Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. New Living Translation Yes, for twenty years I slaved in your house! I worked for fourteen years earning your two daughters, and then six more years for your flock. And you changed my wages ten times! English Standard Version These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Berean Standard Bible Thus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times! King James Bible 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. New King James Version Thus I have been in your house twenty years; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. New American Standard Bible For these twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. NASB 1995 “These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. NASB 1977 “These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. Legacy Standard Bible These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you changed my wages ten times. Amplified Bible These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for [my share of] your flocks, and you have changed my wages ten times. Christian Standard Bible For twenty years in your household I served you—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks —and you have changed my wages ten times! Holman Christian Standard Bible For 20 years I have worked in your household—14 years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages 10 times! American Standard Version 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. Contemporary English Version I had to work 14 of these 20 long years to earn your two daughters and another 6 years to buy your sheep and goats. During that time you kept changing my wages. English Revised Version 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. GOD'S WORD® Translation I've been with your household 20 years now. I worked for you 14 years for your two daughters and 6 years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. Good News Translation It was like that for the whole twenty years I was with you. For fourteen years I worked to win your two daughters--and six years for your flocks. And even then, you changed my wages ten times. International Standard Version I've lived in your house these 20 years—serving fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flocks. During all that time you changed my wages ten times. NET Bible This was my lot for twenty years in your house: I worked like a slave for you--fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, but you changed my wages ten times! New Heart English Bible These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Webster's Bible Translation 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. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleThus for twenty years I have served in your household—fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks—and you have changed my wages ten times! World English Bible These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionThis [is] to me twenty years in your house: I have served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you change my hire ten times; Young's Literal Translation 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; Smith's Literal Translation Here to me twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy sheep; and thou wilt change my hire ten portions. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd in this manner have I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters, and six for thy flocks: thou hast changed also my wages ten times. Catholic Public Domain Version And in this way, for twenty years, I have served you in your house: fourteen for your daughters, and six for your flocks. You have also changed my wages ten times. New American Bible Of the twenty years that I have now spent in your household, I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, while you changed my wages ten times. New Revised Standard Version These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleBehold, I have been twenty years in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock; and you have changed my wages ten times. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Behold I had twenty years in your house. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks and you changed my pay ten times. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917These 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. Brenton Septuagint Translation These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years among thy sheep, and thou didst falsely rate my wages for ten lambs. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Laban Pursues Jacob…40As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41Thus for twenty years I have served in your household— fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks— and you have changed my wages ten times! 42If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, surely by now you would have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and last night He rendered judgment.”