Genesis 31

1Jacob heard Laban’s sons’ words, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s. He has obtained all this wealth from that which was our father’s.”Cross-references: Gen 31:8 · Gen 45:13 · Esth 5:11 · Job 31:24 · Job 31:31 · Ps 17:14 · +14 more

2Jacob saw the expression on Laban’s face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.Cross-references: Gen 4:5 · Gen 30:27 · Ex 4:10 · Deut 19:4 · Deut 28:54 · 1Sam 18:9 · +2 more

3Yahweh said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”Cross-references: Gen 13:15 · Gen 21:22 · Gen 26:3 · Gen 26:24 · Gen 28:4 · Gen 28:13 · +14 more

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

5and said to them, “I see the expression on your father’s face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.Cross-references: Gen 21:22 · Gen 31:2 · Gen 31:13 · Gen 31:42 · Gen 31:53 · Gen 32:9 · +2 more

6You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.Cross-references: Gen 30:29 · Gen 31:38 · Eph 6:5 · Col 3:22 · Titus 2:9 · 1Pet 2:18

7Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn’t allow him to hurt me.Cross-references: Gen 20:6 · Gen 31:29 · Gen 31:41 · Lev 26:26 · Num 14:22 · Neh 4:12 · +8 more

8If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then all the flock bore streaked.Cross-references: Gen 30:32

9Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me.Cross-references: Gen 31:1 · Gen 31:16 · Esth 8:1 · Ps 50:10 · Prov 13:22 · Matt 20:15

10During mating season, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.Cross-references: Gen 20:6 · Gen 28:12 · Gen 30:39 · Gen 31:24 · Num 12:6 · Deut 13:1 · +1 more

11The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’Cross-references: Gen 16:7 · Gen 18:1 · Gen 18:17 · Gen 22:1 · Gen 31:5 · Gen 31:13 · +7 more

12He said, ‘Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.Cross-references: Gen 30:37 · Gen 31:42 · Ex 3:7 · Ex 3:9 · Lev 19:13 · Deut 24:15 · +5 more

13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”Cross-references: Gen 28:12 · Gen 31:3 · Gen 32:9 · Gen 35:7

14Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?Cross-references: Gen 2:24 · Gen 29:24 · Gen 29:29 · Ruth 4:11

15Aren’t we considered as foreigners by him? For he has sold us, and has also used up our money.Cross-references: Gen 29:15 · Gen 29:27 · Gen 30:26 · Gen 31:41 · Ex 21:7 · Neh 5:8

16For all the riches which God has taken away from our father are ours and our children’s. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do.”Cross-references: Gen 30:35 · Gen 31:9 · Ps 45:10

17Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,Cross-references: Gen 24:10 · Gen 24:61 · 1Sam 30:17

18and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.Cross-references: Gen 27:1 · Gen 27:41 · Gen 28:21 · Gen 35:27

19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep; and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father’s.Cross-references: Gen 31:30 · Gen 31:32 · Gen 31:34 · Gen 35:2 · Josh 24:2 · Judg 17:4 · +5 more

20Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn’t tell him that he was running away.

21So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.Cross-references: Gen 2:14 · Gen 15:18 · Gen 31:23 · Gen 37:25 · Gen 46:28 · Num 24:1 · +9 more

22Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.Cross-references: Gen 30:36 · Ex 14:5 · Job 5:12

23He took his relatives with him, and pursued him seven days’ journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.Cross-references: Gen 13:8 · Gen 24:27 · Ex 2:11 · Ex 2:13

24God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, and said to him, “Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.”Cross-references: Gen 20:3 · Gen 24:50 · Gen 28:5 · Gen 31:10 · Gen 31:29 · Gen 31:42 · +17 more

25Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.Cross-references: Gen 12:8 · Gen 33:18 · Heb 11:9

26Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?Cross-references: Gen 2:24 · Gen 3:13 · Gen 4:10 · Gen 12:18 · Gen 20:9 · Gen 26:10 · +8 more

27Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn’t tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;Cross-references: Gen 4:21 · Gen 24:59 · Gen 31:3 · Gen 31:20 · Gen 31:31 · Ex 15:20 · +3 more

