Genesis 31:22-42
Laban Pursues Jacob
22Then it was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled; 23so he took his 1relatives with him and pursued him a distance of seven days’ journey, and he overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. 24aAnd God came to Laban the Aramean in a bdream of the night and said to him, “1,cBeware lest you speak to Jacob either good or bad.”
25So Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his 1relatives camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done 1by deceiving me and carrying away my daughters like captives of the sword? 27“Why did you flee secretly and 1deceive me and not tell me—so that I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs, with atambourine and with blyre— 28and not allow me ato kiss my sons and my daughters? Now you have acted foolishly. 29“It is in my hand to do evil against you, but athe God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘1,bBeware of speaking either good or evil to Jacob.’ 30“So now you have indeed gone away because you longed greatly for your father’s house; but why did you steal amy gods?” 31Then Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, because I said, ‘Lest you take your daughters from me by force.’ 32“aThe one with whom you find your gods shall not live; in the presence of our 1relatives recognize what is yours 2among my belongings and take it for yourself.” But 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 maidservants, but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent. 34Now Rachel had taken the 1household 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. 35And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot arise before you, for the manner of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the 1,bhousehold idols.
36Then Jacob became angry and contended with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, “What is my transgression? What is my sin that you have hotly pursued me? 37“Though you have felt through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Place it here before my 1relatives and your 2relatives, that they may decide between us two. 38“These 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. 39“That 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. 40“Thus I was: by day the 1heat consumed me and the frost by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41“These twenty years I have been in your house; aI served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you bchanged my wages ten times. 42“If athe God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the dread of Isaac, had not been for me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. bGod has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, so He crendered the decision last night.”