¶ And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob¹ hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory².

And Jacob beheld the countenance³ of Laban, and, behold, it was⁴ not toward him as before⁵.

And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return⁶ unto the land⁷ of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee⁸.

And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

And said unto them, I see⁹ your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God¹⁰ of my father hath been with me.

¹¹And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times¹²; but God¹³ suffered him not to hurt me.

¹⁴If 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.

¹⁵Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.

¶ And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream¹⁶, and, behold, the rams¹⁷ which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled¹⁸.

And the angel¹⁹ of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I²⁰.

And he said, Lift up²¹ now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen²² all that Laban doeth unto thee.

I am the God²³ of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return²⁴ unto the land of thy kindred.

And Rachel²⁵ and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any²⁶ portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us,²⁷ and hath quite devoured also our money.

For all the riches which God²⁸ hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever²⁹ God hath said unto thee, do.

¶ Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels³⁰;

And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go³¹ to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images³² that were her father's.

¶ And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban³³ the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed³⁴ over the river, and set his³⁵ face toward the mount Gilead³⁶.

³⁷And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.

³⁸And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

And God came to Laban the Syrian³⁹ in a dream⁴⁰ by night, and said unto him, Take heed⁴¹ that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad⁴².

¶⁴³Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

And Laban said to Jacob, What⁴⁴ hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried⁴⁵ away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?

Wherefore⁴⁶ didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me;⁴⁷ and didst not tell me, that I⁴⁸ might have sent thee away with mirth⁴⁹, and with songs, with tabret⁵⁰, and with harp?

And hast not suffered me to kiss⁵¹ my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly⁵² in so doing.

It is in the power⁵³ of my hand to do you hurt: but the God⁵⁴ of your father spake unto me yesternight⁵⁵, saying, Take⁵⁶ thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

¶ And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods⁵⁷?

And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because⁵⁸ I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

With whomsoever⁵⁹ thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before⁶⁰ our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob⁶¹ knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's⁶² 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.

Now Rachel had taken⁶³ the images, and put them in the camel's furniture⁶⁴, and sat upon them. And Laban searched⁶⁵ all the tent, but found them not.

And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord⁶⁶ that I cannot rise up⁶⁷ before thee; for the custom⁶⁸ of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.

¶ And Jacob was wroth⁶⁹, 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?

Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here⁷⁰ before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.

This twenty⁷¹ years have I been with thee; thy ewes⁷² and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams⁷³ of thy flock have I not eaten.

That which was torn of⁷⁴ beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare⁷⁵ the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen⁷⁶ by night.

¶⁷⁷Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen⁷⁸ years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times⁷⁹.

Except⁸⁰ the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear⁸¹ of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen⁸² mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

¶ And 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?

Now therefore come thou, let us⁸³ make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness⁸⁴ between me and thee.

⁸⁵And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

And Jacob said unto his brethren⁸⁶, Gather⁸⁷ stones; and they took stones, and made an heap⁸⁸: and they did eat there upon the heap.

And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha⁸⁹: but Jacob called it Galeed.

And Laban said, This heap⁹⁰ is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed⁹¹;

And Mizpah⁹²; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

¶ If thou shalt afflict⁹³ my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God⁹⁴ is witness betwixt me and thee.

And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast⁹⁵ betwixt me and thee;

This heap be witness⁹⁶, 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.

The God of Abraham⁹⁷, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father⁹⁸, judge⁹⁹ betwixt us. And Jacob sware¹⁰⁰ by the fear¹⁰¹ of his father Isaac.

Then Jacob offered sacrifice¹⁰² upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat¹⁰³ bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed¹⁰⁴ his sons and his daughters, and blessed¹⁰⁵ them: and Laban departed, and returned¹⁰⁶ unto his place.