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sheep, that shall be accounted stolen with me. [1] 34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word. 35 And he removed that day the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hands of his sons. 36 And he set three days’ journey between himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban’s flocks.
37 And Jacob took to him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and peeled white stripes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods. 38 And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink. 39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle striped, speckled, and spotted. 40 And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not with Laban’s cattle. 41 And it came to pass, whenever the stronger cattle conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods. 42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban’s, and the stronger Jacob’s. 43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had many cattle, and female and male servants, and camels, and donkeys.

CHAP. 31.


1 And he heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s; and of that which was our father’s hath he obtained all this glory. 2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before. [2] 3 And the LORD said to Jacob, Return to the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee. 4 And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field to his flock, 5 And said to them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me. 6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father. 7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God allowed him not to hurt me. 8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bore speckled: and if he said thus, The striped shall be thy hire; then all the cattle bore striped. 9 Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me. 10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were striped, speckled, and spotted. [3] 11 And the angel of God spoke to me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lift up now thy eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are striped, speckled, and spotted: for I have seen all that Laban doeth to thee. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where thou didst anoint the pillar, and where thou didst vow to me a vow: now arise, depart from this land, and return to the land of thy kindred. 14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? 15 Are we not counted by him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite consumed also our money. 16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, whatever God hath said to thee, do.
17 Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon camels; 18 And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gained, the cattle of his getting, which he had gained in Padanaram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan. 19 And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s. [4] 20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he was fleeing. [5] 21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead. 22 And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. 23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead. 24 And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. [6]
25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead. 26 And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword? 27 Why didst thou flee away secretly,

  1. in time...: Heb. to morrow
  2. as before: Heb. as yesterday and the day before
  3. rams: or, he goats
  4. images: Heb. teraphim
  5. unawares...: Heb. the heart of Laban
  6. either...: Heb. from good to bad