Genesis 31:14-44

14Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house? 15Are we not reckoned by him as foreigners? For 1he has sold us, and has also 2entirely consumed 3our purchase price. 16Surely all the wealth which God has taken away from our father belongs to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

17Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels; 18and he drove away all his livestock and all his property which he had gathered, his acquired livestock which he had gathered in Paddan-aram, 4to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. 19When Laban had gone to shear his flock, then Rachel stole the 56household idols that were her father’s. 20And Jacob 7deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing. 21So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the Euphrates River, and set his face toward the hill country of 8Gilead.

22When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, 23then he took his 9kinsmen with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 2410God came to Laban the Aramean in a 11dream of the night and said to him, “1213Be careful that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

25Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his 14kinsmen camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done 15by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27Why did you flee secretly and 16deceive me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with joy and with songs, with 17timbrel and with 18lyre; 28and did not allow me 19to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have done foolishly. 29It is in 20my power to do you harm, but 21the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘2223Be careful not to speak either good or bad to Jacob.’ 30Now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal 24my gods?” 31Then Jacob replied to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 3225The one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our 26kinsmen 27point out what is yours 28among my belongings and take it for yourself.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

33So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the 29household idols and put them in the camel’s saddle, and she sat on them. And Laban felt through all the tent but did not find them. 35She said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot 30rise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the 3132household idols.

36Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? 37Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my 33kinsmen and your 34kinsmen, that they may decide between us two. 38These 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. 39That which was torn of beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself. You required it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night. 40Thus I was: by day the 35heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41These twenty years I have been in your house; 36I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you 37changed my wages ten times. 42If 38the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. 39God has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He 40rendered judgment last night.”

43Then Laban replied to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, and the children are my children, and 41the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne? 44So now come, let us 42make a covenant, 43you and I, and 44let it be a witness between 45you and me.”