Genesis 31:1-21

1Now Jacob heard the words Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belongs to our father, and from what belongs to our father he has made all these riches.”

2Then Jacob saw Laban’s face, and he noticed that his expression wasn’t the same as it was just a day or two before.

3Then Adonai said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4So Jacob sent and called for Rachel and Leah to come to the field, to his flock.

5He said to them, “I can see by your father’s face that his expression isn’t the same as it was just a day or two ago. But the God of my father has been with me.

6Now you yourselves know that I’ve served your father with all my strength.

7Yet your father has fooled around with me and has changed my salary ten times—but God hasn’t allowed him to harm me.

8If he would say, ‘the spotted ones will be your salary,’ then the flocks would give birth to spotted ones. Or if he would say, ‘the striped ones will be your salary,’ then all the flocks would give birth to striped ones.

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

10Now it happened when the flocks were in heat that I lifted up my eyes and saw, in a dream, behold, the males going up to the flocks were striped, spotted and speckled.

11Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Hineni.’

12He said, ‘Lift up your eyes and see that all the males going up to the flocks are striped, spotted and speckled. For I have seen everything Laban has done to you.

13I am the God of Beth-El where you anointed a memorial stone, where you made a vow to Me. Get up now and leave this land, and return to the land of your relatives.’”

14Then Rachel answered along with Leah and they said to him, “Is there still a portion and inheritance for us in our father’s house?

15Aren’t we considered foreigners to him? For he has sold us and has also completely used up our bridal price.

16For all the riches that God has taken away from our father is for us and for our children. So now, everything God said to you, do it!”

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

18He drove away all his livestock and all his possessions that he had acquired—the livestock in his possession that he acquired in Paddan-aram—to go to his father Isaac, to the land of Canaan.

19But while Laban went to shear his flocks, Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father,

20while Jacob stole the heart from Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.

21He himself fled with everything that belonged to him, and he got up and crossed the River, and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.