Genesis 31 ISV BSB Parallel

◄ Genesis 31 ►

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Berean Study Bible

1Now Jacob used to listen while Laban's sons kept on complaining, "Jacob has taken over everything our father owns! He made himself wealthy from what belongs to our father!"

1Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.”

2Jacob also noticed that the way Laban had been looking at him wasn't as nice as it had been just two days earlier.

2And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed.

3Then the LORD ordered Jacob, "Go back to your father's territory and to your relatives. I'll be with you."

3Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”

4Jacob sent for Rachel and Leah to come out to the field where his flock was

4So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

5and informed them, "I've noticed that the way your father has been looking at us hasn't been as nice as it was just two days ago. But my father's God has been with me.

5and 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.

6You know I've been serving your father with all my heart.

6You know that I have served your father with all my strength.

7Even so, your father has cheated me. He broke our wage agreement ten times. However, God didn't allow him to harm me.

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

8"When Laban said, 'The speckled ones will be your wages,' then all the flock gave birth to speckled ones. Then when he said, 'The streaked ones will be your wages,' all the flock gave birth to streaked offspring.

8If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring.

9"So God has taken away your father's livestock and has given them to me.

9Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me.

10As it was, when it was time for the livestock to breed, I once looked up in a dream, and the male goats that were mating with the flock were producing streaked, speckled, and spotted offspring.

10When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females.

11"Later, the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, 'Jacob.' "'Here I am,' I replied

11In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’

12"'Look around!' he said. 'Go ahead, look! All the male goats have been mating with the flock, producing offspring that are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I've been watching everything that Laban has done to you.

12‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you.

13I am the God of Bethel, the place where you consecrated that stone and made a vow to me. Now get up, leave this territory, and return to your native land.'"

13I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’ ”

14Then Rachel and Leah asked him, "Do we have anything left of inheritance remaining in our father's house?

14And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house?

15He's treating us like foreigners. He sold us and spent all of the money that rightfully belonged to us.

15Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us.

16Furthermore, all of the wealth that God has stripped away from our father belongs to us now and to our children. So do everything that God tells you to do."

16Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

17So Jacob got up, seated his children and wives on camels,

17Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels,

18and drove all his livestock ahead of him, with everything that belonged to him, including the livestock that he had bought and accumulated in Paddan-aram, intending to deliver them to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

18and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

19Meanwhile, Laban had been out shearing his sheep. While he was away, Rachel stole her father's personal idols.

19Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols.

20Moreover, Jacob had deceived Laban the Aramean, because he had never told him that he was intending to leave.

20Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away.

21Jacob fled, taking everything that he owned. He got up, crossed the river, and headed to the hill country of Gilead.

21So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.

22Three days later, somebody reported to Laban that Jacob had left,

22On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled.

23so he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob. Laban was on the road for seven days when he finally caught up with Jacob in the hill country of Gilead.

23So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24That night, God appeared to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, "Be careful what you say to Jacob, whether it's one word good or bad."

24But 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.”

25Meanwhile, Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain, where Laban had caught up with him. Laban and his relatives encamped on that same mountain in the hill country of Gilead, too.

25Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there as well.

26Then Laban asked Jacob, "What did you do? You deceived me, carried off my daughters like you would war captives,

26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried off my daughters like captives of war!

27ran away from me secretly, and stole from me by not keeping me informed. Otherwise, I could have sent you off with a party and singing, accompanied by a band playing tambourines and harps.

27Why did you run away secretly and deceive me, without even telling me? I would have sent you away with joy and singing, with tambourines and harps.

28As it is, you didn't even allow me to kiss my grandchildren and daughters goodbye! You've acted foolishly.

28But you did not even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. Now you have done a foolish thing.

29It'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.'

29I 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 can go if you must go, because you certainly are longing to go to your father's house. But why did you steal my gods?"

30Now you have gone off because you long for your father’s house. But why have you stolen my gods?”

31"I was afraid," Jacob replied. "I thought you might take your daughters from me.

31“I was afraid,” Jacob answered, “for I thought you would take your daughters from me by force.

