Genesis

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.

1Jacob heard what Laban's sons were saying. They said, "Jacob took everything our father had. All his riches came from our father's things."

2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

2Jacob also watched Laban's face. Laban was not friendly to him like before.

3And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Go back to the land of your family. I will be with you."

4And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

4So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah, his wives. He asked them to come out to the field where his animals were.

5And 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.

5He said, "I can see your father's face. He is not friendly to me like before. But my father's God has stayed with me."

6And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

6"You know how hard I have worked for your father. I gave him all my strength."

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

7"He tricked me. He changed my pay ten times. But God did not let him hurt me."

8If 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.

8"When he said, 'The spotted animals are your pay,' all the babies were born spotted. When he said, 'The striped ones are your pay,' all the babies were born striped."

9Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

9"So God took your father's animals and gave them to me."

10And 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.

10"When the animals were having babies, I had a dream. In it the male animals were striped, spotted, and speckled."

11And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

11"In the dream God's angel, his messenger, called me. He said, 'Jacob!' I said, 'I am here.'"

12And 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.

12"He said, 'Look up. All the males are striped, spotted, and speckled. I have seen everything Laban has done to you.'"

13I 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.

13"'I am the God of Bethel. That is where you poured oil on a stone and made a promise to me. Now get up. Leave this land and go back to your own family.'"

14And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

14Rachel and Leah answered him. They said, "Is anything left for us in our father's house? No, nothing."

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

15"He treats us like strangers, not like daughters. He sold us. Then he used up all the money."

16For 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.

16"All the riches God took from our father belong to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you."

17Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

17Then Jacob got ready. He put his children and his wives on camels.

18And 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.

18He took all his animals and everything he owned. He had gotten it all in Padanaram. He set out for Canaan, to see his father Isaac.

19And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s.

19Laban had gone away to cut the wool off his sheep. While he was gone, Rachel stole his little statues of gods.

NoteThe KJV calls them "images." They were small statues of family gods that people kept in their homes.

20And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

20Jacob did not tell Laban the Syrian that he was leaving. He slipped away in secret.

21So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.

21Jacob ran away with everything he had. He crossed the big river and headed for the hills of Gilead.

22And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

22Three days later, someone told Laban that Jacob had run away.

23And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

23Laban took his relatives and chased Jacob. They followed for seven days. They caught up with him in the hills of Gilead.

24And 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.

24That night God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream. God said, "Be careful. Do not say anything to Jacob, good or bad."

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

25Laban caught up with Jacob. Jacob's tent was set up in the hills. Laban and his relatives camped in those hills too.

26And 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?

26Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done? You tricked me. You took my daughters away like prisoners from a war."

27Wherefore 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?

27"Why did you run away in secret? Why didn't you tell me? I would have sent you off with singing and happy music, with drums and harps."

28And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

28"You did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. What you did was foolish."

29It 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.

29"I am strong enough to hurt you. But last night your father's God spoke to me. He said, 'Be careful. Do not say anything to Jacob, good or bad.'"

30And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

30"You wanted to go home to your father. I understand that. But why did you steal my gods?"

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

31Jacob answered Laban, "I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force."

32With 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.

32"But if you find your gods with anyone here, that person will not live. Look around while our relatives watch. If anything here is yours, take it." Jacob did not know that Rachel had taken them.

33And 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.

33Laban searched Jacob's tent, then Leah's tent, then the tents of the two servant women. He found nothing. Then he went into Rachel's tent.

34Now 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.

34Rachel had hidden the little statues inside her camel's saddle bag. She was sitting on top of it. Laban searched the whole tent and found nothing.

35And 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.

35Rachel said to her father, "Please do not be angry, sir. I cannot stand up for you. I am having my monthly period." So he kept looking, but he did not find the statues.

NoteThe KJV says "the custom of women is upon me." That means her monthly period, the bleeding that grown women have.

36And 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?

36Now Jacob was angry. He argued with Laban. He said, "What did I do wrong? What is my sin? Why did you chase me so hard?"

37Whereas 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.

37"You have searched all my things. Did you find anything of yours? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine. Let them decide who is right."

38This 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.

38"I have been with you twenty years. Your sheep and goats never lost their babies. I never ate one of your rams."

39That 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.

39"When a wild animal killed one, I did not bring it to you. I paid for it myself. You made me pay for every animal stolen, day or night."

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

40"In the daytime the heat wore me out. At night I was cold. I could not even sleep."

41Thus 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.

41"I lived in your house twenty years. I worked fourteen years for your two daughters. I worked six more years for your animals. And you changed my pay ten times."

42Except 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.

42"My father's God was with me. He is the God of Abraham and the God Isaac feared. If God had not helped me, you would have sent me away with nothing. God saw my hard work and my trouble. Last night he told you that you were wrong."

NoteThe KJV says "the fear of Isaac." That was a name for God, the God Isaac respected and worshiped.

43And 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?

43Laban answered Jacob, "These daughters are mine. These children are mine. These animals are mine. Everything you see is mine. But what can I do today about my daughters and their children?"

44Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

44"So let us make a promise, you and I. It will stand as proof of what we said."

45And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

45So Jacob took a big stone and stood it up tall.

46And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

46Jacob told his relatives, "Bring stones." They brought stones and made a big pile. Then they ate a meal beside the pile.

47And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.

47Laban called the pile Jegarsahadutha. Jacob called it Galeed.

NoteBoth names mean "pile that remembers." Laban said it in his language, and Jacob said it in his.

48And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

48Laban said, "This pile of stones is proof of our promise today." That is why it was named Galeed.

49And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

49It was also called Mizpah. Laban said, "May the LORD watch over us both when we are apart."

50If 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.

50"You must not be unkind to my daughters. You must not marry other wives besides them. No one else is here to see. But God is watching us both."

51And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:

51Laban said to Jacob, "Look at this pile of stones. Look at this tall stone I set up between us."

52This 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.

52"They both stand as proof. I will not go past this pile to hurt you. You will not go past this pile and stone to hurt me."

53The 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.

53"May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us. He was the God their father knew." Jacob made his promise by the God his father Isaac feared.

54Then 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.

54Then Jacob gave an offering to God on the mountain. He asked his relatives to share a meal. They ate and stayed there all night.

55And 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.

55Early the next morning Laban got up. He kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and went back home.