Genesis 31

1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, 'Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from our father's property he acquired all this wealth.'

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2So Jacob saw Laban's countenance, and indeed, it was not favorable toward him as before.

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3Then the Lord said to Jacob, 'Return to your father's land and to your family, and I will be with you.'

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4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field where the flocks were,

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5and said to them, 'I see your father's countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

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6Now you know that with all my might I served your father.

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7Yet your father deceived me and changed my wages ten times with respect to the male lambs, but God did not allow him to harm me.

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8If he said thus, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flocks bore speckled. But if he said thus, 'The white shall be your wages,' then all the sheep bore white.

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9So God has taken away all your father's cattle and given them to me.

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10Now it came to pass, when the flocks conceived, I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats and the rams that were speckled, spotted, and ash-colored speckled were mating with the sheep and the goats.

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11Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob.' Thus I said, 'Here I am.'

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12So He said, 'Lift your eyes now and see, all the male goats and the rams mating with the sheep and the goats are speckled, spotted, and ash-colored speckled; for I have seen everything Laban is doing to you.

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13I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a vow to Me. Now then, arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your nativity, and I will be with you.' '

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14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, 'Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

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15Are we not considered strangers by him? For he sold us, and also completely consumed our money.

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16For all the riches and glory God has taken from our father are really ours and our children's; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.'

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17Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels.

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18And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions acquired in Mesopotamia, everything belonging to him, to go to his father Isaac in Canaan.

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19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen her father's idols.

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20But Jacob had hidden from Laban the Syrian his intention of running away.

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21So he fled with all that he had, and crossed the river, and headed for the mountains of Gilead.

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22Then Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

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23So he took all his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days' journey; and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.

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24But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, 'Be careful that you do not speak evil things to Jacob at any time.'

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25So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.

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26Then Laban said to Jacob, 'What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and robbed me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?

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27Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?

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28And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.

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29It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful that you do not speak evil things to Jacob at any time.'

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30Now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?'

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31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, 'Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Perhaps you would take your daughters and all my possessions from me by force.'

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32With whomever you find your gods, let him not live in the presence of our brethren. Identify what I have of yours and take it with you.' For Jacob did not know Rachel had stolen them.

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33Thus Laban went in and searched Leah's tent, but found nothing. Then he searched Jacob's and those of the handmaidens, but found nothing. Then he entered Rachel's tent.

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34Now Rachel had taken the idols, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them.

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35Then she said to her father, 'Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.' So he searched the entire tent but did not find the idols.

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36Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban, 'What is my injustice? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?

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37Although you searched all my things, what part of your household goods have you found? Set them here before my brethren and your brethren, so they may judge between us.

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38These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

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39That which was caught by wild animals I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of any stolen by day or by night.

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40There I was. In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.

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41Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times with respect to the female lambs.

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42Unless the God of my father Abraham and the fear of Isaac had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.'

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43Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, 'These daughters are my daughters, and these sons are my sons, and these sheep are my sheep; all you see belongs to me and my daughters. But what can I do for them today or for the children they bore?

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44Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.' Then he said, 'Look, there is no one with us. God Himself is witness between you and me.'

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45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

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46Then Jacob said to his brethren, 'Gather stones.' So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate and drank there on the heap; and Laban said to him, 'This heap is a witness between you and me today.'

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47Laban called it the Heap of Testimony, but Jacob called it the Witness Heap.

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48Then Laban said, 'This heap and this pillar are a witness between you and me this day.' Therefore its name was called This-Heap-Witnesses,

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49and also The Vision, because he said, 'May God watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

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50If you humble my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me.'

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51Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Listen, this heap and pillar are a witness.

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52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

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53The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor judge between us.' Thus Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

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54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren; and they ate bread and drank and stayed all night on the mountain.

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