Genesis 31:29
New International Version
I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

New Living Translation
I could destroy you, but the God of your father appeared to me last night and warned me, ‘Leave Jacob alone!’

English Standard Version
It is in my power to do you harm. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

Berean Standard Bible
I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’

New American Standard Bible
It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’

NASB 1995
“It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’

NASB 1977
“It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’

Legacy Standard Bible
It is in my hand to do evil against you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Beware of speaking either good or evil to Jacob.’

Amplified Bible
It is in my power to harm you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to speak to Jacob, either good or bad.’

Christian Standard Bible
I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Watch yourself! Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I could do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me: ‘Watch yourself. Don’t say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

American Standard Version
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
It had come into my hands to do harm to you, and the God of your father said to me in the evening, ‘Beware, lest you speak with Yaquuv of good or for evil.’

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And now my hand has power to hurt thee; but the God of thy father spoke to me yesterday, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not evil words to Jacob.

Contemporary English Version
I could easily hurt you, but the God your father worshiped has warned me not to make any threats or promises.

Douay-Rheims Bible
It is in my power to return thee evil: but the God of your father said to me yesterday: Take heed thou speak not any things harshly against Jacob.

English Revised Version
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I have the power to harm you. Last night the God of your father said to me, 'Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.'

Good News Translation
I have the power to do you harm, but last night the God of your father warned me not to threaten you in any way.

International Standard Version
It's actually in my power to do some serious evil to you, but last night the God of your father told me, 'Be careful what you say to Jacob whether good or evil.'

JPS Tanakh 1917
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying: Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

Literal Standard Version
my hand is to God to do evil with you, but the God of your father last night has spoken to me, saying, Take heed to yourself from speaking with Jacob from good to evil.

Majority Standard Bible
I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’

New American Bible
I have it in my power to harm all of you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Take care not to say anything to Jacob!’

NET Bible
I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, 'Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.'

New Revised Standard Version
It is in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Take heed that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’

New Heart English Bible
It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.'

Webster's Bible Translation
It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

World English Bible
It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful that you don’t speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

Young's Literal Translation
my hand is to God to do evil with you, but the God of your father yesternight hath spoken unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself from speaking with Jacob from good unto evil.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laban Pursues Jacob
28But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing. 29 I have power to do you great harm, but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”…

Cross References
Genesis 24:50
Laban and Bethuel answered, "This is from the LORD; we have no choice in the matter.

Genesis 31:5
and he told them, "I can see from your father's countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me.

Genesis 31:7
And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me.

Genesis 31:24
But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, "Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad."

Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment."

Micah 2:1
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning's light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.


Treasury of Scripture

It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take you heed that you speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

the power.

Psalm 52:1
To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

John 19:10,11
Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? …

the God.

Genesis 31:42,53
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…

Genesis 28:13
And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;

Joshua 24:2,3
And Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods…

yesternight.

Genesis 31:24
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.

Take.

Acts 5:38,39
And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: …

Acts 9:5
And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

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Genesis 31
1. Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly.
19. Rachel steals her father's household gods.
22. Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong.
34. Rachel's plan to hide the images.
36. Jacob's complaint of Laban.
43. The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed.














(29) It is in the power of my hand.--This is the rendering here of all the versions, and is confirmed by Deuteronomy 28:32; Nehemiah 5:5; Micah 2:1; but Keil and Knobel wish to translate, "My hand is for God." This comes to the same thing in an impious way, as the sense would be," My hand is an El, a god, for me," and enables me to do what I will.

The speech of Laban is half true and half false. He would have wished not to part with Jacob at all, but to have recovered from him as much as he could of his property. But if he was to go, he would have liked outward appearances maintained; and, probably, he had an affection for his daughters and their children, though not so strong as to counterbalance his selfishness. His character, like that of all men, is a mixture of good and evil.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I have power to do
לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

you
עִמָּכֶ֖ם (‘im·mā·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

great harm,
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

but last night
אֶ֣מֶשׁ ׀ (’e·meš)
Adverb
Strong's 570: Yesterday, last night

the God
וֵֽאלֹהֵ֨י (wê·lō·hê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of your father
אֲבִיכֶ֜ם (’ă·ḇî·ḵem)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1: Father

said
אָמַ֧ר (’ā·mar)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to me,
אֵלַ֣י (’ê·lay)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

‘Be careful
הִשָּׁ֧מֶר (hiš·šā·mer)
Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

not to say
מִדַּבֵּ֥ר (mid·dab·bêr)
Preposition-m | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

anything to
עִֽם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

Jacob,
יַעֲקֹ֖ב (ya·‘ă·qōḇ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3290: Jacob -- a son of Isaac, also his desc

either good
מִטּ֥וֹב (miṭ·ṭō·wḇ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

or
עַד־ (‘aḏ-)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

bad.’
רָֽע׃ (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil


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OT Law: Genesis 31:29 It is in the power of my (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 31:28
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