¹ And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob has taken away all that was our father's, and of what was our father's he has acquired all this glory.

² And Jacob saw the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as previously.

³ And Jehovah said to Jacob, Return into the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

⁴ And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the fields to his flock,

⁵ and said to them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as previously; but the God of my father has been with me.

⁶ And you know that with all my power I have served your father.

⁷ And your father has mocked me, and has changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

⁸ If he said thus; The speckled shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore speckled; and if he said thus: The ringstraked shall be thy hire, then all the flocks bore ringstraked.

⁹ And God has taken away the cattle of your father, and given [them] to me.

¹⁰ And it came to pass at the time of the ardour of the flocks, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams that leaped upon the flocks were ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.

¹¹ And the Angel of God said to me in a dream, Jacob! And I said, Here am I.

¹² And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see: all the rams that leap upon the flock are ringstraked, speckled, and spotted; for I have seen all that Laban does to thee.

¹³ I am the ùGod of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, where thou vowedst a vow to me. Now arise, depart out of this land, and return to the land of thy kindred.

¹⁴ And Rachel and Leah answered and said to him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

¹⁵ Are we not reckoned of him strangers? for he has sold us, and has even constantly devoured our money.

¹⁶ For all the wealth that God has taken from our father is ours and our children's; and now whatever God has said to thee do.

¹⁷ And Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels,

¹⁸ and carried away all his cattle, and all his property that he had acquired -- the cattle of his possessions that he had acquired in Padan-Aram, to go to Isaac his father, into the land of Canaan.

¹⁹ And Laban had gone to shear his sheep. And Rachel stole the teraphim that [belonged] to her father.

²⁰ And Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he did not tell him that he fled.

²¹ And he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face [toward] mount Gilead.

²² And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

²³ And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey, and overtook him on mount Gilead.

²⁴ And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, Take care thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

²⁵ And Laban came up with Jacob; and Jacob had pitched his tent on the mountain; Laban also with his brethren pitched on mount Gilead.

²⁶ And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast deceived me, and hast carried away my daughters as captives of war?

²⁷ Why didst thou flee away covertly, and steal away from me, and didst not tell me, that I might have conducted thee with mirth and with songs, with tambour and with harp;

²⁸ and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now thou hast acted foolishly.

²⁹ It would be in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, Take care that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.

³⁰ And now that thou must needs be gone, because thou greatly longedst after thy father's house, why hast thou stolen my gods?

³¹ And Jacob answered and said to Laban, I was afraid; for I said, Lest thou shouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

³² With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, he shall not live. Before our brethren discern what is thine with me, and take [it] to thee. But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

³³ And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two handmaids' tents, and found nothing; and he went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the teraphim and put them under the camel's saddle; and she sat upon them. And Laban explored all the tent, but found nothing.

³⁵ And she said to her father, Let it not be an occasion of anger in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, for it is with me after the manner of women. And he searched carefully, but did not find the teraphim.

³⁶ And Jacob was angry, and he disputed with Laban. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my fault, what my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

³⁷ Whereas thou hast explored all my baggage, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? Set [it] here before my brethren and thy brethren, and let them decide between us both.

³⁸ These twenty years have I been with thee: thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock I have not eaten.

³⁹ What was torn I have not brought to thee; I had to bear the loss of it: of my hand hast thou required it, [whether] stolen by day or stolen by night.

⁴⁰ Thus it was with me: in the day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes.

⁴¹ I have been these twenty years in thy house: I have served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

⁴² Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, been with me, it is certain thou wouldest have sent me away now empty. God has looked upon my affliction and the labour of my hands, and has judged last night.

⁴³ And Laban answered and said to Jacob, The daughters are my daughters, and the sons are my sons, and the flock is my flock, and all that thou seest is mine; but as for my daughters, what can I do this day to them, or to their sons whom they have brought forth?

⁴⁴ And now, come, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be a witness between me and thee.

⁴⁵ And Jacob took a stone, and set it up [for] a pillar.

⁴⁶ And Jacob said to his brethren, Gather stones. And they took stones, and made a heap, and ate there upon the heap.

⁴⁷ And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.

⁴⁸ And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed,

⁴⁹ -- and Mizpah; for he said, Let Jehovah watch between me and thee, when we shall be hidden one from another:

⁵⁰ if thou shouldest afflict my daughters, or if thou shouldest take wives besides my daughters, -- no man is with us; see, God is witness between me and thee!