… Cross References Genesis 29:20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, yet it seemed but a few days because of his love for her. Genesis 30:26-30 Give me my wives and children for whom I have served you, that I may go on my way. You know how hard I have worked for you.” / But Laban replied, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” / And he added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” ... Genesis 31:7 And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me. Genesis 31:38-40 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. / I 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. / As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night, and sleep fled from my eyes. Exodus 1:14 and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh. Exodus 2:23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. Leviticus 25:43 You are not to rule over them harshly, but you shall fear your God. Deuteronomy 24:14-15 Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns. / You are to pay his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and depends on them. Otherwise he may cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. Job 7:1-3 “Is not man consigned to labor on earth? Are not his days like those of a hired hand? / Like a slave he longs for shade; like a hireling he waits for his wages. / So I am allotted months of futility, and nights of misery are appointed to me. Job 14:14 When a man dies, will he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, until my renewal comes. Psalm 39:5-6 You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah / Surely every man goes about like a phantom; surely he bustles in vain; he heaps up riches not knowing who will haul them away. Psalm 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Jeremiah 22:13 “Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts. Matthew 20:1-16 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. / He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. / About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ... Treasury of Scripture Thus have I been twenty years in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your cattle: and you have changed my wages ten times. fourteen. Genesis 31:38 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. Genesis 29:18-30 And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter… Genesis 30:33-40 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me… ten times. Genesis 31:7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me. Jump to Previous Cattle Changed Changest Daughters Flock Flocks Fourteen Hire House Household Kept Payment Servant Served Six Ten Times Twenty Wages WorkedJump to Next Cattle Changed Changest Daughters Flock Flocks Fourteen Hire House Household Kept Payment Servant Served Six Ten Times Twenty Wages WorkedGenesis 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. Thus for twenty years I have served in your household— Jacob's statement reflects his long-term commitment and endurance. The twenty years signify a significant portion of his life, emphasizing his dedication and the trials he faced. This period is a testament to his perseverance and faithfulness, despite the challenges and deceit he encountered from Laban. It also highlights the cultural norm of long-term servitude in exchange for marriage and wealth accumulation. fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks— and you have changed my wages ten times! Persons / Places / Events 1. JacobThe grandson of Abraham, son of Isaac, and the central figure in this passage. He served Laban for twenty years, enduring hardship and deceit. 2. Laban Jacob's uncle and father-in-law, who repeatedly changed Jacob's wages, demonstrating a lack of integrity and fairness. 3. Paddan-aram The region where Laban lived and where Jacob spent twenty years working for him. 4. Rachel and Leah Laban's daughters, for whom Jacob worked fourteen years, marrying them as part of his service agreement with Laban. 5. Flocks The livestock Jacob tended for Laban, which became a source of wealth and contention between them. Teaching Points Endurance in AdversityJacob's perseverance through twenty years of hardship teaches us the value of patience and faithfulness, even when faced with injustice. Integrity in Relationships Laban's deceit contrasts with the biblical call to honesty and integrity in our dealings with others. God's Faithfulness Despite human deceit, God remains faithful. Jacob's eventual prosperity is a testament to God's provision and justice. Value of Hard Work Jacob's diligent work ethic, despite unfair treatment, serves as a model for working heartily as unto the Lord. Trust in God's Timing Jacob's account encourages believers to trust in God's timing and justice, even when immediate circumstances seem unfair. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Genesis 31:41?2. How does Jacob's perseverance in Genesis 31:41 inspire your work ethic today? 3. What lessons on patience can we learn from Jacob's 20-year service? 4. How does Jacob's experience relate to enduring trials in James 1:2-4? 5. In what ways can we trust God's justice as Jacob did in Genesis 31:41? 6. How can Jacob's story encourage you to remain faithful in difficult circumstances? 7. How does Genesis 31:41 reflect Jacob's perseverance and faith in God's promises? 8. What does Genesis 31:41 reveal about the nature of labor and reward in biblical times? 9. How does Jacob's experience in Genesis 31:41 challenge modern views on justice and fairness? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Genesis 31? 11. In Genesis 31:41, Jacob claims Laban changed his wages ten times, yet no detailed account shows each change; does this raise questions of consistency or exaggeration? 12. Who was Laban in the Bible? 13. In Genesis 31:19, what historical evidence supports the existence or importance of household gods (teraphim), and how does it reconcile with monotheism? 