Genesis 31

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Jacob learned that Laban's sons were saying, 'Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father;it is at our father's expense that he has acquired al this wealth,'	1 But afterwards, he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s, and being enlarged by his ability, he has become famous.”
2 and Jacob also saw that Laban's manner towards him was not as it had been in the past.	2 Likewise, he observed that Laban’s face was not the same toward him as it was yesterday and the day before.
3 Yahweh said to Jacob, 'Go back to the land of your ancestors, where you were born, and I shal bewith you.'	3 Most importantly, the Lord was saying to him, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your generation, and I will be with you.”
4 So Jacob had Rachel and Leah cal ed to the fields where his flocks were,	4 He sent and called for Rachel and Leah, in the field where he pastured the flocks,
5 and he said to them, 'I can see that your father's manner towards me is not as it was in the past, butthe God of my father has been with me.	5 and he said to them: “I see that your father’s face is not the same toward me as it was yesterday and the day before. But the God of my father has been with me.
6 You yourselves know that I have worked for your father with al my might,	6 And you know that I have served your father with all my strength.
7 and that your father has tricked me, changing my wages ten times over, and yet God has not al owedhim to harm me.	7 Even so, your father has circumvented me, and he has changed my wages ten times. And yet God has not permitted him to harm me.
8 Whenever he said, "The spotted ones will be your wages," all the animals produced spotted young;whenever he said, "The striped ones wil be your wages," al the animals produced striped young.	8 Whenever he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ all the sheep gave birth to speckled newborns. Yet truly, when he said the contrary, ‘You will take whatever is white for your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to white ones.
9 Thus God has reclaimed your father's livestock and given it to me.	9 And it is God who has taken your father’s substance and given it to me.
10 Once, when the animals were on heat, I suddenly saw in a dream that the he-goats covering thefemales were striped or spotted or piebald.	10 For after the time had arrived for the ewes to conceive, I lifted up my eyes, and I saw in my sleep that the males climbing on the females were of variegated, and spotted, and diverse colors.
11 In the dream the angel of God cal ed to me, "Jacob!" I said, "Here I am."	11 And the Angel of God said to me in my sleep, ‘Jacob.’ And I responded, ‘Here I am.’
12 He said, "Now take note: al the he-goats covering the females are striped or spotted or piebald -- forI too have noted all the things that Laban has been doing to you,	12 And he said: ‘Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males climbing on the females are variegated, spotted, and also speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured oil on a pillar and made a vow tome. On your feet, then, leave this country and return to the land of your birth." '	13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the stone and made a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and depart from this land, returning to the land of your nativity.’ ”
14 In answer Rachel and Leah said to him, 'Are we stil likely to inherit anything from our father's estate?	14 And Rachel and Leah responded: “Have we anything left behind among the resources and inheritance of our father’s house?
15 Does he not think of us as outsiders now? For not only has he sold us, but he has completelyswal owed up the money he got for us.	15 Has he not considered us as foreigners, and sold us, and consumed our price?
16 Al the wealth that God has reclaimed from our father belonged to us and our children in any case.So do whatever God has told you.'	16 But God has taken our father’s riches and handed these to us and to our sons. Therefore, do all that God has instructed you.”
17 Forthwith, Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,	17 And so Jacob rose up, and having placed the children and his wives upon camels, he went forth.
18 and drove off all his livestock -- with al the possessions he had acquired, the livestock belonging tohim which he had acquired in Paddan-Aram -- to go to his father Isaac in Canaan.	18 And he took all his substance and flocks, and whatever he had acquired in Mesopotamia, and he journeyed to his father Isaac, in the land of Canaan.
19 Laban was away, shearing his sheep; Rachel in the meanwhile had appropriated the household idolsbelonging to her father,	19 At that time, Laban had gone to shear the sheep, and so Rachel stole her father’s idols.
20 and Jacob had outwitted Laban the Aramaean so that he would not be forewarned of his flight.	20 And Jacob was not willing to confess to his father-in-law that he was fleeing.
21 Thus he got away with all he had. He was soon across the River and heading for Mount Gilead.	21 And when he had gone away with all such things that were justly his, and, having crossed the river, was continuing on toward Mount Gilead,
22 Three days later Laban was told that Jacob had fled.	22 it was reported to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.
23 Taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days and overtook him at Mount Gilead.	23 And taking his brothers with him, he pursued him for seven days. And he overtook him at Mount Gilead.
24 But God appeared to Laban the Aramaean in a dream that night and said to him, 'On no account sayanything whatever to Jacob.'	24 And he saw in a dream, God saying to him, “Beware that you not speak anything harsh against Jacob.”
25 Laban caught up with Jacob, who had pitched his tent in the hil s; and Laban pitched camp on MountGilead.	25 And now Jacob had pitched his tent at the mountain. And when he, with his brothers, had overtaken him, he set his tent at the same place at Mount Gilead.
26 Laban said to Jacob, 'What do you mean by outwitting me and then carrying off my daughters likeprisoners of war?	26 And he said to Jacob: “Why have you acted this way, departing from me in secret, with my daughters like captives of the sword?
27 Why did you flee in secret, stealing away without letting me know, so that I could send you on yourway rejoicing, with songs and the music of tambourines and harps?	27 Why would you want to flee without my knowledge and without telling me, though I might have led you forward with gladness, and songs, and timbrels, and lyres?
28 You did not even let me kiss my sons and daughters. You have behaved like a fool.	28 You have not permitted me to kiss my sons and daughters. You have acted foolishly. And now, indeed,
29 It is in my power to harm you, but the God of your father said to me last night, "On no account sayanything whatever to Jacob."	29 my hand has power to repay you with harm. But the God of your father said to me yesterday, ‘Beware that you not speak anything stern against Jacob.’
