Chapter 31 - Chapter 31

But after that he had heard the words of thesons of Laban, saying: Jacob hath taken awayall that was our father's, and being enriched byhis substance is become great.2 And perceiving also, that Laban's countenance was not towards him as yesterday and theother day.3 Especially the Lord saying to him: Returninto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred,and I will be with thee.4 He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into thefield, where he fed the flocks,5 And said to them: I see your father's countenance is not towards me as yesterday and theother day: but the God of my father hath beenwith me.6 And you know that I have served your fatherto the uttermost of my power.7 Yea your father hath also overreached me,and hath changed my wages ten times: and yetGod hath not suffered him to hurt me.8 If at any time, he said: The speckled shall bethy wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled:but when he said on the contrary: Thou shalttake all the white one for thy wages: all the flocksbrought forth white ones.9 And God hath taken your father's substance, and given it to me.10 For after the time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep, thatthe males which leaped upon the females were ofdivers colours, and spotted, and speckled.11 And the angel of God said to me in mysleep: Jacob. And I answered: Here I am.12 And he said: Lift up thy eyes, and see thatall the males leaping upon the females, are ofdivers colours, spotted and speckled. For I haveseen all that Laban hath done to thee.13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou didstanoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Nowtherefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into thy native country.14 And Rachel and Lia answered: Have weany thing left among the goods and inheritance40 Book of Genesisof our father's house?15 Hath he not counted us as strangers, andsold us, and eaten up the price of us?16 But God hath taken our father's riches, anddelivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore, do all that God hath commanded thee.17 Then Jacob rose up, and having set hischildren and wives upon camels, went his way.18 And he took all his substance, and flocks,and whatsoever he had gotten in Mesopotamia,and went forward to Isaac, his father, to the landof Chanaan.19 At that time Laban was gone to shear hissheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.20 And Jacob would not confess to his fatherin law that he was flying away.21 And when he was gone, together with allthat belonged to him, and having passed theriver, was going on towards mount Galaad,22 It was told Laban on the third day, thatJacob fled.23 And he took his brethren with him, andpursued after him seven days; and overtook himin the mount of Galaad.24 And he saw in a dream God, saying tohim: Take heed thou speak not any thing harshlyagainst Jacob.25 Now Jacob had pitched his tent in themountain: and when he, with his brethren, hadovertaken him, he pitched his tent in the samemount of Galaad.26 And he said to Jacob: Why hast thou donethus, to carry away, without my knowledge, mydaughters as captives taken with the sword?27 Why wouldst thou run away privately, andnot acquaint me, that I might have brought theeon the way with joy, and with songs, and withtimbrels, and with harps?28 Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sonsand daughters; thou hast done foolishly; and nowindeed,29 It is in my power to return thee evil; but theGod of your father said to me yesterday: Takeheed thou speak not any thing harshly againstJacob.30 Suppose thou didst desire to go to thyfriends, and hadst a longing after thy father'shouse: why hast thou stolen away my gods?31 Jacob answered: That I departed unknownto thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst takeaway thy daughters by force.32 But, whereas, thou chargest me with theft:with whomsoever thou shalt find thy gods, lethim be slain before our brethren. Search, and ifthou find any of thy things with me, take themaway. Now when he said this, he knew not thatRachel had stolen the idols.33 So Laban went into the tent of Jacob,and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, andfound them not. And when he was entered intoRachel's tent,34 She, in haste, hid the idols under thecamel's furniture, and sat upon them: and whenhe had searched all the tent, and found nothing,35 She said: Let not my lord be angry thatI cannot rise up before thee, because it hasnow happened to me according to the customof women. So his careful search was in vain.36 And Jacob being angry, said in a chidingmanner: For what fault of mine, and for whatoffence on my part hast thou so hotly pursuedme,37 And searched all my household stuff?What hast thou found of all the substance of thyhouse? lay it here before my brethren, and thybrethren, and let them judge between me andthee.38 Have I, therefore, been with thee twentyyears? thy ewes and goats were not barren, therams of thy flocks I did not eat:Book of Genesis 4139 Neither did I shew thee that which thebeast had torn; I made good all the damage:whatsoever was lost by theft, thou didst exact itof me:40 Day and night was I parched with heat, andwith frost, and sleep departed from my eyes.41 And in this manner have I served thee inthy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changedalso my wages ten times.42 Unless the God of my father, Abraham,and the fear of Isaac, had stood by me, peradventure now thou hadst sent me away naked: Godbeheld my affliction and the labour of my hands,and rebuked thee yesterday.43 Laban answered him: The daughters aremine, and the children, and thy flocks, and allthings that thou seest are mine: what can I doto my children, and grandchildren?44 Come, therefore, let us enter into a league;that it may be for a testimony between me andthee.45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up fora title.46 And he said to his brethren: Bring hitherstones. And they, gathering stones together,made a heap, and they ate upon it.47 And Laban called it, The witness heap; andJacob, The hillock of testimony: each of themaccording to the propriety of his language.48 And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and thee this day, and thereforethe name thereof was called Galaad, that is, Thewitness heap.49 The Lord behold and judge between us,when we shall be gone one from the other.50 If thou afflict my daughters, and if thoubring in other wives over them: none is witnessof our speech but God, who is present and beholdeth.51 And he said again to Jacob: Behold thisheap, and the stone which I have set up betweenme and thee,52 Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, andthe stone, be they for a testimony, if either Ishall pass beyond it going towards thee, or thoushalt pass beyond it thinking harm to me.53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge betweeen us.And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac:54 And after he had offered sacrifices in themountain, he called his brethren to eat bread.And when they had eaten, they lodged there:55 But Laban arose in the night, and kissedhis sons and daughters, and blessed them: andreturned to his place.