Genesis 31

Jacob Hears About Laban’s Attitude

1 Jacob heard Laban’s sons saying, ‘Listen, Jacob has been taking all our dad’s wealth and making himself rich!’

2 Jacob noticed that Laban was not feeling him like before. Dude was mad salty.

3 The Lord told Jacob, ‘It is time to head back home to your fam. Do not trip, I am with you.’

Jacob Plans His Escape

4 Jacob called Rachel and Leah out to the fields where his flocks were.

5 He said, ‘Look, your dad’s vibe is not the same with me anymore, but the God of my fathers got my back.’

6 ‘You all know how hard I have worked for your dad.’

7 ‘But your pops been playing me, switching up my pay ten times. Still, God did not let him mess me over.’

8 ‘If Laban said, The speckled animals are yours, God made the flocks have speckled babies. If he said, The striped ones are yours, God made striped babies.’

9 ‘God straight-up took your dad’s wealth and hooked me up with it.’

10 ‘One time in a dream, I saw the male goats mating, and they were all striped, speckled, or spotted.’

11 ‘Then the angel of God said to me, Jacob! And I was like, I am here.’

12 ‘He said, Look, all the goats mating are striped, speckled, or spotted. I am giving you everything because I have seen how Laban has been treating you.’

13 ‘He told me, I am the God of Bethel, where you made a vow. Now get up and bounce back to your homeland.’

Rachel and Leah Agree

14 Rachel and Leah said, ‘Do we even have any share in our dad’s stuff,’

15 ‘He treats us like strangers and sold us like property. Plus, he used up all the money from our bride price.’

16 ‘Whatever God took from our dad belongs to us and our kids. Let us do what God said.’

Jacob Dips Out

17 Jacob got his wives, kids, and everything he owned ready to bounce.

18 He took all his flocks and possessions and headed toward his dad Isaac’s land in Canaan.

19 Meanwhile, Rachel stole her dad’s household idols before they left.

20 Jacob did not tell Laban he was leaving, dude just ghosted him.

21 He crossed the Euphrates River and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

Laban Finds Out and Chases Jacob

22 Three days later, Laban found out Jacob had dipped.

23 Laban gathered his crew and chased Jacob down. It took him seven days to catch up in the hill country of Gilead.

24 But God came to Laban in a dream and said, ‘Watch yourself! Do not say anything good or bad to Jacob.’

Laban Confronts Jacob

25 Laban caught up with Jacob, who had pitched his tents in the hills. Laban set up camp nearby.

26 Laban said, ‘What is up with this sneak move, You took my daughters like they were hostages!’

27 ‘Why did you dip out without telling me, I would have sent you off with a party!’

28 ‘You did not even let me kiss my daughters and grandkids goodbye. That is messed up.’

29 ‘I could do you dirty right now, but your God told me in a dream not to say anything to you.’

30 ‘But for real, why did you steal my gods,’

31 Jacob said, ‘I bounced because I thought you would try to take your daughters from me by force.’

32 ‘As for your gods, whoever has them is a dead man. Check our stuff and see for yourself.’ (Jacob did not know Rachel had stolen them.)

Rachel Hides the Idols

33 Laban searched Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s, and then the tents of the two servants, but he did not find anything.

34 Rachel had hidden the idols in her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them.

35 When Laban came to search her tent, she said, ‘Sorry, Dad, I cannot get up, it is that time of the month.’ So he did not find the idols.

Jacob’s Rant

36 Jacob got heated and said, ‘What is my crime, What is my sin that made you chase me down?’

37 ‘You have searched all my stuff, find anything that belongs to you, Put it here in front of us and let everyone decide who is right.’

38 ‘I have been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never took one of your rams for food.’

39 ‘If something got attacked by wild animals, I replaced it myself. You made me pay for any losses, even if it was not my fault.’

40 ‘I worked in the heat during the day and froze at night, barely sleeping.

41 20 years I worked for you,14 for your daughters and 6 for your flocks. You changed my pay 10 times!’

42 ‘If God was not with me, you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God saw how hard I worked and how you treated me, so He called you out last night.’

Jacob and Laban Make a Treaty

43 Laban said, ‘Fine, everything here, my daughters, grandkids, and flocks, used to be mine, but let us make a treaty.’

44 ‘We will set up a witness between us.’

45 Jacob took a stone and set it up as a marker.

46 Then he told his family, ‘Gather stones.’ They piled them up, and everyone ate by the heap.

47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed (both mean ‘Witness Heap’).

48 Laban said, ‘This heap of stones is a witness between us today.’

49 He also called it Mizpah, saying, ‘May the Lord keep watch between us when we are apart.’

50 ‘If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, God will see it, even if I do not.’

51 ‘This pile of stones and marker are witnesses between us.’

52 ‘I will not cross this line to harm you, and you will not cross it to harm me.’

53 ‘May the God of Abraham and Nahor judge between us.’ Jacob swore by the God of his father Isaac.

54 Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited everyone to eat. They spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning, Laban kissed his daughters and grandkids, blessed them, and headed back home.