32Now as to your gods, if you find someone has them in their possession, he's a dead man. Take our relatives as witnesses, search through our belongings, and take whatever belongs to you that's in my possession." But Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

32If you find your gods with anyone here, he shall not live! In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself if anything is yours, and take it back.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the idols.

33So Laban entered Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maid servants, but he didn't find them. Then he left Leah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

34Meanwhile, Rachel had taken the idols, placed them inside the saddle of her camel, and sat on them. Laban searched through the whole tent, but found nothing.

34Now Rachel had taken Laban’s household idols, put them in the saddlebag of her camel, and was sitting on them. And Laban searched everything in the tent but found nothing.

35Then Rachel told her father, "Sir, please don't be angry that I cannot stand up in your presence. It's that time of the month." So Laban searched for the idols, but never did find them.

35Rachel said to her father, “Sir, do not be angry that I cannot stand up before you; for I am having my period.” So Laban searched, but could not find the household idols.

36Then Jacob got angry and started an argument with Laban. "What have I done?" he demanded. "What's my crime that would cause you to come pursue me so violently?

36Then Jacob became incensed and challenged Laban. “What is my crime?” he said. “For what sin of mine have you so hotly pursued me?

37Now that you've searched all my belongings, what did you find that belongs to your house? Set it here in front of our relatives and we'll let them judge between us!

37You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us.

38Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I've been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock,

38I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

39and whatever was torn by beasts, I never bothered to bring to you. Instead, I bore the losses myself. Even so, you demanded that I provide restitution for anything that was stolen, whether during the day or the night.

39I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.

40As it was, I was attacked by drought during the day and by cold at night. I never got any decent rest.

40As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes.

41I've lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you changed my wages ten times.

41Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times!

42If the God of my father—the God of Abraham, the God whom Isaac feared—had not been with me, you would have sent me away empty handed. But God saw my misery and how hard I've worked with my own hands—and he rebuked you last night."

42If 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.”

43But Laban answered Jacob, "These women are my daughters. These children are my children. The flocks are mine. In fact, everything that you see belongs to me. But what would I do today to my daughters and the children they have borne?

43But Laban answered Jacob, “These daughters are my daughters, these sons are my sons, and these flocks are my flocks! Everything you see is mine! Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

44Come, let's make a covenant just between you and me. And let it serve as a witness between you and me."

44Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between you and me.”

45So Jacob took a stone and raised it as a pillar.

45So Jacob picked out a stone and set it up as a pillar,

46Then Jacob told his relatives, "Go gather some stones." So they picked up stones and stacked them one on top of the other. Then they had a meal together there by the stack of stones.

46and he said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and made a mound, and there by the mound they ate.

47Laban named the place Jegar-sahadutha, but Jacob named it Galeed.

47Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

48Then Laban said, "This stack will serve as a witness between you and me today." That's how the place came to be named Galeed.

48Then Laban declared, “This mound is a witness between you and me this day.” Therefore the place was called Galeed.

49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, "May the LORD watch between you and me, when we are estranged from each other.

49It was also called Mizpah, because Laban said, “May the LORD keep watch between you and me when we are absent from each other.

50If you mistreat my daughters or if you take other wives besides them, though no one is watching us, keep in mind that God stands as a witness between you and me."

50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51"Look!" Laban added, "Here is the stack of stones and here is the pillar that I've set up between you and me.

51Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is the mound, and here is the pillar I have set up between you and me.

52This stack is a witness, and so is this pillar, reminding me not to cross beyond this stack of stones, and reminding you not to pass by this stack in my direction, intending to cause harm.

52This mound is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this mound to harm you, and you will not go past this mound and pillar to harm me.

53May Abraham's God and Nahor's god judge between us." So Jacob made an oath by his father's Fear,

53May the 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.

54offered sacrifices there on the mountain, and called on his relatives to eat some food. So they ate the food and spent the night on the mountain.

54Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and invited his relatives to eat a meal. And after they had eaten, they spent the night on the mountain.

55 Early the next morning, Laban woke up, kissed his grandchildren and daughters, blessed them, and then left for home.

55Early the next morning, Laban got up and kissed his grandchildren and daughters and blessed them. Then he left to return home.

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