JACOB WANTED TO RETURN TO HIS COUNTRY (31:1-16)

1After that Laban's sons were criticising Jacob. They said, “Jacob took all our father's animals. As a result of doing that he has many animals. They should be our father's.” Jacob heard about their critical words which they said.

2Laban didn't like him. Jacob knew that.

3After that God said to Jacob, “Go back to your father's country, to your own people, I will take care of you.” In that way God spoke to him.

4At that time Jacob was staying a long way away from his camp with his animals. After that Jacob sent a word to his two wives, Rachel and Leah, to come to him.

5As soon as they came he said to them, “Your father used to be good to me, now he is not. I know he does not like me. God has been taking care of me. He is the one who used to take care of my father, he has been taking care of me also.

6You two know about me, I worked for your father a long time.

7He lied to me many times about everything. God was preventing him from harming me.

8Your father said to me, 'You will keep the black sheep in response to that work you've done.' After that those sheep gave birth to black offspring. Your father told me, 'You will keep the goats with spots and stripes in response to the work done.' After that those goats gave birth to young with spots and stripes.

9God is the one who has been taking animals from your father, he has been giving them to me.

10At the time the animals mated I had a dream. In that dream I saw that the male goats with spots and stripes were mating with the females, the other males did not mate.

11In that dream God spoke to me, 'Jacob!' 'Yes, what?'

12'I am God. Earlier I appeared to you at Bethel. There you stood up that rock for a reminder, and you poured oil on it for me, you told me, “I will listen to you.” I have been watching you. I know about Laban, he has been deceiving you. Look at those animals. The male goats with spots and stripes are mating, the other males are not mating. Now listen to me. Leave this country, go back to your own country.' In that way God spoke to me.”

14Rachel and Leah listened to Jacob's word. They replied, “Our father will not give us anything from his.

15He regards us as strangers. Earlier he gave us to you in exchange for work. As a result of that he got lots of belongings. From that now he has not kept anything.

16God took the belongings from him, he has given them to you. Therefore those things whatever they are now belong to us two and our children. You listen to God. Do what he says to you.”

JACOB SECRETLY LEFT LABAN'S CAMP (31:17-21)

17After that Jacob got his belongings in preparation for leaving. He did not tell Laban. Laban had earlier gone from his camp to cut the wool from his sheep. While Laban was far away Rachel stole her father's carved ones like Dreamtime-Beings. After that Jacob got camels to carry his wives and children. He sent his animals ahead, sheep and goats and cattle and donkeys. Jacob and his wives (pl) and children left that camp of Laban's secretly. In this way he deceived his uncle. He went with fear straight towards the country Canaan.

21He crossed the big river, what's-its name, Euphrates. He kept on going towards the hilly country, towards what's-its-name, in Gilead.

LABAN FOLLOWED THEM RAPIDLY (31:22-25)

22After three days Laban heard Jacob had already gone.

23Laban got some men, after that they followed Jacob. They followed him for 7 days towards the hilly country, in what's-its-name, in Gilead.

24Partway along God spoke in a dream to Laban, “You just go to Jacob without fighting.”

25Jacob and his children and wives had already camped in the hilly country. Then Laban and his men arrived near to Jacob, they made camp nearby.

LABAN AND JACOB REBUKED EACH OTHER (31:26-44)

26Laban rebuked Jacob. “You deceived me. You took my two daughters, truly like two prisoners. Why did you do it like that?

27Why did you go secretly? You should have told me in preparation for your going. We could have eaten food, we could have danced and sung, we could have been happy. I could have sent you away happily.

28I could have hugged my daughters and grandchildren. Why did you prevent me, why did you take them without a word? Truly you did that deceptively.

29Since that is the way you behave I truly might do harm to you. But no. Your father used to listen to God. That same God spoke to me in the night, he told me, 'You just go to Jacob without fighting.' Because he spoke like that to me I will just let you off.

30You want to see your father. That's alright. Why did you steal my Dreamtime-Being-like things? That is very bad indeed!”

31Jacob replied, “I was thinking about you, you could have taken these two from me. I was afraid. Because of that I went secretly.

