Genesis 31Book 1 of 66 · 55 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

Now Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth."
And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and indeed his attitude was not favorable toward him as before.
Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you."
So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah out to the field where his flock was.
And said to them, "I see your father's attitude, that it is not favorable toward me as before, but the God of my father has been with me."
And you know that I have worked for your father with all my strength.
Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me.
If 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.
So God has taken away your father's livestock and given them to me.
And it happened at the time when the flocks were mating, that I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped upon the flocks were streaked, speckled, and spotted.
Then the Angel of God said to me in the dream, "Jacob," and I replied, "Here I am."
And He said, Lift your eyes now and see, all the male goats which mate with the flock are streaked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.
I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a vow to Me. Now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.
Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there still any portion or inheritance left for us in our father's house?
Are we not regarded as strangers by him, for he has sold us and also completely devoured our money.
For all these riches which God has taken away from our father are really ours and our children's; now then, whatever God has said to you, do it.
Then Jacob rose and put his children and his wives on camels.
And he drove away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had acquired, the livestock in his possession which he had gained in Padan Aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
Now Laban had gone to shear his flock, and Rachel had stolen the household idols that were her father's.
And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee.
So he fled with all that he had, and he arose and crossed the Euphrates, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.
And Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.
Then he took his relatives with him and pursued him for seven days' journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.
But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and warned him, "Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad."
So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched in the hill country of Gilead.
And Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have deceived me and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword?"
Why did you flee away secretly and deceive me, and not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with tambourine and harp?
And you did not allow me to kiss my grandchildren and my daughters farewell, so you have acted foolishly in doing this.
It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father appeared to me last night, saying, 'Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.'
And now you have surely gone because you longed intensely for your father's house, but why did you steal my gods?
Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force."
With whomever you find your gods, do not let him live; in the presence of our relatives point out what I have of yours and take it with you, for Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.
And Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.
Now Rachel had taken the household idols, hidden them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them, and Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them.
And she said to her father, "Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me." So he searched but did not find the household idols.
Then Jacob became angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob said to Laban, "What is my offense, what is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?"
Although you have searched through all my goods, what part of your household things have you found? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us both!
These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten a single ram of your flock.
That which was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You demanded payment from my hand, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.
There I was—by day the scorching heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.
These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times.
Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God has seen my affliction and the hard work of my hands, and rebuked you last night.
Then 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 for these my daughters or for their children whom they have borne?"
Now therefore, come, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.
So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.
Then Jacob said to his kinsmen, "Gather stones." And they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap.
Laban named it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.
And Laban declared, "This heap is a witness between you and me this day." Therefore its name was called Galeed.
Also Mizpah, because he said, "May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are out of sight of one another."
If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take other wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us—see, God is witness between you and me!
Then Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap and this monument which I have set between you and me.
This 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, to do harm.
The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their father judge between us." So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.
Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and called his kinsmen to eat a meal, and they ate and spent the night on the mountain.
Early in the morning Laban arose, and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them, then Laban departed and returned home to his place.