted their young, and I have not eaten the rams of thy flock.

During these twenty years I have been with you, your female goats and sheep have not lost a young one. And I have not eaten the sheep of your flocks.

39 T hat which was torn of beasts I did not bring unto thee; I bore the sin; thou didst require of my hand that which was stolen, whether by day or by night.

I did not bring to you those that were torn by wild animals. I took the loss upon myself. You had me pay for what was carried away during the day or during the night.

40 B y day the drought consumed me, and by night, the frost; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

This is the way it was for me. I suffered from heat during the day, and from cold during the night. And I could not sleep.

41 T hus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

I have been in your house twenty years. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock. And you changed my pay ten times.

42 I f the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, were not with me, surely thou would send me away now empty. God has seen my affliction and the work of my hands and rebuked thee last night.

If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had not been with me, for sure you would have sent me away with nothing. God has seen my suffering and the work of my hands. So He spoke sharp words to you last night.”

43 ¶ And 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 unto their sons unto whom they have given birth?

Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters. The children are my children. And the flocks are my flocks. All that you see is mine. But what can I do today to these my daughters or to their children who were born to them?

44 N ow therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

So come now, let us make an agreement, you and I. And let us do something to show we have an agreement between us.”

45 T hen Jacob took a stone and set it up for a pillar.

So Jacob took a stone and set it up in honor of the agreement.

46 A nd Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones and made a heap; and they ate there upon the heap.

Then Jacob said to the men of his family, “Gather stones.” So they took stones and put them on top of each other. And they ate there by all the stones.

47 A nd Laban called it Jegarsahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

Laban gave the stones the name of Jegar-sahadutha. But Jacob gave them the name Galeed.

48 A nd Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

Laban said, “These stones are to stand for the agreement between you and me today.” So they were given the name Galeed.

49 a nd Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.

They were given the name of Mizpah also. For Laban said, “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are apart from each other.

50 I f thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee.

If you hurt my daughters, or if you take wives other than my daughters, no man may see it. But God sees what happens between you and me.”

51 A nd Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have raised up between me and thee;

Laban said to Jacob, “See these stones that have been set up between you and me.

52 l et this heap be witness and this pillar be witness that I will not pass over this heap against thee and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar against me, for harm.

These stones that have been set up will stand for our agreement. I will not pass by these stones to hurt you. And you will not pass by these stones to hurt me.

53 T he God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their fathers, judge between us. And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob promised by the fear of his father Isaac.

54 T hen Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount and called his brethren to eat bread; and they ate bread and slept in the mount.

Then Jacob gave a gift in worship to God on the mountain. Then he called his brothers to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed the night on the mountain.

55 A nd 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.

Laban got up early in the morning and kissed his grandchildren and daughters. He prayed that good would come to them. Then Laban left and returned home.