Holy Bible
(King James Version)
Genesis:
Chapter 31
1. AND he
heard the 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 glory.
2. And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not
toward him as before.
3. And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers,
and to thy kindred; and I will be with 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 been with me.
6. And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
7. And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but
God suffered him not to hurt me.
8. If he said thus, The 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.
9. Thus God hath taken away the 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 in a dream, and, behold, the rams which
leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
11. And the 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
seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
13. I am the God of Beth-el, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where
thou vowedst a vow unto me: now 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 sold us, and hath
quite devoured also our money.
16. For all 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 Pa-dan-ar-am,
for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Ca-an-an.
19. And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images
that were her father's.
20. And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told
him not that he fled.
21. So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up; and passed over the
river, and set his face toward the mount Gil-e-ad.
22. And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
23. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days'
journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gil-e-ad.
24. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto
him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either 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 Gil-e-ad.
26. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen
away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken
with the sword?
27. Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and
didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with
songs, with tabret, and with harp?
28. And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast
now done foolishly in so doing.
29. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your
father spake unto me 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 my
gods?
31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I
said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
32. With whomsoever thou findest thou gods, let him not live: before our
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 Leah'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 Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's
furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the
tent, but found them not.
35. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I
cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me.
And he searched, but found not the images.
36. And Jacob was 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 searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all
thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren,
that they may judge betwixt us both.
38. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats
have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.
39. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the
loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or
stolen by night.
40. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by
night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
41. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen
years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast
changed my wages ten times.
42. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of
Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty.
God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked
thee 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, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let
it be for a witness between me and thee.
45. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.
46. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took
stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.
47. And Laban called it Je-gar-sa-ha-du-tha: but Jacob called it Ga-leed.
48. And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day.
Therefore was the name of it called Ga-leed.
49. And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we
are absent one from another.
50. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or 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. This 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 God of Abraham, and the God of Na-hor, the God of their father,
judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.
54. Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren
to 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 his sons and his
daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his
place.
Jan. 13 Daily reading schedule.. go to chapter 32
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Art by: Penny Parker
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