Genesis 31:1-21

1 One day Jacob heard Laban's sons talking. They said, "Jacob has taken everything our father owned, and in this way he has become rich."

2 Then Jacob noticed that Laban was not as friendly as he had been before.

3 The Lord said to Jacob, "Go back to the land where your ancestors lived, and I will be with you."

4 So Jacob told Rachel and Leah to meet him in the field where he kept his flocks.

5 He said to them, "I have seen that your father is not as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God of my father has been with me.

6 You both know that I have worked as hard as I could for your father,

7 but he cheated me and changed my pay ten times. But God has not allowed your father to harm me.

8 When Laban said, 'You can have all the speckled animals as your pay,' all the animals gave birth to speckled young ones. But when he said, 'You can have all the streaked animals as your pay,' all the flocks gave birth to streaked babies.

9 So God has taken the animals away from your father and has given them to me.

10 "I had a dream during the season when the flocks were mating. I saw that the only male goats who were mating were streaked, speckled, or spotted.

11 The angel of God spoke to me in that dream and said, 'Jacob!' I answered, 'Yes!'

12 The angel said, 'Look! Only the streaked, speckled, or spotted male goats are mating. I have seen all the wrong things Laban has been doing to you.

13 I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured olive oil on the stone you set up on end and where you made a promise to me. Now I want you to leave here and go back to the land where you were born.'"

14 Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, "Our father has nothing to give us when he dies.

15 He has treated us like strangers. He sold us to you, and then he spent all of the money you paid for us.

16 God took all this wealth from our father, and now it belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you to do."

17 So Jacob put his children and his wives on camels,

18 and they began their journey back to Isaac, his father, in the land of Canaan. All the flocks of animals that Jacob owned walked ahead of them. He carried everything with him that he had gotten while he lived in Northwest Mesopotamia.

19 While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, Rachel stole the idols that belonged to him.

20 And Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was leaving.

21 Jacob and his family left quickly, crossed the Euphrates River, and traveled toward the mountains of Gilead.

Genesis 31:1-21 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 31

This chapter relates how that Jacob observing that Laban and his sons envied his prosperity, and having a call from God to return to his own country, acquaints his wives with it; and reports to them Laban's ill usage of him, and the wonderful appearance of God to him, and for him, and his orders to him to depart from thence, Ge 31:1-13; to which they agreed, knowing full well their father's unkindness, and that they had nothing to expect from him, and therefore judged it best to go off with what they had got through the gift of God unto them, Ge 31:14-16; upon which Jacob set out privately, with all he had, towards his own country, while Laban was shearing his sheep, Ge 31:17-21; three days after, Laban, being informed of it, pursued after Jacob, and overtook him at Mount Gilead; but was warned by the way to be cautious what he said to him, Ge 31:22-25; yet nevertheless he warmly expostulated with him about his secret flight, not giving him the opportunity of taking his leave of his children, and especially for taking away his gods, Ge 31:26-30; to which Jacob gave an answer, Ge 31:31-35; and in his turn was warm likewise, and chided Laban severely for his hot pursuit of him, his charge of stealth, when he could find nothing on him, his hard labour for the space of twenty years with him, and his ill requital of him for it, Ge 31:36-42; however, upon the whole, an amicable agreement was made between them, and they parted in a friendly manner, Ge 31:43-55.