21. He left with all he owned. He quickly crossed the Euphrates River and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
22. Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left.
23. So he took his relatives with him and pursued Jacob for seven days. He caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.
24. But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and warned him, “Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.”
25. Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too.
26. “What have you done?” Laban demanded of Jacob. “You’ve deceived me and carried away my daughters as if they were captives of war!
27. Why did you run away secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me so I could send you off with a celebration complete with singing, tambourines, and harps?
28. You didn’t even allow me to kiss my daughters and my grandchildren good-bye. You have acted foolishly!
29. I have the power to do you harm, but the God of your father told me last night, ‘Be careful that you neither bless nor curse Jacob.’
30. Now I understand that you have gone away because you longed desperately for your father’s house. Yet why did you steal my gods?”
31. “I left secretly because I was afraid!” Jacob replied to Laban. “I thought you might take your daughters away from me by force.