31:1 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 obtained all this glory.
31:2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not towards him as before.
31:3 And the LORD said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
31:8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The ring- streaked shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore ring- streaked.
31:9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
31:10 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 upon the cattle were ring- streaked, speckled, and grizzled.
31:11 And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
31:12 And he said, Lift up now thy eyes and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ring-streaked, speckled, and grizzled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth to thee.
31:13 I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.
31:14 And Rachel and Leah answered, and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
31:15 Are we not counted by him strangers; for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also our money.
31:16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then whatever God hath said to thee, do.
31:17 Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives
31:18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gained, the cattle of his getting, which he had gained in Padan-aram; to go to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan.
31:20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was about to depart.
31:21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face towards the mount Gilead.
31:22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
31:23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey: and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
31:24 And God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
31:25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban, with his brethren, pitched in the mount of Gilead.
31:26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
31:27 Why 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 tabret, and with harp?
31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons, and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
31:29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
31:30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou didst earnestly long after thy father's house; yet why hast thou stolen my gods?
31:31 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, It may be thou wouldest take thy daughters from me by force.
31:32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethrendiscern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee: for Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
31:33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maid-servants' tents; but he found them not. Then he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
31:34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
31:35 And 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 found not the images.
31:36 And Jacob was wroth, and chid with Laban: and Jacob answered, and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so eagerly pursued after me?
31:37 Whereas 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 betwixt us both.
31:38 These 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.
31:39 That which was torn by beasts, I brought not to thee; I bore the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
31:40 Thus I was; in the day the drouth consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from my eyes.
31:41 Thus have I been twenty years in thy house: I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.
besides my daughters; no man is with us; See, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
31:51 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee;
31:52 This 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 to me, for harm.
