Genesis 31 - Introduction

1 Iacob vpon displeasure departeth secretly.

19 Rachel stealeth her fathers images.

22 Laban pursueth after him,

26 and complaineth of the wrong.

34 Rachels policie to hide the images.

36 Iacobs complaint of Laban.

43 The couenant of Laban and Iacob at Galeed.

1 And he heard the words of Labans sonnes, saying, Iacob hath taken away all that was our fathers; and of that which was of our fathers, hath hee gotten all this glory.

2 And Iacob behelde the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him [Note: Hebrew: as yesterday and the day before.] as before.

3 And the LORD said vnto Iacob, Returne vnto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I wil be with thee.

4 And Iacob sent and called Rachel and Leah, to the field vnto his flocke,

5 And said vnto them, I see your fathers countenance, that it is not toward mee as before: but the God of my father hath bene with me.

6 And yee know, that with all my power I haue serued your father.

7 And your father hath deceiued mee, and changed my wages ten times: but God suffered him not to hurt me.

8 If hee said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages, then all the cattell bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ring-straked shalbe thy hire, then bare all the cattell ring-straked.

9 Thus God hath taken away the cattell of your father, and giuen them to mee.

10 And it came to passe at the time that the cattell conceiued, that I lifted vp mine eyes and saw in a dreame, and behold, the [Note: Or, hee goates.] rammes which leaped vpon the cattell were ring-straked, speckled and grisled.

11 And the Angel of God spake vnto me in a dreame, saying, Iacob; And I said, Here am I.

12 And hee said, Lift vp now thine eyes, and see, all the rammes which leape vpon the cattell are ring-straked, speckled and grisled: for I haue seene

[Iacob fleeing, is pursued by Laban.]

all that Laban doeth vnto thee.

13 I am the God of Bethel, [Note: Genesis 28:18.] where thou annoyntedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow vnto mee: now arise, get thee out from this land, and returne vnto the land of thy kindred.

14 And Rachel and Leah answered, and said vnto him; Is there yet any portion or inheritance for vs in our fathers house?

15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold vs, and hath quite deuoured also our money.

16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our childrens: now then whatsoeuer God hath said vnto thee, doe.

17 Then Iacob rose vp, and set his sonnes and his wiues vpon camels.

18 And he caried away all his cattell, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattell of his getting, which hee had gotten in Padan Aram, for to goe to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

19 And Laban went to sheare his sheepe: and Rachel had stollen the [Note: Hebrew: Teraphim.] Images that were her fathers.

20 And Iacob stale away [Note: Hebrew: the heart of Laban.] vnawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

21 So hee fled with all that hee had, and he rose vp and passed ouer the Riuer, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

22 And it was tolde Laban on the third day, that Iacob was fled.

23 And hee tooke his brethren with him, and pursued after him seuen dayes iourney, and they ouertooke him in the mount Gilead.

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dreame by night, and saide vnto him, Take heed that thou speake not to Iacob [Note: Hebrew: from good to bad.] either good or bad.

25 Then Laban ouertooke Iacob. Now Iacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

26 And Laban said to Iacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stollen away vnawares to me, and caried away my daughters, as captiues taken with the sword?

27 Wherefore didst thou flie away secretly, and [Note: Hebrew: hast stollen me.] steale away from me, and didst not tell mee? that I might haue sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harpe,

28 And hast not suffered me to kisse

[Iacob fleeing, is pursued by Laban.]

my sonnes and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

29 It is in the power of my hand to doe you hurt: but the God of your father spake vnto mee yesternight, saying, Take thou heed, that thou speake not to Iacob either good or bad.

30 And now though thou wouldest needes bee gone, because thou sore longedst after thy fathers house; yet wherefore hast thou stollen my gods?

31 And Iacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peraduenture thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

32 With whomsoeuer thou findest thy gods, let him not liue: before our brethren discerne thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee: for Iacob knew not that Rachel had stollen them.

33 And Laban went into Iacobs tent, and into Leahs tent, and into the two maid seruants tents: but he found them not. Then went he out of Leahs tent, and entred into Rachels tent.

34 Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camels furniture, and sate vpon them: and Laban [Note: Hebrew: felt.] searched all the tent, but found them not.

35 And shee said to her father, Let it not displease my lord, that I cannot rise vp before thee; for the custome of women is vpon mee: and he searched, but found not the images.

36 And Iacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Iacob answered and said to Laban, what is my trespasse? what is my sinne, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

37 Whereas thou hast [Note: Hebrew: felt.] searched all my stuffe, what hast thou found of all thy houshold stuffe? set it here before my brethren, and thy brethren, that they may iudge betwixt vs both.

38 This twentie yeeres haue I bene with thee: thy ewes and thy shee goates haue not cast their yong, and the rammes of thy flocke haue I not eaten.

39 That which was torne of beasts, I brought not vnto thee: I bare the losse of it; of [Note: Exodus 22:12.] my hand didst thou require it, whether stollen by day, or stollen by night.

40 Thus I was in ye day, the drought consumed mee, and the frost by night, aud my sleep departed from mine eyes.

[Their couenant.]

41 Thus have I bene twentie yeres in thy house: I serued thee fourteene yeeres for thy two daughters, and sixe yeres for thy cattel; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the feare of Isaac had bin with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now emptie: God hath seene mine affliction, and the labour of my hands, & rebuked thee yesternight.

43 And Laban answered and said vnto Iacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattell are my cattell, and all that thou seest, is mine: and what can I doe this day vnto these my daughters, or vnto their children which they haue borne?

44 Now therefore come thou, let vs make a couenant, I and thou: and let it be for a witnesse betweene me and thee.

45 And Iacob tooke a stone, and set it vp for a pillar.

46 And Iacob saide vnto his brethren, Gather stones: and they tooke stones, and made an heape, and they did eate there vpon the heape.

47 And Laban called it [Note: That is, The heape of witnesse.] Iegar-Sahadutha: but Iacob called it Galeed.

48 And Laban said, This heape is a witnesse betweene mee and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed,

49 And [Note: That is, A beacon: or, watch tower.] Mizpah: for he said, The LORD watch betweene me and thee when we are absent one from another.

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wiues beside my daughters, no man is with vs; See, God is witnesse betwixt mee and thee.

51 And Laban said to Iacob, Behold this heape, and behold this pillar, which I haue cast betwixt me and thee.

52 This heape be witnesse, and this pillar be witnesse, that I will not passe ouer this heape to thee, and that thou shalt not passe ouer this heape, and this pillar vnto me, for harme.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, iudge betwixt vs. And Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaac.

54 Then Iacob [Note: Or, killed beasts.] offred sacrifice vpon the mount, and called his brethren to eate bread, and they did eate bread, and

[Iacobs prayer.]

taried all night in the mount.

55 And earely in the morning, Laban rose vp and kissed his sonnes, and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned vnto his place.