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Genesis · Young's Literal Translation

Genesis 31 Young's Literal Translation

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About YLT
  • Individual translator
  • OT: Masoretic Hebrew
  • NT: Textus Receptus
  • Protestant (66 books)
  • Very literal
  • 1898
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

1 And he heareth the words of Laban's sons, saying, 'Jacob hath taken all that our father hath; yea, from that which our father hath, he hath made all this honour;' 2 and Jacob seeth the face of Laban, and lo, it is not with him as heretofore. 3 And Jehovah saith unto Jacob, 'Turn back unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I am with thee.' 4 And Jacob sendeth and calleth for Rachel and for Leah to the field unto his flock; 5 and saith to them, 'I am beholding your father's face — that it is not towards me as heretofore, and the God of my father hath been with me, 6 and ye — ye have known that with all my power I have served your father, 7 and your father hath played upon me, and hath changed my hire ten times; and God hath not suffered him to do evil with me. 8 'If he say thus: The speckled are thy hire, then bare all the flock speckled ones; and if he say thus: The ring-streaked are thy hire, then bare all the flock ring-streaked; 9 and God taketh away the substance of your father, and doth give to me. 10 'And it cometh to pass at the time of the flock conceiving, that I lift up mine eyes and see in a dream, and lo, the he-goats, which are going up on the flock, [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grisled; 11 and the messenger of God saith unto me in the dream, Jacob, and I say, Here [am] I. 12 'And He saith, Lift up, I pray thee, thine eyes, and see — all the he-goats which are going up on the flock [are] ring-streaked, speckled, and grisled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to thee; 13 I [am] the God of Bethel where thou hast anointed a standing pillar, where thou hast vowed a vow to me; now, arise, go out from this land, and turn back unto the land of thy birth.' 14 And Rachel answereth — Leah also — and saith to him, 'Have we yet a portion and inheritance in the house of our father? 15 have we not been reckoned strangers to him? for he hath sold us, and he also utterly consumeth our money; 16 for all the wealth which God hath taken away from our father, it [is] ours, and our children's; and now, all that God hath said unto thee — do.' 17 And Jacob riseth, and lifteth up his sons and his wives on the camels, 18 and leadeth all his cattle, and all his substance which he hath acquired, the cattle of his getting, which he hath acquired in Padan-Aram, to go unto Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan. 19 And Laban hath gone to shear his flock, and Rachel stealeth the teraphim which her father hath; 20 and Jacob deceiveth the heart of Laban the Aramaean, because he hath not declared to him that he is fleeing; 21 and he fleeth, he and all that he hath, and riseth, and passeth over the River, and setteth his face [toward] the mount of Gilead. 22 And it is told to Laban on the third day that Jacob hath fled, 23 and he taketh his brethren with him, and pursueth after him a journey of seven days, and overtaketh him in the mount of Gilead. 24 And God cometh in unto Laban the Aramaean in a dream of the night, and saith to him, 'Take heed to thyself lest thou speak with Jacob from good unto evil.' 25 And Laban overtaketh Jacob; and Jacob hath fixed his tent in the mount; and Laban with his brethren have fixed [theirs] in the mount of Gilead. 26 And Laban saith to Jacob, 'What hast thou done that thou dost deceive my heart, and lead away my daughters as captives of the sword? 27 Why hast thou hidden thyself to flee, and deceivest me, and hast not declared to me, and I send thee away with joy and with songs, with tabret and with harp, 28 and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? — now thou hast acted foolishly in doing [so]; 29 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. 30 'And now, thou hast certainly gone, because thou hast been very desirous for the house of thy father; why hast thou stolen my gods?' 31 And Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, 'Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take violently away thy daughters from me; 32 with whomsoever thou findest thy gods — he doth not live; before our brethren discern for thyself what [is] with me, and take to thyself:' and Jacob hath not known that Rachel hath stolen them. 33 And Laban goeth into the tent of Jacob, and into the tent of Leah, and into the tent of the two handmaidens, and hath not found; and he goeth out from the tent of Leah, and goeth into the tent of Rachel. 34 And Rachel hath taken the teraphim, and putteth them in the furniture of the camel, and sitteth upon them; and Laban feeleth all the tent, and hath not found; 35 and she saith unto her father, 'Let it not be displeasing in the eyes of my lord that I am not able to rise at thy presence, for the way of women [is] on me;' and he searcheth, and hath not found the teraphim. 36 And it is displeasing to Jacob, and he striveth with Laban; and Jacob answereth and saith to Laban, 'What [is] my transgression? what my sin, that thou hast burned after me? 37 for thou hast felt all my vessels: what hast thou found of all the vessels of thy house? set here before my brethren, and thy brethren, and they decide between us both. 38 'These twenty years I [am] with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not miscarried, and the rams of thy flock I have not eaten; 39 the torn I have not brought in unto thee — I, I repay it — from my hand thou dost seek it; I have been deceived by day, and I have been deceived by night; 40 I have been [thus]: in the day consumed me hath drought, and frost by night, and wander doth my sleep from mine eyes. 41 'This [is] to me twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou changest my hire ten times; 42 unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been for me, surely now empty thou hadst sent me away; mine affliction and the labour of my hands hath God seen, and reproveth yesternight.' 43 And Laban answereth and saith unto Jacob, 'The daughters [are] my daughters, and the sons my sons, and the flock my flock, and all that thou art seeing [is] mine; and to my daughters — what do I to these to-day, or to their sons whom they have born? 44 and now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou, and it hath been for a witness between me and thee.' 45 And Jacob taketh a stone, and lifteth it up [for] a standing pillar; 46 and Jacob saith to his brethren, 'Gather stones,' and they take stones, and make a heap; and they eat there on the heap; 47 and Laban calleth it Jegar-Sahadutha; and Jacob hath called it Galeed. 48 And Laban saith, 'This heap [is] witness between me and thee to-day;' therefore hath he called its name Galeed; 49 Mizpah also, for he said, 'Jehovah doth watch between me and thee, for we are hidden one from another; 50 if thou afflict my daughters, or take wives beside my daughters — there is no man with us — see, God [is] witness between me and thee.' 51 And Laban saith to Jacob, 'Lo, this heap, and lo, the standing pillar which I have cast between me and thee; 52 this heap [is] witness, and the standing pillar [is] witness, that I do not pass over this heap unto thee, and that thou dost not pass over this heap and this standing pillar unto me — for evil; 53 the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, doth judge between us — the God of their father,' and Jacob sweareth by the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 And Jacob sacrificeth a sacrifice in the mount, and calleth to his brethren to eat bread, and they eat bread, and lodge in the mount; 55 and Laban riseth early in the morning, and kisseth his sons and his daughters, and blesseth them; and Laban goeth on, and turneth back to his place.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Jacob

