Genesis chapter 31

English Standard Version

4So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5and said to them, "I see that your father does not regard me with favor as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me. 6You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times. But God did not permit him to harm me. 8If he said, ‘The spotted shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore spotted; and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped. 9Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me. 10In the breeding season of the flock I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream that the goats that mated with the flock were striped, spotted, and mottled. 11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’ 12And he said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see, all the goats that mate with the flock are striped, spotted, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now arise, go out from this land and return to the land of your kindred.’" 14Then Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father 's house? 15Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has indeed devoured our money. 16All the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."
New International Version

New American Standard Bible

1Now 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 made all this wealth.' 2And Jacob saw the attitude of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as it had been before. 3Then the Lord said to Jacob, 'Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.' 4So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field, 5and said to them, 'I see your father’s attitude, that it is not friendly toward me as it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6You know that I have served your father with all my strength. 7Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to do me harm. 8If he said this: ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock delivered speckled; and if he said this: ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock delivered striped. 9So God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. 10And it came about at the time when the flock was breeding that I raised my eyes and saw in a dream—and behold—the male goats that were mating were striped, speckled, or mottled. 11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob’; and I said, ‘Here I am.’ 12He said, ‘Now raise your eyes and see that all the male goats that are mating are striped, speckled, or mottled; for I have seen everything that Laban has been doing to you. 13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a memorial stone, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’?' 14Rachel and Leah said to him, 'Do we still have any share or inheritance in our father’s house? 15Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also entirely consumed our purchase price. 16Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has told you.'
43Then Laban replied to Jacob, 'The daughters are my daughters, the children are my grandchildren, the flocks are my flocks, and everything that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these daughters of mine or to their children to whom they have given birth? 44So now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and it shall be a witness between you and me.' 45Then Jacob took a stone and set it up as a memorial stone. 46Jacob said to his relatives, 'Gather stones.' So they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47Now Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed. 48Laban said, 'This heap is a witness between you and me this day.' Therefore it was named Galeed, 49and Mizpah, for he said, 'May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other. 50If you mistreat my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, although no one is with us, see, God is witness between you and me.' 51Laban also said to Jacob, 'Behold this heap and behold the memorial stone which I have set between you and me. 52This heap is a witness, and the memorial stone is a witness, that I will not pass by this heap to you for harm, and you will not pass by this heap and this memorial stone to me, for harm. 53The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.' So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac. 54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to the meal; and they ate the meal and spent the night on the mountain. 55Then early in the morning Laban got up, and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his place.
Christian Standard Bible

New Living Translation

King James Version

New King James Version

What does Genesis chapter 31 mean?

Genesis 31 is a long, eventful chapter that follows Jacob from his last days in a twenty-year career as Laban's servant. It ends with Jacob standing with his wives and children, as a free man, in the borderlands of the promised land of Canaan. It's not a smooth transition, though, and this chapter details several controversies.

This chapter begins with two revelations. First, Jacob learns that Laban's sons are dangerously angry with him for taking such a large portion of Laban's profits, their future inheritance. Worse, Jacob hears that he has lost the favor of Laban himself. Second, God speaks to Jacob once more and commands him to return to his own people in Canaan. God promises to be with him (Genesis 31:1–3).

Jacob knows he must leave. He is afraid, though. What if his wives, Laban's daughters, don't want to go? What if Laban won't let him go? He immediately sends for his wives to see if they will support the move. He makes his case: Laban no longer favors him. Even after twenty years of faithful service, Laban continually cheats him. Rachel and Leah agree, despite their longstanding rivalry. They describe their decision bitterly, in financial terms. They won't get any inheritance from Laban, anyway. They'll go with Jacob (Genesis 31:4–16).

Next, Jacob decides to skip any confrontation with Laban. In the past, Laban has talked Jacob into seemingly terrible agreements, though God has blessed Jacob even in those circumstances. Worse, Jacob is concerned that Laban may forbid Jacob to leave with all the people and property that he sees as ultimately belonging to him. Jacob doesn't give Laban the chance to object. He just packs and leaves in a hurry (Genesis 31:17–21).

Three days later, Laban hears that Jacob is gone. He saddles up with his kinsman and gives chase, catching up with Jacob's large company in the hill country of Gilead. The confrontation will happen after all. Unexpectedly warned by God not to "say anything to Jacob, either good or bad," Laban may have moderated his words to Jacob. Instead of expressing his wrath, Laban sounds hurt. If Jacob had only told him he was leaving, Laban would have thrown him a party, or so he says. Laban speaks as if Jacob tried to steal Laban's chance to kiss his daughters and grandchildren goodbye. He understands that Jacob longed for his father's household, but why did Jacob steal Laban's house gods (Genesis 31:22–30)?

Jacob answers Laban honestly. He thought Laban would take his daughters, Jacob's wives, away by force. He also insists he did not take Laban's idols, not knowing that Rachel did exactly that. Jacob foolishly promises that anyone found with the idols will die. This puts his beloved wife's life at risk (Genesis 31:31–32).

Jacob allows Laban to search the camp. Due to Rachel's quick thinking, and deception, Laban finds nothing. Feeling righteously indignant, Jacob finally expresses all of his fury to Laban, not just about the idol search, but also about twenty years of shabby treatment in spite of Jacob's faithful service. Only God's protection and blessing has kept Jacob from leaving empty-handed to return to his own people (Genesis 31:33–42).

Laban disagrees. He still believes his daughters and their children and all that Jacob possesses belongs to him. Because Jacob's God has warned Laban, though, Laban won't fight for them. Instead, he offers an alternative both to protect himself in the future and to take control of the situation. He proposes a covenant that both men will swear never to cross over the point where they stand in order to do the other harm (Genesis 31:43–50).

Jacob agrees. The covenant is made and recognized with the building of a heap of stones, a sacrifice upon an altar, and the sharing of a meal. Finally, Laban rides off and Jacob turns to face his homeland as a free man (Genesis 31:51–55).

Still, this won't be the end of Jacob's worries as he heads home. When he fled, twenty years prior, it was to escape the murderous wrath of Esau, the older twin brother Jacob had cheated (Genesis 27:36; 27:41). Jacob might be free, but he's also heading towards a man who might still be looking for revenge. The next two chapters will show how this eventual meeting plays out.
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