Laban Pursues Jacob

²² On the third day^(A) Laban was told that Jacob had fled.^{(B) 23} Taking his relatives^(C) with him^(D), he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.^{(E) 24} Then God came to Laban the Aramean^(F) in a dream at night and said to him,^(G) “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”^(H)

²⁵ Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead^(I) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. ²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(J) You’ve deceived me,^(K) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(L) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(M) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(N) and harps?^{(O) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(P) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(Q) but last night the God of your father^(R) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(S) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(T) But why did you steal^(U) my gods?^(V)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(W) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(X) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.^(Y)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(Z) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(AA) but he found nothing.^(AB) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(AC) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(AD) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(AE) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

³⁵ Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;^(AF) I’m having my period.^(AG)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(AH)

³⁶ Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged^(AI) you that you hunt me down?^{(AJ) 37} Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?^(AK) Put it here in front of your relatives^(AL) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.^(AM)

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(AN) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(AO) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. ³⁹ I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen^(AP) by day or night.^{(AQ) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(AR) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(AS) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(AT) and six years for your flocks,^(AU) and you changed my wages^(AV) ten times.^{(AW) 42} If the God of my father,^(AX) the God of Abraham^(AY) and the Fear of Isaac,^(AZ) had not been with me,^(BA) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(BB) and last night he rebuked you.^(BC)”