Genesis 31

Genesis Chapter 31 KJV

1Jacob is regarded with an evil eye by Laban and his sons; 3is commanded by God to return to his own land, and proposeth his departure to his wives. 17He removeth secretly with his family and substance; Rachel stealeth her father's images. 22Laban pursueth after him; is warned of God, and overtaking Jacob complaineth of the wrong. 31Jacob, ignorant of the theft, permitteth Laban to search for the images; Rachel's policy to hide them. 36Jacob's complaint of Laban. 43The covenant of Jacob and Laban: Laban returneth home.
1 And he heard 1the 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 all this 2glory.
2 And Jacob beheld 1the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him aas before.
3 And the 1Lord said unto Jacob, 2Return unto the 3land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be 4with thee.
4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath 1been with me.
6 And ye know that 1with all my power I have served your father.
7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten 1times; but God 2suffered him not to hurt me.
8 If he said thus, 1The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
9 Thus God hath taken away 1the 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 mine eyes, and saw 1in a dream, and, behold, the arams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
11 And 1the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
12 And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have 1seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13 I am the 1God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: 2now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto 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 hath 1sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For 1all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
17 ¶ Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon 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 Padan-aram, 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 aimages that were her father's.
20 And Jacob stole away unawares to aLaban 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 1set his face toward the mount Gilead.
22 And it was told Laban 1on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23 And he took 1his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
24 And 1God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, 2Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob aeither good or bad.
25 ¶ Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
26 And Laban said to Jacob, 1What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, 2as captives taken with the sword?
27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and asteal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away 1with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28 And hast not suffered me 1to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now 2done foolishly in so doing.
29 It 1is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the 2God of your father spake unto me 3yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen 1my gods?
31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because 1I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before 1our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into 1Leah'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 1Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban asearched all the tent, but found them not.
35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease 1my lord that I cannot 2rise up before thee; for 3the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
36 ¶ And Jacob 1was wroth, and chode 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?
37 Whereas thou hast asearched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? 1set it here before 2my brethren and 3thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats 1have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have 2I not eaten.
39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of 1my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
40 thus I was; 1in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41 Thus 1have I been twenty years in thy house; I 2served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages 3ten times.
42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and 1the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God 2hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee 3yesternight.
43 ¶ 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 what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?
44 Now therefore come thou, 1let us make a covenant, I and thou; 2and let it be for a witness between me and thee.
45 And Jacob took a 1stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46 And Jacob said unto his 1brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
47 And Laban called it aJegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it bGaleed.
48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called 1Galeed;
49 And aMizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.
50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, 1or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
52 1This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that 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.
53 The 1God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, 2judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware 3by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 Then Jacob aoffered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren 1to 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 1his sons and his daughters, 2and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.
Genesis 31