Genesis 31 NKJV ISV Parallel

◄ Genesis 31 ►

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1Now Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that was our father’s, and from what was our father’s he has acquired all this wealth.”

1Now Jacob used to listen while Laban's sons kept on complaining, "Jacob has taken over everything our father owns! He made himself wealthy from what belongs to our father!"

2And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed it was not favorable toward him as before.

2Jacob also noticed that the way Laban had been looking at him wasn't as nice as it had been just two days earlier.

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”

3Then the LORD ordered Jacob, "Go back to your father's territory and to your relatives. I'll be with you."

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

4Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was

5and said to them, “I see your father’s countenance, that it is not favorable toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

5and informed them, "I've noticed that the way your father has been looking at us hasn't been as nice as it was just two days ago. But my father's God has been with me.

6And you know that with all my might I have served your father.

6You know I've been serving your father with all my heart.

7Yet your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not allow him to hurt me.

7Even so, your father has cheated me. He broke our wage agreement ten times. However, God didn't allow him to harm me.

8If he said thus: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled. And if he said thus: ‘The streaked shall be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked.

8"When Laban said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flock gave birth to speckled ones. Then when he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' all the flock gave birth to streaked offspring.

9So God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.

9"So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me.

10“And it happened, at the time when the flocks conceived, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted.

10As it was, when it was time for the livestock to breed, I once looked up in a dream, and the male goats that were mating with the flock were producing streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring.

11Then the Angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, ‘Jacob.’ And I said, ‘Here I am.’

11"Later, the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, 'Jacob.' "'Here I am,' I replied

12And He said, ‘Lift your eyes now and see, all the rams which leap on the flocks are streaked, speckled, and gray-spotted; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.

12"'Look around!' he said. 'Go ahead, look! All the male goats have been mating with the flock, producing offspring that are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I've been watching everything that Laban has done to you.

13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and where you made a vow to Me. Now arise, get out of this land, and return to the land of your family.’ ”

13I am the God of Bethel, the place where you consecrated that stone and made a vow to me. Now get up, leave this territory, and return to your native land.'"

14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?

14Then Rachel and Leah asked him, "Do we have anything left of inheritance remaining in our father's house?

15Are we not considered strangers by him? For he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money.

15He's treating us like foreigners. He sold us and spent all of the money that rightfully belonged to us.

16For all these riches which God has taken from our father are really ours and our children’s; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.”

16Furthermore, all of the wealth that God has stripped away from our father belongs to us now and to our children. So do everything that God tells you to do."

17Then Jacob rose and set his sons and his wives on camels.

17So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels,

18And he carried away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had gained, his acquired livestock which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

18and drove all his livestock ahead of him, with everything that belonged to him, including the livestock that he had bought and accumulated in Paddan-aram, intending to deliver them to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father’s.

19Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father's personal idols.

20And Jacob stole away, unknown to Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee.

20Moreover, Jacob had deceived Laban the Aramean, because he had never told him that he was intending to leave.

21So he fled with all that he had. He arose and crossed the river, and headed toward the mountains of Gilead.

21Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river, and headed to the hill country of Gilead.

22And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

22Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left,

23Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead.

23so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob in the hill country of Gilead.

24But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

24That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, "Be careful what you say to Jacob, whether it's one word good or bad."

25So Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains, and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead.

25Meanwhile, Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, where Laban had caught up with him. Laban and his relatives encamped on that same mountain in the hill country of Gilead, too.

26And Laban said to Jacob: “What have you done, that you have stolen away unknown to me, and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?

26Then Laban asked Jacob, "What did you do? You deceived me, carried off my daughters like you would war captives,

27Why did you flee away secretly, and steal away from me, and not tell me; for I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with timbrel and harp?

27ran away from me secretly, and stole from me by not keeping me informed. Otherwise, I could have sent you off with a party and singing, accompanied by a band playing tambourines and harps.

28And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters. Now you have done foolishly in so doing.

28As it is, you didn't even allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've acted foolishly.

29It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’

29It's actually in my power to do some serious evil to you, but last night the God of your father told me, 'Be careful what you say to Jacob whether good or evil.'

30And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father’s house, but why did you steal my gods?”

30Now, you can go if you must go, because you certainly are longing to go to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?"

31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force.’

31"I was afraid," Jacob replied. "I thought you might take your daughters from me.

32With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live. In the presence of our brethren, identify what I have of yours and take it with you.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

32Now as to your gods, if you find someone has them in their possession, he's a dead man. Take our relatives as witnesses, search through our belongings, and take whatever belongs to you that's in my possession." But Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the two maids’ tents, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

33So Laban entered Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn't find them. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

34Now Rachel had taken the household idols, put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.

34Meanwhile, Rachel had taken the idols, placed them inside the saddle of her camel, and sat on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but found nothing.

35And she said to her father, “Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is with me.” And he searched but did not find the household idols.

35Then Rachel told her father, "Sir, please don't be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It's that time of the month." So Laban searched for the idols, but never did find them.

36Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?

36Then Jacob got angry and started an argument with Laban. "What have I done?" he demanded. "What's my crime that would cause you to come pursue me so violently?

37Although you have searched all my things, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my brethren and your brethren, that they may judge between us both!

37Now that you've searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives and we'll let them judge between us!

38These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

38Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I've been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock,

39That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it. You required it from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

39and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night.

40There I was! In the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from my eyes.

40As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.

41Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

41I've lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you changed my wages ten times.

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-handed. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night.”

42If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the God whom Isaac feared—had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty handed. But God saw my misery and how hard I've worked with my own hands—and he rebuked you last night."

43And Laban answered and said to Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and this flock is my flock; all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne?

43But Laban answered Jacob, "These women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and the children they have borne?

44Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”

44Come, let's make a covenant just between you and me. And let it serve as a witness between you and me."

45So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

45So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar.

46Then Jacob said to his brethren, “Gather stones.” And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there on the heap.

46Then Jacob told his relatives, "Go gather some stones." So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones.

47Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

47Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.

48And Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore its name was called Galeed,

48Then Laban said, "This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today." That's how the place came to be named Galeed.

49also Mizpah, because he said, “May the LORD watch between you and me when we are absent one from another.

49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, "May the LORD watch between you and me, when we are estranged from each other.

50If you afflict my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no man is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!”

50If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching us, keep in mind that God stands as a witness between you and me."

51Then Laban said to Jacob, “Here is this heap and here is this pillar, which I have placed between you and me.

51"Look!" Laban added, "Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I've set up between you and me.

52This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

52This stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm.

53The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us.” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.

53May Abraham's God and Nahor's god judge between us." So Jacob made an oath by his father's Fear,

54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.

54offered sacrifices there on the mountain, and called on his relatives to eat some food. So they ate the food and spent the night on the mountain.

55And early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his sons and daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.

55 Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home.

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