Self-interpreting Bible

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Genesis 31

1Jacob is regarded with an evil eye by Laban and his sons; 3is commanded by God to return to his own land, and proposeth his departure to his wives. 17He removeth secretly with his family and substance; Rachel stealeth her father's images. 22Laban pursueth after him; is warned of God, and overtaking Jacob complaineth of the wrong. 31Jacob, ignorant of the theft, permitteth Laban to search for the images; Rachel's policy to hide them. 36Jacob's complaint of Laban. 43The covenant of Jacob and Laban: Laban returneth home.

1 AND he heard athe 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 bglory.

2 And Jacob beheld cthe countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him 1as before.

3 And the dLORD said unto Jacob, eReturn unto the fland of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be gwith thee.

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

    5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath hbeen with me.

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

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

    8 If he said thus, lThe 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.

    • l: Ge. 30:32
    • *: ringstraked-streaked, striped.

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

    10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw nin a dream, and, behold, the 2rams which leaped upon the cattle were *ringstraked, speckled, and *grisled.

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

    12 And 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 pseen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

    13 I am the qGod of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: rnow arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.

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

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

      16 For tall 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.

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

        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 go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

        • *: gotten-got, obtained.

        19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the 3images that were her father's.

        20 And Jacob stole away unawares to 4Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

        • 4: Heb. the heart of Laban.

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

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

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

        24 And xGod came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, yTake heed that thou speak not to Jacob 5either good or bad.

        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.

          26 And Laban said to Jacob, zWhat hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, aas captives taken with the sword?

          27 Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and 6steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away bwith mirth, and with songs, with *tabret, and with harp?

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

          29 It eis in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the fGod of your father spake unto me g*yesternight, saying, Take 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 hmy gods?

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

          32 With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before jour brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

          33 And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into kLeah'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.

          34 Now lRachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's *furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban 7searched all the tent, but found them not.

          • l: Ge. 31:19
          • *: furniture-equipment, harness.
          • 7: Heb. felt.

          35 And she said to her father, Let it not displease mmy lord that I cannot nrise up before thee; for othe custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

          36 ¶And Jacob pwas *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?

          37 Whereas thou hast 8searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? qset it here before rmy brethren and sthy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

          38 This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats thave not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have uI not eaten.

          39 That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of vmy hand didst thou *require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

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

          41 Thus xhave I been twenty years in thy house; I yserved thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages zten times.

          42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and athe fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God bhath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee c*yesternight.

          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, dlet us make a covenant, I and thou; eand let it be for a witness between me and thee.

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

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

            47 And Laban called it 9Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it 10Galeed.

            • 9: That is, The heap of witness, Chald. He. 12.1. , He. 12:1
            • 10: That is, The heap of witness, Heb.

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

            49 And 11Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

            50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, ior if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

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

              52 jThis 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.

              53 The kGod of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, ljudge betwixt us. And Jacob sware mby the fear of his father Isaac.

              54 Then Jacob 12offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren nto eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

              55 And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed ohis sons and his daughters, pand blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.