1 A nd he heareth the words of Laban's sons, saying, `Jacob hath taken all that our father hath; yea, from that which our father hath, he hath made all this honour;'

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 seeth the face of Laban, and lo, it is not with him as heretofore.

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

3 A nd Jehovah saith unto Jacob, `Turn back unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I am 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 sendeth and calleth for Rachel and for Leah to the field unto his flock;

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

5 a nd saith to them, `I am beholding your father's face -- that it is not towards me as heretofore, and the God of my father hath 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 -- ye have known that with all my power I have served your father,

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

7 a nd your father hath played upon me, and hath changed my hire ten times; and God hath not suffered him to do evil with 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 ` If he say thus: The speckled are thy hire, then bare all the flock speckled ones; and if he say thus: The ring-straked are thy hire, then bare all the flock ring-straked;

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 a nd God taketh away the substance of your father, and doth give to me.

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

10 ` And it cometh to pass at the time of the flock conceiving, that I lift up mine eyes and see in a dream, and lo, the he-goats, which are going up on the flock, ring-straked, 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 messenger of God saith unto me in the dream, Jacob, and I say, Here I.

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

12 ` And He saith, Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see -- all the he-goats which are going up on the flock ring-straked, speckled, and grisled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to 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 the God of Bethel where thou hast anointed a standing pillar, where thou hast vowed a vow to me; now, arise, go out from this land, and turn back unto the land of thy birth.'

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 answereth -- Leah also -- and saith to him, `Have we yet a portion and inheritance in the house of our father?

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

15 h ave we not been reckoned strangers to him? for he hath sold us, and he also utterly consumeth our money;

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 wealth which God hath taken away from our father, it ours, and our children's; and now, all that God hath 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 A nd Jacob riseth, and lifteth up his sons and his wives on the camels,

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

18 a nd leadeth all his cattle, and all his substance which he hath acquired, the cattle of his getting, which he hath acquired in Padan-Aram, to go unto Isaac his father, to 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 hath gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stealeth the teraphim which her father hath;

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

20 a nd Jacob deceiveth the heart of Laban the Aramaean, because he hath not declared to him that he is fleeing;

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

21 a nd he fleeth, he and all that he hath, and riseth, and passeth over the River, and setteth his face the mount of 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 is told to Laban on the third day that Jacob hath fled,

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

23 a nd he taketh his brethren with him, and pursueth after him a journey of seven days, and overtaketh him in the mount of 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 cometh in unto Laban the Aramaean in a dream of the night, and saith to him, `Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good unto evil.'

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 A nd Laban overtaketh Jacob; and Jacob hath fixed his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren have fixed in the mount of 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 saith to Jacob, `What hast thou done that thou dost deceive my heart, and lead away my daughters as captives of 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 hast thou hidden thyself to flee, and deceivest me, and hast not declared to me, and I send thee away with joy and with songs, with tabret 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? -- now thou hast acted foolishly in doing;

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

29 m y hand is to God to do evil with you, but the God of your father yesternight hath spoken unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself from speaking with Jacob from good unto evil.

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 ` And now, thou hast certainly gone, because thou hast been very desirous for the house of thy father; 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 answereth and saith to Laban, `Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take violently away 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 -- he doth not live; before our brethren discern for thyself what with me, and take to thyself:' and Jacob hath not known that Rachel hath 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 goeth into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two handmaidens, and hath not found; and he goeth out from the tent of Leah, and goeth into the tent of Rachel.

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 A nd Rachel hath taken the teraphim, and putteth them in the furniture of the camel, and sitteth upon them; and Laban feeleth all the tent, and hath not found;

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 saith unto her father, `Let it not be displeasing in the eyes of my lord that I am not able to rise at thy presence, for the way of women on me;' and he searcheth, and hath not found the teraphim.

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 A nd it is displeasing to Jacob, and he striveth with Laban; and Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, `What my transgression? what my sin, that thou hast burned 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 f or thou hast felt all my vessels: what hast thou found of all the vessels of thy house? set here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and they decide 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 ` These twenty years I with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not miscarried, and the rams of thy flock I have not eaten;

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 he torn I have not brought in unto thee -- I, I repay it -- from my hand thou dost seek it; I have been deceived by day, and I have been deceived 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 I have been: in the day consumed me hath drought, and frost by night, and wander doth my sleep 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 ` This to me twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou changest my hire 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 u nless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now empty thou hadst sent me away; mine affliction and the labour of my hands hath God seen, and reproveth yesternight.'

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 A nd Laban answereth and saith unto Jacob, `The daughters my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the flock my flock, and all that thou art seeing mine; and to my daughters -- what do I to these to-day, or to their sons whom they have born?

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 a nd now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and it hath been 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 A nd Jacob taketh a stone, and lifteth it up a standing pillar;

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

46 a nd Jacob saith to his brethren, `Gather stones,' and they take stones, and make a heap; and they eat there on 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 calleth it Jegar-Sahadutha; and Jacob hath called it Galeed.

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

48 A nd Laban saith, `This heap witness between me and thee to-day;' therefore hath he called its name Galeed;

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

49 M izpah also, for he said, `Jehovah doth watch between me and thee, for we are hidden 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 afflict my daughters, or take wives beside my daughters -- there is no man with us -- see, God 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 saith to Jacob, `Lo, this heap, and lo, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and thee;

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

52 t his heap witness, and the standing pillar witness, that I do not pass over this heap unto thee, and that thou dost not pass over this heap and this standing pillar unto me -- for evil;

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, doth judge between us -- the God of their father,' and Jacob sweareth 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 A nd Jacob sacrificeth a sacrifice in the mount, and calleth to his brethren to eat bread, and they eat bread, and lodge 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 Laban riseth early in the morning, and kisseth his sons and his daughters, and blesseth them; and Laban goeth on, and turneth back to 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.