Genesis 31:17-32

English Standard Version

¹⁷ So Jacob arose and set his sons and his wives on camels. ¹⁸ He drove away all his livestock, all his property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in ^(A)Paddan-aram, to go to the land of Canaan to his father Isaac. ¹⁹ Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father's ^(B)household gods. ²⁰ And Jacob tricked^[a] Laban the Aramean, by not telling him that he intended to flee. ²¹ He fled with all that he had and arose and crossed the ^(C)Euphrates,^[b] and ^(D)set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.

²² When it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled, ²³ he took his kinsmen with him and pursued him for seven days and followed close after him into the hill country of Gilead. ²⁴ But God came to Laban the Aramean ^(E)in a dream by night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, ^(F)either good or bad.”

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 ^(G)tricked me and driven away my daughters like captives of the sword? ²⁷ Why did you flee secretly ^(H)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 ^(I)to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? Now you have done foolishly. ²⁹ It is ^(J)in my power to do you harm. But the ^(K)God of your^[c] father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, ^(L)either good or bad.’ ³⁰ And now you have gone away because you longed greatly for your father's house, but why did you ^(M)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 (N)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.