1And he heard the words of Laban’s sons , saying , Jacob hath taken away all that was our father’s ; and of that which was our father’s hath he gotten all this glory . 2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban , and, behold, it was not toward him as before . 3And the LORD said unto Jacob , Return unto the land of thy fathers , and to thy kindred ; and I will be with thee. 4And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock , 5And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance , that it is not toward me as before ; but the God of my father hath been with me. 6And ye know that with all my power I have served your father . 7And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times ; but God suffered him not to hurt me . 8If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages ; then all the cattle bare speckled : and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire ; then bare all the cattle ringstraked . 9Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father , and given them to me. 10And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived , that I lifted up mine eyes , and saw in a dream , and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked , speckled , and grisled . 11And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream , saying , Jacob : And I said , Here am I. 12And he said , Lift up now thine eyes , and see , all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked , speckled , and grisled : for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. 13I am the God of Beth-el , where thou anointedst the pillar , and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise , get thee out from this land , and return unto the land of thy kindred . 14And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house ? 15Are we not counted of him strangers ? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money . 16For all the riches which God hath taken from our father , that is ours, and our children’s : now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do . 17Then Jacob rose up , and set his sons and his wives upon camels ; 18And he carried away all his cattle , and all his goods which he had gotten , the cattle of his getting , which he had gotten in Padan-aram , for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan . 19And Laban went to shear his sheep : and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father’s . 20And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian , in that he told him not that he fled . 21So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up , and passed over the river , and set his face toward the mount Gilead .
Laban Pursues Jacob
22And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled . 23And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days’ journey ; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead . 24And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night , and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad . 25Then Laban overtook Jacob . Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount : and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead . 26And Laban said to Jacob , What hast thou done , that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters , as captives taken with the sword ? 27Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly , and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth , and with songs , with tabret , and with harp ? 28And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters ? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing . 29It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt : but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight , saying , Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad . 30And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone , because thou sore longedst after thy father’s house , yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods ? 31And Jacob answered and said to Laban , Because I was afraid : for I said , Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me. 32With whomsoever thou findest thy gods , let him not live : before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them. 33And Laban went into Jacob’s tent , and into Leah’s tent , and into the two maidservants’ tents ; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent , and entered into Rachel’s tent . 34Now Rachel had taken the images , and put them in the camel’s furniture , and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent , but found them not. 35And she said to her father , Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee ; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched , but found not the images .
The Covenant at Mizpah
36And Jacob was wroth , and chode with Laban : and Jacob answered and said to Laban , What is my trespass ? what is my sin , that thou hast so hotly pursued after me ? 37Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff , what hast thou found of all thy household stuff ? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren , that they may judge betwixt us both . 38This 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 . 39That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day , or stolen by night . 40Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night ; and my sleep departed from mine eyes . 41Thus 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 . 42Except the God of my father , the God of Abraham , and the fear of Isaac , had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty . God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands , and rebuked thee yesternight . 43And Laban answered and said unto Jacob , These daughters are my daughters , and these children are my children , and these cattle are my cattle , and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters , or unto their children which they have born ? 44Now therefore come thou , let us make a covenant , I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. 45And Jacob took a stone , and set it up for a pillar . 46And Jacob said unto his brethren , Gather stones ; and they took stones , and made an heap : and they did eat there upon the heap . 47And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha : but Jacob called it Galeed . 48And Laban said , This heap is a witness between me and thee this day . Therefore was the name of it called Galeed ; 49And Mizpah ; for he said , The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another . 50If thou shalt afflict my daughters , or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters , no man is with us; see , God is witness betwixt me and thee. 51And Laban said to Jacob , Behold this heap , and behold this pillar , which I have cast betwixt me and thee; 52This heap be witness , and this pillar be witness , that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm . 53The God of Abraham , and the God of Nahor , the God of their father , judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac . 54Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount , and called his brethren to eat bread : and they did eat bread , and tarried all night in the mount . 55And early in the morning Laban rose up , and kissed his sons and his daughters , and blessed them: and Laban departed , and returned unto his place .