Genesis 31:1–55

¹ Now Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken away all that belonged to our father and built all this wealth at our father’s expense.” ² And Jacob saw from the countenance of Laban that his attitude toward him had changed. ³ Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your kindred, and I will be with you.” ⁴ So Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were, ⁵ and he told them, “I can see from your father’s countenance that his attitude toward me has changed; but the God of my father has been with me. ⁶ You know that I have served your father with all my strength. ⁷ And although he has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, God has not allowed him to harm me. ⁸ If he said, ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore speckled offspring. If he said, ‘The streaked will be your wages,’ then the whole flock bore streaked offspring. ⁹ Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock and given them to me. ¹⁰ When the flocks were breeding, I saw in a dream that the streaked, spotted, and speckled males were mating with the females. ¹¹ In that dream the angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob!’ And I replied, ‘Here I am.’ ¹² ‘Look up,’ he said, ‘and see that all the males that are mating with the flock are streaked, spotted, or speckled; for I have seen all that Laban has done to you. ¹³ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar and made a solemn vow to Me. Now get up and leave this land at once, and return to your native land.’” ¹⁴ And Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we have any portion or inheritance left in our father’s house? ¹⁵ Are we not regarded by him as outsiders? Not only has he sold us, but he has certainly squandered what was paid for us. ¹⁶ Surely all the wealth that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children. So do whatever God has told you.” ¹⁷ Then Jacob got up and put his children and his wives on camels, ¹⁸ and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan. ¹⁹ Now while Laban was out shearing his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household idols. ²⁰ Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him that he was running away. ²¹ So he fled with all his possessions, crossed the Euphrates, and headed for the hill country of Gilead. ²² On the third day Laban was informed that Jacob had fled. ²³ So he took his relatives with him, pursued Jacob for seven days, and overtook him in the hill country of Gilead. ²⁴ But that night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and warned him, “Be careful not t…