16. God took all this wealth from our father, and now it belongs to us and our children. So you should do whatever God told you to do.”
17. So Jacob prepared for the trip. He put his children and his wives on camels.
18. Then they began traveling back to the land of Canaan, where his father lived. All the flocks of animals that Jacob owned walked ahead of them. He carried everything with him that he had gotten while he lived in Paddan Aram.
19. While Laban was gone to cut the wool from his sheep, Rachel went into his house and stole the false gods that belonged to her father.
20. Jacob tricked Laban the Aramean. He did not tell Laban he was leaving.
21. Jacob took his family and everything he owned and left quickly. They crossed the Euphrates River and traveled toward the hill country of Gilead.
22. Three days later Laban learned that Jacob had run away.
23. So he gathered his men together and began to chase Jacob. After seven days Laban found Jacob near the hill country of Gilead.
24. That night God came to Laban in a dream and said, “Be careful! Be careful of every word you say to Jacob.”
25. The next morning Laban caught up with Jacob. Jacob had set up his camp on the mountain, so Laban and all his men set up their camp in the hill country of Gilead.
26. Laban said to Jacob, “Why did you trick me? Why did you take my daughters like they were women you captured during war?
27. Why did you run away without telling me? If you had told me, I would have given you a party. There would have been singing and dancing with music.
28. You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You were very foolish to do this!
29. I have the power to really hurt you. But last night the God of your father came to me in a dream. He warned me not to hurt you in any way.