Genesis 31:25-35

English Standard Version

²⁵ And Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsmen pitched tents in the hill country of Gilead. ²⁶ And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done, that you have ^(A)tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? ²⁷ Why did you flee secretly ^(B)and trick me, and did not tell me, so that I might have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre? ²⁸ And why did you not permit me ^(C)to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. ²⁹ It is ^(D)in my power to do you harm. But the ^(E)God of your^[a] father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, ^(F)either good or bad.’ ³⁰ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you ^(G)steal my gods?” ³¹ Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. ^32 (H)Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsmen point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

³³ So Laban went into Jacob's tent and into Leah's tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah's tent and entered Rachel's. ³⁴ Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel's saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about the tent, but did not find them. ³⁵ And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot ^(I)rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.