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Chapter 31
1 But after that he heard the words of the sons of Laban, saying: Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and being enriched by his substance is become great:
2 And perceiving also that Laban's countenance was not towards him as yesterday and the other day,
3 Especially the Lord saying to him: Return into the land of your fathers, and to your kindred, and I will be with you.
4 He sent, and called Rachel and Lia into the field, where he fed the flocks,
5 And said to them: I see your father's countenance is not towards me as yesterday and the other day: but the God of my father has been with me.
6 And you know that I have served your father to the utmost of my power.
7 Yea, your father also has overreached me, and has changes my wages ten times: and yet God has not suffered him to hurt me.
8 If at any time he said: The speckled shall be your wages: all the sheep brought forth speckled: but when he said on the contrary: you shall take all the white ones for your wages: all the flocks brought forth white ones.
9 And God has taken your father's substance, and given it to me.
10 For after that time came of the ewes conceiving, I lifted up my eyes, and saw in my sleep that the males which leaped upon the females were of diverse colors, and spotted, and speckled.
11 And the angel of God said to me in my sleep: Jacob? And I answered: Here I am.
12 And he said: Lift up your eyes, and see that all the males leaping upon the females, are of divers colors, spotted, and speckled. For I have seen all that Laban has done to you.
13 I am the God of Bethel, where you did anoint the stone, and make a vow to me. Now therefore arise, and go out of this land, and return into your native country.
14 And Rachel and Lia answered: Have we anything left among the goods and inheritance of our father's house?
15 has he not counted us as strangers and sold us, and eaten up the price of us?
16 But God has taken our father's riches, and delivered them to us, and to our children: wherefore do all that God has commanded you.
17 Then Jacob rose up, and having set his children 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 land of Chanaan.
19 At that time Laban was gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole away her father's idols.
20 And Jacob would not confess to his father in law that he was flying away.
21 And when he was gone, together with all that belonged to him, and having passed the river, was going on towards mount Galaad,
22 It was told Laban on the third day that Jacob fled.
23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days; and overtook him in the mount of Galaad.
24 And he saw in a dream God saying to him: Take heed you speak not any thing harshly against Jacob.
25 Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and when he with his brethren had overtaken him, he pitched his tent in the same mount of Galaad.
26 And he said to Jacob: Why have you done thus, to carry away, without my knowledge, my daughters, as captives taken with the sword.
27 Why would you run away privately and not acquaint me, that I might have brought you on the way with joy, and with songs, and with timbrels, and with harps?
28 You have not suffered me to kiss my sons and daughters: you have done foolishly: and now, indeed,
29 It is in my power to return you evil: but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed you speak not any things harshly against Jacob.
30 Suppose you did desire to go to your friends, and had a longing after your father's house: why have you stolen away my gods?
31 Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to you, it was for fear lest you would take away your daughters by force.
32 But whereas you charge me with theft: with whomsoever you shall find your gods, let him be slain before our brethren. Search, and if you find any of your things with me, take them away. Now when he said this, he knew not that Rachel had stolen the idols.
33 So Laban went into the tent of Jacob, and of Lia, and of both the handmaids, and found them not. And when he was entered into Rachel's tent,
34 She in haste hid the idols under the camel's furniture, and sat upon them: and when he had searched all the tent, and found nothing,
35 She said: Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before you, because it has now happened to me, according to the custom of women, So his careful search was in vain.
36 And jacob being angry, said in a chiding manner: For what fault of mine, and for what offense on my part have you so hotly pursued me,
37 And searched all my household stuff? What have you found of all the substance of your house? lay it here before my brethren, and your brethren, and let them judge between me and you.
38 Have I therefore been with you twenty years? your ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of your flocks I did not eat:
39 Neither did I show you that which the beast had torn, I made good all the damage: whatsoever was lost by theft, you did exact it of me:
40 Day and night was I parched with heat, and with frost, and sleep departed from my eyes.
41 And in this manner have I served you in your house twenty years, fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks: you have changed also my wages ten times.
42 Unless the God of my father Abraham, and the fear of Isaac had stood by me, peradventure now you had sent me away naked: God beheld my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked you yesterday.
43 Laban answered him: The daughters are mine and the children, and your flocks, and all things that you see are mine: what can I do to my children, and grandchildren?
44 Come therefore, let us enter into a league: that it may be for a testimony between me and you.
45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a title:
46 And he said to his brethren: Bring hither stones. And they gathering stones together, made a heap, and they ate upon it.
47 And Laban called it The witness heap: and Jacob, The hillock of testimony: each of them according to the propriety of his language.
48 And Laban said: This heap shall be a witness between me and you this day, and therefore the name thereof was called Galaad, that is, The witness heap.
49 The Lord behold and judge between us when we shall be gone one from the other.
50 If you afflict my daughters, and if you bring in other wives over them: none is witness of our speech but God, who is present and beholds.
51 And he said again to Jacob: Behold, this heap, and the stone which I have set up between me and you,
52 Shall be a witness: this heap, I say, and the stone, be they for a testimony, if either I shall pass beyond it going towards you, or you shall pass beyond it, thinking harm to me.
53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nachor, the God of their father, judge between us. And jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.
54 And after he had offered sacrifices in the mountain, he called his brethren to eat bread. And when they had eaten, they lodged there:
55 But laban arose in the night, and kissed his sons, and daughters, and blessed them: and returned to his place.