Jacob and His Family Flee from Laban

31:1-21

31 Then he heard the words of the sons of Laban, who were saying, “Jacob has taken everything that belonged to our father, and from what belonged to our father he has gained all this wealth!” 2 And Jacob saw the face of Laban, and behold, he was not with him as yesterday and three days ago. 3 Then Yahweh said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4 Then Jacob sent and called for Rachel and Leah to the field to his flocks. 5 Then he said to them, “I have seen the face of your father, that he is not toward me as yesterday and three days ago, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 And you know that with all my might I have served your father, 7 but your father has deceived me and changed my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said like this: ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore speckled young. But if he said like this: ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God took away the livestock of your father and gave them to me.

10 “And it happened in the season the flocks were in heat, and I lifted my eyes and saw in a dream that, behold, the he-goats that were mounting the flocks were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 11 Then an angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob!’ and I said, ‘Behold me.’ 12 Then he said, ‘Please lift up your eyes and see all the he-goats that are mounting the flocks are streaked, speckled, and spotted, because I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you vowed a vow to me. Now get up, go out from this land, and return to the land of your birth.’ ”

14 Then Rachel replied, and Leah, and they said to him, “Is there still for us a portion or inheritance in the house of our father? 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he sold us, and he has indeed completely eaten up our silver. 16 For all the wealth that God took from our father belongs to us and to our children. So now, do all that God has said to you.”

17 So Jacob got up and put his sons and his wives on the camels. 18 Then he drove all his livestock and all his property that he had acquired, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan Aram, to go to Isaac his father, to the land of Canaan.

19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, so Rachel stole the idols that belonged to her father, 20 and Jacob stole the heart of Laban the Aramean by not informing him that he was fleeing. 21 And he fled and all that belonged to him. And he got up and crossed the River and set his face toward the mountains of Gilead.