Genesis 31:8-41

8Whenever he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to speckled young. And whenever he said, ‘The striped ones will be your wages,’ all the flocks gave birth to striped young.

9So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.

10“During the mating season I had a dream: I looked up and saw that the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, or spotted.

11In the dream the Messenger of God called to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I answered, ‘Yes, here I am.’

12He said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, or spotted, because I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.

13I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured olive oil on a stone marker for a holy purpose and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land, and go back to the land of your relatives.’ ”

14Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there anything left in our father’s household for us to inherit?

15Doesn’t he think of us as foreigners? Not only did he sell us, but he has used up the money that was paid for us.

16Certainly, all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. Now do whatever God has told you.”

17Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.

18He drove all his livestock ahead of him and took all the possessions that he had accumulated. He took his own livestock that he had accumulated in Paddan Aram and went back to his father Isaac in Canaan.

19When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s idols.

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

21So he left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the mountains of Gilead.

22Two days later Laban was told that Jacob had left in a hurry.

23He and his relatives pursued Jacob for seven days. Laban caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead.

24God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.”

25When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the mountains. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the mountains of Gilead.

26Then Laban asked Jacob, “What have you done by tricking me? You’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war.

27Why did you leave secretly and trick me? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I would have sent you on your way rejoicing, with songs accompanied by tambourines and lyres.

28You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You’ve done a foolish thing.

29I have the power to harm you. Last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.’

30Now you have left for your father’s home because you were so homesick. But why did you steal my gods?”

31Jacob answered Laban, “I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.

32If you find your gods, the one who has them will not be allowed to live. In the presence of our relatives, search as much as you want through what I have, and take what is yours.” (Jacob didn’t know that Rachel had stolen the gods.)

33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two slaves. But he found nothing. He came out of Leah’s tent and went into Rachel’s tent.

34Rachel had taken the idols and had put them in her camel’s saddle-bag and was sitting on them. Laban rummaged through the whole tent but found nothing.

35Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, Father, but I can’t get up to greet you; I’m having my period.” So even though Laban had made a thorough search, he didn’t find the idols.

36Then Jacob became angry and confronted Laban. “What is my crime?” Jacob demanded of Laban. “What is my offense that you have come chasing after me?

37Now that you’ve rummaged through all my things, did you find anything from your house? Put it here in front of all our relatives. Let them decide which one of us is right.

38“I’ve been with you for 20 years. Your sheep and goats never miscarried, and I never ate any rams from your flocks.

39I never brought you any of the flock that was killed by wild animals. I paid for the loss myself. That’s what you demanded of me when any of the flock was stolen during the day or at night.

40The scorching heat during the day and the cold at night wore me down, and I lost a lot of sleep.

41I’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 10 times.