12. He said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, or spotted, because I have seen everything that Laban is doing to you.
13. I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, where you poured olive oil on a stone marker for a holy purpose and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land, and go back to the land of your relatives.’ ”
14. Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there anything left in our father’s household for us to inherit?
15. Doesn’t he think of us as foreigners? Not only did he sell us, but he has used up the money that was paid for us.
16. Certainly, all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. Now do whatever God has told you.”
17. Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels.
18. He drove all his livestock ahead of him and took all the possessions that he had accumulated. He took his own livestock that he had accumulated in Paddan Aram and went back to his father Isaac in Canaan.
19. When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s idols.
20. Jacob also tricked Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was leaving.
21. So he left in a hurry with all that belonged to him. He crossed the Euphrates River and went toward the mountains of Gilead.
22. Two days later Laban was told that Jacob had left in a hurry.
23. He and his relatives pursued Jacob for seven days. Laban caught up with him in the mountains of Gilead.
24. God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.”
25. When Laban finally caught up with Jacob, Jacob had put up his tents in the mountains. So Laban and his relatives put up their tents in the mountains of Gilead.
26. Then Laban asked Jacob, “What have you done by tricking me? You’ve carried off my daughters like prisoners of war.
27. Why did you leave secretly and trick me? You didn’t even tell me you were leaving. I would have sent you on your way rejoicing, with songs accompanied by tambourines and lyres.
28. You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters. You’ve done a foolish thing.
29. I have the power to harm you. Last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything at all to Jacob.’
30. Now you have left for your father’s home because you were so homesick. But why did you steal my gods?”
31. Jacob answered Laban, “I left because I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.