⁵¹ And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold the pillar which I have set up between me and thee:

⁵² [let] this heap be witness, and the pillar a witness, that neither I pass this heap [to go] to thee, nor thou pass this heap and this pillar [to come] to me, for harm.

⁵³ The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us! And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

⁵⁴ And Jacob offered a sacrifice upon the mountain, and invited his brethren to eat bread: and they ate bread, and lodged on the mountain.

⁵⁵ And Laban rose early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them; and Laban went and returned to his place.

¹ He heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob has taken away all that was our father's. From that which was our father's, has he gotten all this wealth."

² Jacob saw the expression on Laban's face, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.

³ Yahweh said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your fathers, and to your relatives, and I will be with you."

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

⁵ and said to them, "I see the expression on your father's face, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

⁶ You know that I have served your father with all of my strength.

⁷ Your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God didn't allow him to hurt me.

⁸ If he said this, 'The speckled will be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled. If he said this, 'The streaked will be your wages,' then all the flock bore streaked.

⁹ Thus God has taken away your father's livestock, and given them to me.

¹⁰ It happened during mating season that I lifted up my eyes, and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which leaped on the flock were streaked, speckled, and grizzled.

¹¹ The angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am.'

¹² He said, 'Now lift up your eyes, and behold, all the male goats which leap on the flock are streaked, speckled, and grizzled, for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.'"

¹⁴ Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

¹⁵ Aren't we accounted by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and has also quite devoured our money.

¹⁶ For all the riches which God has taken away from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatever God has said to you, do."

¹⁷ Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on the camels,

¹⁸ and he took away all his livestock, and all his possessions which he had gathered, including the livestock which he had gained in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

¹⁹ Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep: and Rachel stole the teraphim that were her father's.

²⁰ Jacob deceived Laban the Syrian, in that he didn't tell him that he was running away.

²¹ So he fled with all that he had. He rose up, passed over the River, and set his face toward the mountain of Gilead.

²² Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

²³ He took his relatives with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey. He overtook him in the mountain of Gilead.

²⁴ God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad."

²⁵ Laban caught up with Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountain, and Laban with his relatives encamped in the mountain of Gilead.

²⁶ Laban said to Jacob, "What have you done, that you have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword?

²⁷ Why did you flee secretly, and deceive me, and didn't tell me, that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tambourine and with harp;

²⁸ and didn't allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now have you done foolishly.

²⁹ It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad.'

³⁰ Now, you want to be gone, because you greatly longed for your father's house, but why have you stolen my gods?"

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, "Because I was afraid, for I said, 'Lest you should take your daughters from me by force.'

³² Anyone you find your gods with shall not live. Before our relatives, discern what is yours with me, and take it." For Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen them.

³³ Laban went into Jacob's tent, into Leah's tent, and into the tent of the two female servants; but he didn't find them. He went out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the teraphim, put them in the camel's saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt about all the tent, but didn't find them.

³⁵ She said to her father, "Don't let my lord be angry that I can't rise up before you; for I'm having my period." He searched, but didn't find the teraphim.

³⁶ Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued after me?

³⁷ Now that you have felt around in all my stuff, what have you found of all your household stuff? Set it here before my relatives and your relatives, that they may judge between us two.

³⁸ "These twenty years I have been with you. Your ewes and your female goats have not cast their young, and I haven't eaten the rams of your flocks.

³⁹ That which was torn of animals, I didn't bring to you. I bore its loss. Of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

⁴⁰ This was my situation: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from my eyes.

⁴¹ These twenty years I have been in your house. I served you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

⁴² Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty. God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked you last night."

⁴³ Laban answered Jacob, "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have borne?

⁴⁴ Now come, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you."

⁴⁵ Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

⁴⁶ Jacob said to his relatives, "Gather stones." They took stones, and made a heap. They ate there by the heap.

⁴⁷ Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, but Jacob called it Galeed.

⁴⁸ Laban said, "This heap is witness between me and you this day." Therefore it was named Galeed

⁴⁹ and Mizpah, for he said, "Yahweh watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another.

⁵⁰ If you afflict my daughters, or if you take wives besides my daughters, no man is with us; behold, God is witness between me and you."

⁵¹ Laban said to Jacob, "See this heap, and see the pillar, which I have set between me and you.

⁵² May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.

⁵³ The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." Then Jacob swore by the fear of his father, Isaac.

⁵⁴ Jacob offered a sacrifice in the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread. They ate bread, and stayed all night in the mountain.

⁵⁵ Early in the morning, Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed and returned to his place.