Genesis 31:1-29 ▼

1 And he heard the wordes of Labans sonnes saying, Iacob hath take away all that was our fathers, and of our fathers goodes hath he gotten all his glorie.

2 And Iacob behelde the countenaunce of Laban, and beholde, it was not towardes hym as it was wont to be.

3 And the Lorde sayde vnto Iacob: turne agayne into the lande of thy fathers, and to thy kynrede, and I wyll be with thee.

4 Therfore Iacob sent, & called Rachel and Lea to the fielde vnto his flocke,

5 And sayde vnto them: I see your fathers countenauce that it is not toward me as it was wont to be: but the God of my father hath ben with me.

6 And ye knowe howe I haue serued your father to the best of my power.

7 But your father hath deceaued me, and chaunged my wages ten tymes: but God suffred hym not to hurt me.

8 When he sayde, the spotted shalbe thy wages: then al the sheepe bare spotted. And when he sayd, the ringstraked shalbe thy rewarde: then bare all the sheepe ringstraked.

9 Thus hath God taken away the increase of your fathers flocke, and geuen it to me.

10 But in rammyng tyme, I lifted vp myne eyes, and sawe in a dreame, and beholde, the Rammes leaped vpon the sheepe that were ringstraked, spotted, and partie.

11 And the angell of God spake vnto me in a dreame, saying: Iacob? And I aunswered: here am I.

12 And he sayd: lift vp nowe thyne eyes, and see all the Rammes leapyng vpon the sheepe that are ringstraked, spotted, and partie: for I haue seene all that Laban doth vnto thee.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou annoyntedst the stone set vp on an ende, and where thou vowedst a vowe vnto me: nowe therefore aryse, and get thee out of this countrey, and returne vnto the lande where thou wast borne.

14 Then aunswered Rachel, and Lea, and said vnto him: haue we had as yet any portion or inheritaunce in our fathers house?

15 Doth not he count vs euen as straungers? for he hath solde vs, & hath quite deuoured also our money.

16 Therfore all the ryches whiche God hath taken from our father, that is ours and our chyldrens: nowe then whatsoeuer God hath sayde vnto thee, that do.

17 Then Iacob rose vp, & set his sonnes and wyues vp vpon camelles:

18 And caryed away all his flockes, and all his substaunce whiche he had procured, the increase of his cattell which he had gotten in Mesopotamia, for to go to Isahac his father vnto the lande of Chanaan.

19 But Laban was gone to sheare his sheepe: and Rachel had stolen her fathers images.

20 And Iacob stale away the heart of Laban the Syrian, in that he tolde him not that he fled.

21 So fled he, and all that he had, and made hym selfe redy, and passed ouer the ryuer, and set his face strayght towarde the mounte Gilead.

22 Upon the thirde day after, was it told Laban that Iacob fled.

23 Then he toke his brethren with him, and folowed after him seuen daies iourney, & ouertoke him at the mounte Gilead.

24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dreame by nyght, and sayd vnto him: take heede that thou speake not to Iacob ought saue good.

25 And Laban ouertoke Iacob, and Iacob had pitched his tent in the mounte: And Laban with his brethren, pitched also vpon the mounte Gilead.

26 And Laban said to Iacob: what hast thou done? for thou hast stollen away my heart, and caryed away my daughters as though they had ben taken captiue with the sworde.

27 Wherfore wentest thou away secretly vnknowen to me, and dyddest not tell me, that I myght haue let thee go thy way with mirth and songues, with tymbrell and harpe?

28 And hast not suffred me to kysse my chyldren and my daughters? thou wast a foole nowe in so doyng.

29 For it is in my hand through God to do you hurt: But the God of your father spake vnto me yesternight, saying: Take heede that thou speake not to Iacob ought saue good.