    Father of the tribes

    He wrestled with God through the night and rose as Israel, father of twelve tribes.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 25–35; 46–49

  • Rachel

    Matriarch, mother of Joseph

    Jacob's beloved wife, mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who died in childbirth.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 29-35

Cross references (51)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Ecclesiastes 4:4; Psalm 17:14; Proverbs 27:4; Proverbs 14:30; 1 Peter 1:24
  2. 2 Daniel 3:19; 1 Samuel 18:9–11; Genesis 4:5; Genesis 30:27; 1 Samuel 19:7
  3. 3 Genesis 28:15; Hebrews 13:5; Genesis 32:9; Genesis 31:13; Psalm 50:15
  4. 5 Genesis 31:2–3; Genesis 31:53; Genesis 48:15; Genesis 31:42; Genesis 32:9
  5. 6 Genesis 30:29; Ephesians 6:5–8; Colossians 3:22–25; Genesis 31:38–42; Titus 2:9–10
  6. 7 Zechariah 8:23; Genesis 31:29; Genesis 31:41; Nehemiah 4:12; Numbers 14:22
  7. 8 Genesis 30:32
  8. 9 Genesis 31:1; Genesis 31:16; Proverbs 13:22; Matthew 20:15; Esther 8:1–2
  9. 10 Deuteronomy 13:1; Genesis 20:6; Numbers 12:6; 1 Kings 3:5; Genesis 31:24
  10. 11 Isaiah 58:9; Genesis 31:13; Genesis 48:15–16; Genesis 18:17; 1 Samuel 3:16
  11. 12 Exodus 3:7; Genesis 31:42; Deuteronomy 24:15; Ecclesiastes 5:8; Ephesians 6:9
  12. 13 Genesis 31:3; Genesis 32:9; Genesis 28:12–22; Genesis 35:7
  13. 14 Ruth 4:11; Genesis 2:24; Genesis 29:29; Genesis 29:24
  14. 15 Genesis 29:15–20; Genesis 29:27–30; Nehemiah 5:8; Genesis 30:26; Exodus 21:7–11
  15. 16 Genesis 31:9; Genesis 30:35–31:1; Psalm 45:10
  16. 17 Genesis 24:61; 1 Samuel 30:17; Genesis 24:10
  17. 18 Genesis 27:41; Genesis 28:21; Genesis 27:1–2; Genesis 35:27–29
  18. 19 1 Samuel 19:13; Hosea 3:4; Genesis 31:30; Ezekiel 21:21; Genesis 35:2
  19. 21 2 Kings 12:17; Joshua 24:2–3; Genesis 37:25; Genesis 15:18; Luke 9:51–53
  20. 22 Exodus 14:5–31; Genesis 30:36; Job 5:12–13
  21. 23 Genesis 13:8; Exodus 2:11; Exodus 2:13; Genesis 24:27
  22. 24 Genesis 24:50; Genesis 20:3; Genesis 31:29; Numbers 24:13; Genesis 31:42
  23. 25 Genesis 33:18; Hebrews 11:9; Genesis 12:8
  24. 26 1 Samuel 30:2; Genesis 4:10; Genesis 31:36; 1 Samuel 17:29; Genesis 2:24
  25. 27 Exodus 15:20; Genesis 31:3–5; Proverbs 26:23–26; Job 21:11–14; Genesis 31:20–21
  26. 28 Genesis 31:55; 1 Kings 19:20; Ruth 1:14; Acts 20:37; Genesis 31:24
  27. 29 Genesis 31:42; Genesis 31:53; Joshua 24:2–3; Genesis 31:24; Genesis 28:13
  28. 30 Jeremiah 10:11; Genesis 31:19; Judges 18:24; 1 Samuel 5:2–6; 2 Samuel 5:21
  29. 31 Proverbs 29:25; Genesis 31:26–27; Genesis 20:11
  30. 32 Genesis 31:19; Genesis 31:23; 1 Samuel 12:3–5; Genesis 44:9–12; Genesis 31:30
  31. 33 Genesis 24:28; Genesis 24:67
  32. 34 Genesis 31:19; Genesis 31:17
  33. 35 Leviticus 19:32; Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1; 1 Kings 2:19; Genesis 18:11–12