32I did not take your Dreamtime-Being-like things. Whoever of my mob took them, that person you should kill. Look at my possessions. Whatever you see of yours, point it out to us, to your men and mine. After that keep those for yourself.” Jacob did not know that Rachel in readiness to leave for Canaan secretly took her father's carved Dreamtime-Being-like-things. Because of that Jacob spoke in that way.

33After that Laban entered Jacob's tent. He was searching for those Dreamtime-Being-like things. He didn't see those things there. After that he was searching in Leah's tent, he didn't see them there either. After that he went into the tent of those two working women. Nothing, there also unsuccessfully he was searching for them. After that he went to Rachel's tent.

34Rachel had already hidden those Dreamtime-Being-like-things in a camel's saddle. After that she sat on that saddle. Her father was feeling around in Rachel's possessions, absolutely nothing, he did not see them.

35Rachel spoke to her father, “I cannot stand up, (I am) in our women's way. Please don't be angry with me, that I am sitting here.” In that way Laban was unsuccessfully searching for his Dreamtime-Being-like-things.

36Therefore Jacob then became angry with Laban, he rebuked his uncle. “I didn't do anything bad to you. Why did you pester me like that? What bad did I truly do to you?

37You thoroughly shifted and looked through all my belongings. What possessions did you see that were yours? If you saw them put them here. These men, yours and mine, will see them. They will say whose those things are.

38I stayed with you 20 whole years. I was taking care of your animals. In that time your sheep and goats stayed safe. They had many offspring. I did not eat your rams.

39When wild dogs would bite dead your goats and sheep I did not take those dead ones to show you. No. I put in my sheep and goats in replacement of those dead ones of yours. When other people secretly took yours in the day or night you used to ask me to put (mine) for those.

40Day after day I worked for you in the heat, many nights I truly stayed in the cold. Many times I stayed without sleep while I was caring for your animals.

41I stayed with you 20 years. I worked for you 14 years for those two women, your two daughters. After that I worked for you for 6 years to get animals for myself. In those 20 years you deceived me many times.

42You did not want to give me anything. God was taking care of me. He knows about me, I worked well for you, he knows about you, you made it hard for me. Therefore he rebuked you at night in a dream.” In that way Jacob spoke to him.

43After that Laban answered him, “These two are my children, those children of theirs are my grandchildren. Those animals and other things you kept are mine too. You look! These are mine only. Perhaps I might keep my daughters and their children. No, I am just letting them go with you.

44Yes. We two will talk to each other. Without hitting we will just stay, without hitting. We will heap up these stones in order to remind us.” In that way Laban spoke to him.

JACOB AND LABAN MADE A PROMISE TO EACH OTHER (lit. 'put down a word for each other') (31:45-55)

45Therefore Jacob got a big stone, he stood it up.

46Then he told his men, “You also get stones.” Truly they got them, they gathered them together near the big rock. After that they all ate food near that heap of rocks.

47Laban named that heap in his language, 'A heap for reminding'. Jacob also named it 'A heap for reminding' in his language.

48Laban said to Jacob, “This heap will remind us two of our word to each other.

49After we separate you will go to your country, I will return to mine. After that God will watch us two.” That is why they also named that place Mizpah. That name says, 'Watching-place'.

50Laban kept talking to him, “You might take other wives, you might leave these two daughters, you might hit them over there. I might not know. Listen to me. God is watching you.

51You see this big rock I stood up and this heap I made.

52Those stones will stay to remind us two about this promise we made. I will not go beyond this pile to fight you. You also will not come to fight me because of/for fear of this pile.

53One of us two might ignore this word, God will know about him. Our two paternal grandfathers, Abraham and Nahor, used to obey him. Perhaps I might ignore that word. In that case truly that same one, God, he will hit me. Perhaps you might ignore that word. In that case truly that same one, God, he will hit you.” Like that Laban spoke to Jacob. Jacob listened to Laban's word. He said to Laban, “That same God is the one my father Isaac used to obey, that God knows about me. I am keeping that word for you.”

54After that Jacob got one of his animals and killed it to give to God. He asked his men and Laban's to eat food with him. After eating they slept at that stone for the night.

55Early in the morning Laban got up from sleep. He hugged his grandchildren and his two daughters. After that he returned to his country.