30 Now it may be you real y went because you had such a longing for your father's house, but why didyou steal my gods?'	30 It may be that you desired to go to your own, and that you longed for the house of your father. But why have you stolen my gods?”
31 Jacob answered Laban, 'I was afraid, thinking you were going to snatch your daughters from me.	31 Jacob answered: “I set out, unknown to you, because I feared that you might take away your daughters by violence.
32 But whoever is found in possession of your gods shall not remain alive. In the presence of ourbrothers, examine for yourself what I have, and take what is yours.' Now Jacob did not know that Rachel hadappropriated them.	32 But, since you accuse me of theft, with whomever you will find your gods, let him be slain in the sight of our brothers. Search; anything of yours that you will find with me, take it away.” Now when he said this, he did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 Laban went into Jacob's tent, and then into Leah's tent and the tent of the two slave-girls, but hefound nothing. He came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.	33 And so Laban, entering the tent of Jacob, and of Leah, and of both the handmaids, did not find them. And when he had entered the tent of Rachel,
34 Now Rachel had taken the household idols and put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting onthem. Laban went through everything in the tent but found nothing.	34 she quickly hid the idols under the camel’s bedding, and she sat upon them. And when he had searched the entire tent and found nothing,
35 Then Rachel said to her father, 'Do not look angry, my lord, because I cannot rise in your presence,for I am as women are from time to time.' Laban searched but did not find the idols.	35 she said: “Do not be angry, my lord, that I am unable to rise up in your sight, because it has now happened to me according to the custom of women.” So his careful search was thwarted.
36 Then Jacob lost his temper and took Laban to task. And Jacob said to Laban, 'What is my offence,what is my crime, for you to have hounded me like this?	36 And Jacob, being inflated, said with contention: “For which fault of mine, or for what sin of mine, have you become so enraged against me
37 You have gone through al my belongings; have you found anything belonging to your household?Produce it here in the presence of my brothers and yours, and let them decide between the two of us.	37 and searched all the items of my house? What have you found from all the substance of your house? Place it here before my brothers, and your brothers, and let them judge between me and you.
38 In al the twenty years I was under you, your ewes and your she-goats never miscarried, and I neverate rams from your flock.	38 For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.
39 Those mauled I never brought back to you, but bore the loss myself. You demanded compensationfrom me, whether the animal was stolen in daylight or at night.	39 Neither did I reveal to you what was seized by the wild beast. I replaced all that was damaged. Whatever was lost by theft, you collected it from me.
40 In the daytime the heat devoured me, and frost at night; I never had a good night's sleep.	40 Day and night, I was burned by heat and by frost, and sleep fled from my eyes.
41 It was like this for the twenty years I spent in your household. Fourteen years I slaved for you for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, since you changed my wages ten times over.	41 And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times.
42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, the Kinsman of Isaac, had not been with me, you wouldhave sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my plight and my labours, and last night he deliveredjudgement.'	42 If the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had not been close to me, perhaps by now you would have sent me away naked. But God looked kindly on my affliction and the labor of my hands, and he rebuked you yesterday.”
43 Laban replied to Jacob, 'These daughters are my daughters and these children are my children, thislivestock is my livestock: everything you see belongs to me. But what can I do today about my daughters here orabout the children they have borne?	43 Laban answered him: “My daughters and sons, and your flocks, and all that you discern are mine. What can I do to my sons and grandchildren?
44 So come, let us make a pact, you and me . . . , and let that serve as a witness between us.'	44 Come, therefore, let us enter into a pact, so that it may be a testimony between me and you.”
45 Jacob then took a stone and set it up as a memorial.	45 And so Jacob took a stone, and he set it up as a memorial.
46 Jacob said to his kinsmen, 'Col ect some stones,' and gathering some stones they made a cairn.They had a meal there, on the cairn, and	46 And he said to his brothers, “Bring stones.” And they, gathering together stones, made a tomb, and they ate upon it.
47 Laban cal ed it Jegar-Sahadutha while Jacob called it Galeed.	47 And Laban called it, ‘Tomb of Witness,’ and Jacob, ‘Pile of Testimony;’ each of them according to the fitness of his own language.
48 Laban said, 'May this cairn be a witness between us today.' That is why he named it Galeed,	48 And Laban said: “This tomb will be a witness between me and you this day.” (And for this reason, its name has been called Gilead, that is, ‘Tomb of Witness.’)
49 and also Mizpah, because he said, 'Let Yahweh act as watchman between us when we are nolonger in sight of each other.	49 “May the Lord consider and judge between us, when we will have withdrawn from one another.
50 If you il -treat my daughters or marry other women besides my daughters, even though no one bewith us, remember: God is witness between us.'	50 If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them, no one is a witness of our words except God, who understands beforehand.”
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Here is this cairn I have thrown up between us, and here the pil ar.	51 And again he said to Jacob. “Lo, this tomb and the stone that I have set up between me and you,
52 This cairn is a witness, and the pil ar is a witness, that I am not to cross to your side of this cairn andyou are not to cross to my side of this cairn and pillar, with hostile intent.	52 will be a witness. This tomb,” I say, “and the stone, they are for testimony, in case either I cross beyond it going toward you, or you cross beyond it thinking to harm me.
53 May the God of Abraham and the god of Nahor judge between us.' Then Jacob swore by theKinsman of his father Isaac.	53 May the God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Therefore, Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 He offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his kinsmen to the meal. They ate the meal, andpassed the night on the mountain.	54 And after he had immolated sacrifices on the mountain, he called his brothers to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there.
	55 In truth, Laban rose up in the night, and he kissed his sons and daughters, and he blessed them. And he returned to his place.