Chapter 31 of Genesis

Genesis

01:031:001 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 gotten all this glory.

01:031:002 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was
not toward him as before.

01:031:003 And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy
fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

01:031:004 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto
his flock,

01:031:005 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 been
with me.

01:031:006 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

01:031:007 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten
times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

01:031:008 If he said thus, The 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.

01:031:009 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given
them to me.

01:031:010 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived,
that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold,
the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked,
speckled, and grisled.

01:031:011 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob:
And I said, Here am I.

01:031:012 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 seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

01:031:013 I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and
where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from
this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

01:031:014 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet
any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

01:031:015 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and
hath quite devoured also our money.

01:031:016 For all 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.

01:031:017 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon
camels;

01:031:018 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.

01:031:019 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the
images that were her father's.

01:031:020 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he
told him not that he fled.

01:031:021 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.

01:031:022 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

01:031:023 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven
days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

01:031:024 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said
unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good
or bad.

01:031:025 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in
the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of
Gilead.

01:031:026 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?

01:031:027 Wherefore 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?

01:031:028 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters?
thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

01:031:029 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of
your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed
that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

01:031:030 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore
longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou
stolen my gods?

01:031:031 And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid:
for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy
daughters from me.

01:031:032 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live:
before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and
take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen
them.

01:031:033 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.

01:031:034 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.

01:031:035 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.

01:031:036 And Jacob was 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?

01:031:037 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.

01:031:038 This 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.

01:031:039 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare
the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether
stolen by day, or stolen by night.

01:031:040 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost
by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

01:031:041 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.

01:031:042 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear
of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now
empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my
hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

01:031:043 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?

01:031:044 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou;
and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

01:031:045 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

01:031:046 And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took
stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the
heap.

01:031:047 And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it
Galeed.

01:031:048 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee
this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

01:031:049 And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee,
when we are absent one from another.

01:031:050 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take
other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God
is witness betwixt me and thee.

01:031:051 And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this
pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:

01:031:052 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 unto me, for harm.

01:031:053 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their
father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his
father Isaac.

01:031:054 Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his
brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all
night in the mount.

01:031:055 And 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.

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End of Chapter 31 of Genesis [Holy Bible - Old Testament]

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