  34. 36 Ephesians 4:26; Genesis 30:2; 2 Kings 5:11; Mark 3:5; Numbers 16:15
  35. 37 1 Peter 2:12; Hebrews 13:18; 1 Corinthians 6:4–5; 1 Thessalonians 2:10; Joshua 7:23
  36. 38 Deuteronomy 28:4; Ezekiel 34:2–4; Exodus 23:26; Genesis 30:27; Genesis 30:30
  37. 39 Exodus 22:10–13; Leviticus 22:8; Luke 2:8; Exodus 22:31; John 10:12–13
  38. 40 Psalm 78:70–71; Luke 2:8; Exodus 2:19–22; John 21:15–17; Hebrews 13:7
  39. 41 Genesis 31:7; Genesis 31:38; 2 Corinthians 11:26; Genesis 30:33–40; 1 Corinthians 15:10
  40. 42 Psalm 31:7; Isaiah 8:13; Genesis 31:53; Genesis 31:29; Genesis 31:24
  41. 44 Joshua 24:25–27; 1 Samuel 20:14–17; Genesis 15:18; Joshua 22:27; Deuteronomy 31:19
  42. 45 Genesis 28:18–22
  43. 46 Ecclesiastes 3:5; Genesis 31:37; Genesis 31:32; Joshua 4:5–9; Joshua 7:26
  44. 47 Hebrews 12:1
  45. 48 Joshua 24:27; Joshua 13:8–9; Genesis 31:23; Deuteronomy 3:16; Deuteronomy 2:36
  46. 49 Judges 11:29; Judges 10:17; 1 Samuel 7:5–6; Judges 11:11; 1 Kings 15:22
  47. 50 Jeremiah 42:5; Jeremiah 29:23; Micah 1:2; Judges 11:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:5
  48. 52 Genesis 31:48; Genesis 31:44–45
  49. 53 Genesis 31:42; Genesis 16:5; Exodus 3:6; Joshua 24:2; Genesis 11:24–29
  50. 54 Exodus 18:12; Genesis 26:30; 2 Samuel 3:20–21; Genesis 21:8; Genesis 37:25
  51. 55 Genesis 31:28; Deuteronomy 23:5; Genesis 30:25; Genesis 18:33; Proverbs 16:7

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 31:41 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book V, Chapters XXVII–XXVIII)

    For not only did not the nations in this life serve this Jacob; but even after he had received the blessing, he himself going forth [from his home], served his uncle Laban the Syrian for twenty years; and not only was he not made lord of his brother, but he did himself bow down before his brother Esau, upon his …

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  2. Quotes verse 31:44 Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms (Psalm LXXXIII)

    In fact, "a testament" is a name given in the Scriptures not only to that which is of no avail till the death of the testators, but every covenant and decree they used to call a testament. For Laban and Jacob made a testament, which was certainly to have force between the living; and such cases without number are read …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)

  3. Quotes verse 31:47 Basil of Caesarea, On the Holy Spirit (Chapters XI–XIII)

    Moreover, Joshua, the son of Nun, even set up a stone as witness of his words (already a heap somewhere had been called a witness by Jacob), for he says, "Behold this stone shall be a witness unto you this day to the end of days, when ye lie to the Lord our God," perhaps believing that by God's power …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)