Genesis 31:38
New International Version
“I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.

New Living Translation
“For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food.

English Standard Version
These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.

Berean Standard Bible
I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

King James Bible
This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

New King James Version
These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

New American Standard Bible
For these twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

NASB 1995
“These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

NASB 1977
“These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

Legacy Standard Bible
These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

Amplified Bible
These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not lost their young, nor have I eaten the rams of your flocks.

Christian Standard Bible
I’ve been with you these twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I’ve been with you these 20 years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams from your flock.

American Standard Version
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.

Contemporary English Version
In all the 20 years that I've worked for you, not one of your sheep or goats has had a miscarriage, and I've never eaten even one of your rams.

English Revised Version
This 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.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"I've been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate any rams from your flocks.

Good News Translation
I have been with you now for twenty years; your sheep and your goats have not failed to reproduce, and I have not eaten any rams from your flocks.

International Standard Version
Meanwhile, these past 20 years that I've been with you, your sheep and goats never had miscarriages, I never once ate any of the rams from your flock,

Majority Standard Bible
I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock.

NET Bible
"I have been with you for the past twenty years. Your ewes and female goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks.

New Heart English Bible
These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young, and I haven?t eaten the rams of your flocks.

Webster's Bible Translation
These twenty years have I been with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

World English Bible
“These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven’t eaten the rams of your flocks.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
These twenty years I [am] with you: your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten;

Young's Literal Translation
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;

Smith's Literal Translation
These twenty years I am with thee; thy sheep and thy she-goats were not barren, and the rams of thy flock, I ate not.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Have I therefore been with thee twenty years? thy ewes and goats were not barren, the rams of thy flocks I did not eat:

Catholic Public Domain Version
For what reason have I been with you for twenty years? Your ewes and she-goats were not barren; the rams of your flocks I did not consume.

New American Bible
“In the twenty years that I was under you, no ewe or she-goat of yours ever miscarried, and I have never eaten rams of your flock.

New Revised Standard Version
These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Behold, I have been with you for the past twenty years; your ewes and your she goats have not cast their young, and I have not eaten of the rams of your flock.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Behold I have been with you twenty years; your ewes and your shegoats are not barren and the rams of your flocks I have not consumed.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
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.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
These twenty years have I been with thee; thy sheep, and thy she-goats have not failed in bearing; I devoured not the rams of thy cattle.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laban Pursues Jacob
37You have searched all my goods! Have you found anything that belongs to you? Put it here before my brothers and yours, that they may judge between the two of us. 38I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten the rams of your flock. 39I did not bring you anything torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for what was stolen by day or night.…

Cross References
Exodus 3:1
Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

1 Samuel 17:34-35
David replied, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep, and whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb from the flock, / I went after it, struck it down, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. If it reared up against me, I would grab it by its fur, strike it down, and kill it.

Isaiah 40:11
He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart. He gently leads the nursing ewes.

Ezekiel 34:12
As a shepherd looks for his scattered sheep when he is among the flock, so I will look for My flock. I will rescue them from all the places to which they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.

John 10:11-14
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. / The hired hand is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf pounces on them and scatters the flock. / The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep. ...

Luke 15:4-6
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? / And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, / comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’

1 Peter 5:2-4
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; / not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. / And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Psalm 23:1-4
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. / He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. / He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. ...

Jeremiah 31:10
Hear, O nations, the word of the LORD, and proclaim it in distant coastlands: “The One who scattered Israel will gather them and keep them as a shepherd keeps his flock.

Micah 5:4
He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD His God. And they will dwell securely, for then His greatness will extend to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 18:12-14
What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? / And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices more over that one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. / In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Hebrews 13:20
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,

1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages.”

Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

Zechariah 11:16
For behold, I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will neither care for the lost, nor seek the young, nor heal the broken, nor sustain the healthy, but he will devour the flesh of the choice sheep and tear off their hooves.


Treasury of Scripture

This twenty years have I been with you; your ewes and your she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of your flock have I not eaten.

twenty.

Genesis 31:41
Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

ewes.

Genesis 30:27,30
And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake…

Exodus 23:26
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

Deuteronomy 28:4
Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.

the rams.

Ezekiel 34:2-4
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? …

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Cast Eaten Ewes Female Flock Flocks Food Goats He-Goats Loss Rams Sheep She-Goats Twenty Young
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Cast Eaten Ewes Female Flock Flocks Food Goats He-Goats Loss Rams Sheep She-Goats Twenty Young
Genesis 31
1. Jacob, displeased with the envy of Laban and his sons, departs secretly.
19. Rachel steals her father's household gods.
22. Laban pursues after him, and complains of the wrong.
34. Rachel's plan to hide the images.
36. Jacob's complaint of Laban.
43. The covenant of Laban and Jacob at Galeed.














I have been with you twenty years now
This phrase marks a significant period in Jacob's life, emphasizing his long-term commitment and service to Laban. The Hebrew word for "twenty" (עֶשְׂרִים, esrim) signifies completeness and a full cycle, often associated with a period of testing or trial. Jacob's two decades with Laban were marked by hard work and perseverance, reflecting his faithfulness and endurance. This time frame also highlights the fulfillment of God's promise to be with Jacob, as seen in Genesis 28:15, where God assures Jacob of His presence and protection.

Your sheep and goats have not miscarried
The Hebrew word for "miscarried" (שָׁכֹל, shakol) implies loss or bereavement. Jacob's statement underscores his diligent care and the blessing of God upon his work. In ancient pastoral societies, the health and productivity of livestock were crucial for economic stability. Jacob's success in preventing miscarriages among the flock is a testament to his skill and God's favor. This aligns with the broader biblical theme that God blesses those who are faithful and diligent in their work (Proverbs 10:4).

nor have I eaten the rams of your flock
This phrase highlights Jacob's integrity and honesty. The Hebrew word for "rams" (אַיִל, ayil) refers to male sheep, which were valuable for breeding and sacrificial purposes. By stating that he did not consume Laban's rams, Jacob emphasizes his respect for Laban's property and his commitment to ethical stewardship. This reflects the biblical principle of respecting others' possessions and maintaining integrity in all dealings (Exodus 20:15). Jacob's conduct serves as a model for believers to act justly and honorably in their relationships and responsibilities.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I have
אָנֹכִי֙ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

been with
עִמָּ֔ךְ (‘im·māḵ)
Preposition | second person feminine singular
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

you for
זֶה֩ (zeh)
Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

twenty
עֶשְׂרִ֨ים (‘eś·rîm)
Number - common plural
Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth

years now.
שָׁנָ֤ה (šā·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8141: A year

Your sheep
רְחֵלֶ֥יךָ (rə·ḥê·le·ḵā)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7353: A ewe

and goats
וְעִזֶּ֖יךָ (wə·‘iz·ze·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5795: Female goat

have not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

miscarried,
שִׁכֵּ֑לוּ (šik·kê·lū)
Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 7921: To miscarry, suffer abortion, to bereave

nor have I
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

eaten
אָכָֽלְתִּי׃ (’ā·ḵā·lə·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 398: To eat

the rams
וְאֵילֵ֥י (wə·’ê·lê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 352: Strength, strong, a chief, a ram, a pilaster, an oak, strong tree

of your flock.
צֹאנְךָ֖ (ṣō·nə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock


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OT Law: Genesis 31:38 These twenty years I have been (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 31:37
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