28and didn’t allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly.Cross-references: Gen 29:13 · Gen 31:3 · Gen 31:13 · Gen 31:24 · Gen 31:55 · Ex 4:27 · +7 more

29It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’Cross-references: Gen 28:13 · Gen 31:24 · Gen 31:42 · Gen 31:53 · Josh 24:2 · 2Ki 19:10 · +8 more

30Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father’s house, but why have you stolen my gods?”Cross-references: Gen 31:19 · Ex 12:12 · Num 33:4 · Judg 6:31 · Judg 18:24 · 1Sam 5:2 · +5 more

31Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.’Cross-references: Gen 20:11 · Gen 31:26 · Prov 29:25

32Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it.” For Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen them.Cross-references: Gen 13:8 · Gen 19:7 · Gen 30:33 · Gen 31:19 · Gen 31:23 · Gen 31:30 · +5 more

33Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn’t find them. He went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.Cross-references: Gen 24:28 · Gen 24:67

34Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt around all the tent, but didn’t find them.Cross-references: Gen 31:17 · Gen 31:19

35She said to her father, “Don’t let my lord be angry that I can’t rise up before you; for I’m having my period.” He searched, but didn’t find the teraphim.Cross-references: Gen 18:11 · Ex 20:12 · Lev 15:19 · Lev 19:3 · Lev 19:32 · 1Ki 2:19 · +3 more

36Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?Cross-references: Gen 30:2 · Gen 34:7 · Gen 49:7 · Num 16:15 · 2Ki 5:11 · 2Ki 13:19 · +4 more

37Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.Cross-references: Gen 31:32 · Josh 7:23 · 1Sam 12:3 · Matt 18:16 · 1Cor 6:4 · 1Thess 2:10 · +3 more

38“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks.Cross-references: Gen 30:27 · Gen 30:30 · Ex 23:26 · Deut 28:4 · Ezek 34:2

39That which was torn of animals, I didn’t bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.Cross-references: Ex 22:10 · Ex 22:31 · Lev 22:8 · 1Sam 17:34 · Luke 2:8 · John 10:12

40This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.Cross-references: Ex 2:19 · Ex 3:1 · Ps 78:70 · Hos 12:12 · Luke 2:8 · John 21:15 · +2 more

41These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.Cross-references: Gen 29:18 · Gen 30:33 · Gen 31:7 · Gen 31:38 · 1Cor 15:10 · 2Cor 11:26

42Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”Cross-references: Gen 11:5 · Gen 16:11 · Gen 16:13 · Gen 27:33 · Gen 29:32 · Gen 31:5 · +11 more

43Laban answered Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine! What can I do today to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

44Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.”Cross-references: Gen 15:18 · Gen 21:22 · Gen 26:28 · Gen 31:48 · Gen 31:52 · Deut 31:19 · +5 more

45Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.Cross-references: Gen 28:18

46Jacob said to his relatives, “Gather stones.” They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.Cross-references: Gen 31:23 · Gen 31:32 · Gen 31:37 · Gen 31:54 · Josh 4:5 · Josh 4:20 · +3 more

47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.Cross-references: Heb 12:1

48Laban said, “This heap is witness between me and you today.” Therefore it was named GaleedCross-references: Gen 31:23 · Deut 2:36 · Deut 3:16 · Josh 13:8 · Josh 24:27

49and Mizpah, for he said, “Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.Cross-references: Judg 10:17 · Judg 11:11 · Judg 11:29 · 1Sam 7:5 · 1Ki 15:22 · Hos 5:1

50If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you.”Cross-references: Lev 18:18 · Judg 11:10 · 1Sam 12:5 · Jer 29:23 · Jer 42:5 · Mic 1:2 · +4 more

51Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

52May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.Cross-references: Gen 31:44 · Gen 31:48

53The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.Cross-references: Gen 11:24 · Gen 11:31 · Gen 14:22 · Gen 16:5 · Gen 17:7 · Gen 21:23 · +8 more

54Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.Cross-references: Gen 21:8 · Gen 26:30 · Gen 37:25 · Ex 18:12 · 2Sam 3:20

55Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.Cross-references: Gen 18:33 · Gen 24:60 · Gen 28:1 · Gen 30:25 · Gen 31:28 · Gen 31:43 · +11 more