²⁶ Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?^(A) You’ve deceived me,^(B) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.^{(C) 27} Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,^(D) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels^(E) and harps?^{(F) 28} You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.^(G) You have done a foolish thing. ²⁹ I have the power to harm you;^(H) but last night the God of your father^(I) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’^{(J) 30} Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.^(K) But why did you steal^(L) my gods?^(M)”

³¹ Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.^{(N) 32} But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.^(O) 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.^(P)

³³ So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent^(Q) and into the tent of the two female servants,^(R) but he found nothing.^(S) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods^(T) and put them inside her camel’s saddle^(U) and was sitting on them. Laban searched^(V) 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;^(W) I’m having my period.^(X)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.^(Y)

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

³⁸ “I have been with you for twenty years now.^(AE) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,^(AF) 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^(AG) by day or night.^{(AH) 40} This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.^{(AI) 41} It was like this for the twenty years^(AJ) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters^(AK) and six years for your flocks,^(AL) and you changed my wages^(AM) ten times.^{(AN) 42} If the God of my father,^(AO) the God of Abraham^(AP) and the Fear of Isaac,^(AQ) had not been with me,^(AR) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,^(AS) and last night he rebuked you.^(AT)”