(KJV) Genesis 31¹

<< Genesis 30

Genesis 32 >>

⥃Jacob Flees from Laban

[1] And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob² hath taken away all that [was] our father’s; and of [that] which [was] our father’s hath he gotten all this glory³. [2] And Jacob beheld the countenance⁴ of Laban, and, behold, it [was⁵] not toward him as before⁶. [3] And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return⁷ unto the land⁸ of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee⁹. [4] And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, [5] And said unto them, I see¹⁰ your father’s countenance, that it [is] not toward me as before; but the God¹¹ of my father hath been with me. [6] And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.¹² [7] And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times¹³; but God¹⁴ suffered him not to hurt me. [8] If 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.¹⁵ [9] Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.¹⁶ [10] And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream¹⁷, and, behold, the rams¹⁸ which leaped upon the cattle [were] ringstraked¹⁹, speckled, and grisled²⁰. [11] And the angel²¹ of God spake unto me in a dream, [saying], Jacob: And I said, Here [am] I²². [12] And he said, Lift up²³ now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle [are] ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen²⁴ all that Laban doeth unto thee. [13] I [am] the God²⁵ of Beth–el, where thou anointedst the pillar, [and] where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return²⁶ unto the land of thy kindred. [14] And Rachel²⁷ and Leah answered and said unto him, [Is there] yet any²⁸ portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? [15] Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us²⁹, and hath quite devoured also our money. [16] For all the riches which God³⁰ hath taken from our father, that [is] ours, and our children’s: now then, whatsoever³¹ God hath said unto thee, do.

[17] Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels³²; [18] And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padan–aram, for to go³³ to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. [19] And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images³⁴ that [were] her father’s. [20] And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban³⁵ the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled. [21] So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed³⁶ over the river, and set his³⁷ face [toward] the mount Gilead³⁸.

⥃Laban Pursues Jacob

[22] And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.³⁹ [23] And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.⁴⁰ [24] And God came to Laban the Syrian⁴¹ in a dream⁴² by night, and said unto him, Take heed⁴³ that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad⁴⁴.

[25] Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.⁴⁵ [26] And Laban said to Jacob, What⁴⁶ hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried⁴⁷ away my daughters, as captives [taken] with the sword? [27] Wherefore⁴⁸ didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me⁴⁹; and didst not tell me, that I⁵⁰ might have sent thee away with mirth⁵¹, and with songs, with tabret⁵², and with harp? [28] And hast not suffered me to kiss⁵³ my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly⁵⁴ in [so] doing. [29] It is in the power⁵⁵ of my hand to do you hurt: but the God⁵⁶ of your father spake unto me yesternight⁵⁷, saying, Take⁵⁸ thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. [30] And now, [though] thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, [yet] wherefore hast thou stolen my gods⁵⁹? [31] And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because⁶⁰ I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. [32] With whomsoever⁶¹ thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before⁶² our brethren discern thou what [is] thine with me, and take [it] to thee. For Jacob⁶³ knew not that Rachel had stolen them. [33] And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s⁶⁴ 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. [34] Now Rachel had taken⁶⁵ the images, and put them in the camel’s furniture⁶⁶, and sat upon them. And Laban searched⁶⁷ all the tent, but found [them] not. [35] And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord⁶⁸ that I cannot rise up⁶⁹ before thee; for the custom⁷⁰ of women [is] upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

[36] And Jacob was wroth⁷¹, 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? [37] Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set [it] here⁷² before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. [38] This twenty⁷³ years [have] I [been] with thee; thy ewes⁷⁴ and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams⁷⁵ of thy flock have I not eaten. [39] That which was torn [of⁷⁶ beasts] I brought not unto thee; I bare⁷⁷ the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, [whether] stolen by day, or stolen⁷⁸ by night. [40] [Thus] I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.⁷⁹ [41] Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen⁸⁰ years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times⁸¹. [42] Except⁸² the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear⁸³ of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen⁸⁴ mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked [thee] yesternight.

⥃Jacob’s Covenant with Laban

[43] And 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? [44] Now therefore come thou, let us⁸⁵ make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness⁸⁶ between me and thee. [45] And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.⁸⁷ [46] And Jacob said unto his brethren⁸⁸, Gather⁸⁹ stones; and they took stones, and made an heap⁹⁰: and they did eat there upon the heap. [47] And Laban called it Jegar–sahadutha⁹¹: but Jacob called it Galeed⁹². [48] And Laban said, This heap⁹³ [is] a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed⁹⁴; [49] And Mizpah⁹⁵; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. [50] If thou shalt afflict⁹⁶ my daughters, or if thou shalt take [other] wives beside my daughters, no man [is] with us; see, God⁹⁷ [is] witness betwixt me and thee. [51] And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold [this] pillar, which I have cast⁹⁸ betwixt me and thee; [52] This 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.⁹⁹ [53] The God of Abraham¹⁰⁰, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father¹⁰¹, judge¹⁰² betwixt us. And Jacob sware¹⁰³ by the fear¹⁰⁴ of his father Isaac. [54] Then Jacob offered sacrifice¹⁰⁵ upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat¹⁰⁶ bread, and tarried all night in the mount. [55] And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed¹⁰⁷ his sons and his daughters, and blessed¹⁰⁸ them: and Laban departed, and returned¹⁰⁹ unto his place.

<< Genesis 30

Genesis 32 >>