Genesis 31:1-27 ▼

1 Then Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has made all this wealth.”

2 And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, it was not friendly toward him as formerly.

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

4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to his flock in the field,

5 and he said to them, “I see your father’s face, that it is not friendly toward me as formerly, but the God of my father has been with me.

6 You also know that I have served your father with all my power.

7 Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to harm me.

8 If he spoke thus, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled; and if he spoke thus, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped.

9 Thus God has delivered your father’s livestock and given them to me.

10 Now it happened at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled.

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

12 He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your kin.’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah said to him, “Do we still have any portion or inheritance in our father’s house?

15 Are we not counted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us and has also entirely consumed our purchase price.

16 Surely all the riches which God has delivered over to us from our father belong to us and our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”

17 Then Jacob arose and put his children and his wives upon camels;

18 and he drove away all his livestock and all his possessions which he had accumulated, his acquired livestock which he had accumulated in Paddan-aram, in order to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac.

19 Now Laban had gone to shear his flock. Then Rachel stole the household idols that were her father’s.

20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was fleeing.

21 So he fled with all that he had; and he arose and crossed the River and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

22 Then it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled;

23 so he took his relatives with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 And God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream of the night and said to him, “Beware lest you speak to Jacob either good or bad.”

25 So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his relatives camped in the hill country of Gilead.

26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword?

27 Why did you flee secretly and deceive me and not tell me—so that I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, with tambourine and with lyre—