Bible in Basic English
Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead.
And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war?
Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music?
You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.
It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.
And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods?
And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force.
As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them.
So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them.
And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.
Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?
Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us.
These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food.
Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night.
This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes.
These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.
Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children?
Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us.
Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar.
And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones.
And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.
And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed,
And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings.
If you are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us.
And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me;
They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose.
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.
And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain.
And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.
— Genesis 31:25-1964, Bible in Basic English
“And Laban came up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain: and Laban with his brethren encamped in the mountain of Gilead. And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives of the sword? Wherefore didst thou flee secretly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp; and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? now hast thou done foolishly. It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad. And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods? And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Lest thou shouldest take thy daughters from me by force. With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maid-servants; but he found them not. And he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent. Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat upon them. And Laban felt about all the tent, but found them not. And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise up before thee; for the manner of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the teraphim. And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast felt about all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us two. These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes. These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight. And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children whom they have borne? And now come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made a heap: and they did eat there by the heap. And Laban called it Jegar-saha-dutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. And Laban said, This heap is witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed: and Mizpah, for he said, Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. If thou shalt afflict my daughters, and if thou shalt take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar, which I have set betwixt me and thee. This heap be witness, and the pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the Fear of his father Isaac. And Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mountain. And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place. ”
And on the third day Laban had news of Jacob's flight.
And taking the men of his family with him, he went after him for seven days and overtook him in the hill-country of Gilead.
Then God came to Laban in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.
Now when Laban overtook him, Jacob had put up his tent in the hill-country; and Laban and his brothers put up their tents in the hill-country of Gilead.
And Laban said to Jacob, Why did you go away secretly, taking my daughters away like prisoners of war?
Why did you make a secret of your flight, not giving me word of it, so that I might have sent you away with joy and songs, with melody and music?
You did not even let me give a kiss to my sons and my daughters. This was a foolish thing to do.
It is in my power to do you damage: but the God of your father came to me this night, saying, Take care that you say nothing good or bad to Jacob.
And now, it seems, you are going because your heart's desire is for your father's house; but why have you taken my gods?
And Jacob, in answer, said to Laban, My fear was that you might take your daughters from me by force.
As for your gods, if anyone of us has them, let him be put to death: make search before us all for what is yours, and take it. For Jacob had no knowledge that Rachel had taken them.
So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent, and into the tents of the two servant-women, but they were not there; and he came out of Leah's tent and went into Rachel's.
Now Rachel had taken the images, and had put them in the camels' basket, and was seated on them. And Laban, searching through all the tent, did not come across them.
And she said to her father, Let not my lord be angry because I do not get up before you, for I am in the common condition of women. And with all his searching, he did not come across the images.
Then Jacob was angry with Laban, and said, What crime or sin have I done that you have come after me with such passion?
Now that you have made search through all my goods, what have you seen which is yours? Make it clear now before my people and your people, so that they may be judges between us.
These twenty years I have been with you; your sheep and your goats have had young without loss, not one of your he-goats have I taken for food.
Anything which was wounded by beasts I did not take to you, but myself made up for the loss of it; you made me responsible for whatever was taken by thieves, by day or by night.
This was my condition, wasted by heat in the day and by the bitter cold at night; and sleep went from my eyes.
These twenty years I have been in your house; I was your servant for fourteen years because of your daughters, and for six years I kept your flock, and ten times was my payment changed.
If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would have sent me away with nothing in my hands. But God has seen my troubles and the work of my hands, and this night he kept you back.
Then Laban, answering, said, These women are my daughters and these children my children, the flocks and all you see are mine: what now may I do for my daughters and for their children?
Come, let us make an agreement, you and I; and let it be for a witness between us.
Then Jacob took a stone and put it up as a pillar.
And Jacob said to his people, Get stones together; and they did so; and they had a meal there by the stones.
And the name Laban gave it was Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob gave it the name of Galeed.
And Laban said, These stones are a witness between you and me today. For this reason its name was Galeed,
And Mizpah, for he said, May the Lord keep watch on us when we are unable to see one another's doings.
If you are cruel to my daughters, or if you take other wives in addition to my daughters, then though no man is there to see, God will be the witness between us.
And Laban said, See these stones and this pillar which I have put between you and me;
They will be witness that I will not go over these stones to you, and you will not go over these stones or this pillar to me, for any evil purpose.
May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, be our judge. Then Jacob took an oath by the Fear of his father Isaac.
And Jacob made an offering on the mountain, and gave orders to his people to take food: so they had a meal and took their rest that night on the mountain.
And early in the morning Laban, after kissing and blessing his daughters, went on his way back to his country.