14. In Genesis 31:10-12, how could Jacob's dream and the striped rods realistically influence the genetics of the flocks? What Does Genesis 31:41 Mean Thus for twenty years I have served in your household• Jacob opens by framing the length of his service: two full decades under Laban’s roof. • Twenty years is no throw-away detail; Scripture often uses round numbers to underscore completeness (compare Genesis 37:2 where Joseph’s story starts at seventeen and stretches twenty-plus years). • This timespan reminds us of God’s sustaining hand over long seasons, echoing promises like Isaiah 46:4, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I will carry you.” • Jacob’s words also anticipate Israel’s later sojourning under harsh masters in Egypt (Exodus 1:8-14), showing a pattern: God’s people may endure prolonged hardship, yet He never abandons them. Cross references within the flow: Genesis 31:38–40 (Jacob’s summary of service), Exodus 3:7 (God sees affliction over time). --- fourteen years for your two daughters • Jacob specifies that the first fourteen years were wages already “spent” on Leah and Rachel (Genesis 29:18-30). • His love for Rachel fueled patience (Genesis 29:20), yet the deception of Leah’s wedding night lingers; Jacob’s statement subtly contrasts faithful labor with Laban’s trickery (Genesis 29:25). • The covenant value of marriage shines here. Jacob was willing to work—essentially paying a bride-price—mirroring later principles about honoring marriage commitments (1 Samuel 18:25; Hosea 3:1-3). • God redeemed even the unfair swap: from Leah and Rachel came the twelve tribes, showing that perseverance under injustice can yield unexpected blessing (Romans 8:28). --- six years for your flocks • After the daughters came six more years focused on shepherding Laban’s herds (Genesis 30:25-43). • Jacob’s honest diligence contrasts Laban’s shifting schemes; despite spotted and speckled breeding arrangements, the Lord multiplied Jacob’s portion (Genesis 31:9-12). • The passage models a believer’s work ethic: steady, skillful, trusting God for increase (Proverbs 10:4; Colossians 3:23-24). • It also highlights divine justice: “The wages you withheld…cry out” (James 5:4). God keeps accurate books even when earthly masters do not. --- and you have changed my wages ten times! • “Ten times” signals repeated, deliberate exploitation (also stated in Genesis 31:7). Whether literally ten or idiomatically “over and over,” Jacob felt constant shifting of the goalposts. • Laban’s behavior violates later Mosaic commands against defrauding workers (Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:14-15). • Jacob’s protest anchors his righteousness: he never took what was not his, yet Laban kept revising terms. This foreshadows Israel’s complaints against Egypt’s oppression and God’s eventual deliverance (Exodus 5:7-9; 6:6). • The verse reassures believers who face unfair treatment: God notices every instance, protects the vulnerable (Psalm 12:5), and will ultimately vindicate the faithful (1 Peter 2:19-23). --- summary Genesis 31:41 records Jacob’s heartfelt ledger of service: twenty years total—fourteen for wives, six for flocks—set against ten wage changes. The verse highlights patient endurance under unjust authority, faithful labor rewarded by God, and divine oversight that rights wrongs in His time. Today it encourages us to work with integrity, trust the Lord when terms shift unfairly, and remember that He sees, records, and repays every act of loyalty. (41) Thus have I been . . . --Heb., This for me twenty years in thy house, but taken in connection with the preceding this, in Genesis 31:38, the meaning is "During the one twenty years that I was with thee, thy ewes, &c.," upon which follows "During the other twenty years that were for me in thy house, I served thee, &c." (See Note on Genesis 29:27, and Excursus on the Chronology of Jacob's Life.)Hebrew Thusזֶה־ (zeh-) Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that for twenty עֶשְׂרִ֣ים (‘eś·rîm) Number - common plural Strong's 6242: Twenty, twentieth years שָׁנָה֮ (šā·nāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8141: A year I have served עֲבַדְתִּ֜יךָ (‘ă·ḇaḏ·tî·ḵā) Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave in your household— בְּבֵיתֶךָ֒ (bə·ḇê·ṯe·ḵā) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 1004: A house fourteen אַרְבַּֽע־ (’ar·ba‘-) Number - feminine singular Strong's 702: Four years שָׁנָה֙ (šā·nāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8141: A year for your two בִּשְׁתֵּ֣י (biš·tê) Preposition-b | Number - fdc Strong's 8147: Two (a cardinal number) daughters בְנֹתֶ֔יךָ (ḇə·nō·ṯe·ḵā) Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 1323: A daughter and six וְשֵׁ֥שׁ (wə·šêš) Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular construct Strong's 8337: Six (a cardinal number) years שָׁנִ֖ים (šā·nîm) Noun - feminine plural Strong's 8141: A year for your flocks— בְּצֹאנֶ֑ךָ (bə·ṣō·ne·ḵā) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 6629: Small cattle, sheep and goats, flock and you have changed וַתַּחֲלֵ֥ף (wat·ta·ḥă·lêp̄) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 2498: To slide by, to hasten away, pass on, spring up, pierce, change my wages מַשְׂכֻּרְתִּ֖י (maś·kur·tî) Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 4909: Wages, a reward ten עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת (‘ă·śe·reṯ) Number - masculine singular construct Strong's 6235: Ten times! מֹנִֽים׃ (mō·nîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4489: Something weighed out, a portion of time, an instance Links Genesis 31:41 NIVGenesis 31:41 NLT Genesis 31:41 ESV Genesis 31:41 NASB Genesis 31:41 KJV Genesis 31:41 BibleApps.com Genesis 31:41 Biblia Paralela Genesis 31:41 Chinese Bible Genesis 31:41 French Bible Genesis 31:41 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 31:41 These twenty years I have been (Gen. 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