Genesis:31:23-47
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Then he took his brethren with him and pursued him for seven days '
journey ,
and he overtook him in the mountains of Gilead .
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But God had come to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night ,
and said to him , "
Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad ."
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So Laban overtook Jacob .
Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mountains ,
and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mountains of Gilead .
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And Laban said to Jacob : "
What have you done ,
that you have stolen away unknown to me ,
and carried away my daughters like captives taken with the sword ?
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Why did you flee away secretly ,
and steal away from me ,
and not tell me ;
for I might have sent you away with joy and songs ,
with timbrel and harp ?
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And you did not allow me to kiss my sons and my daughters .
Now you have done foolishly in so doing .
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It is in my power to do you harm ,
but the God of your father spoke to me last night ,
saying , "
Be careful that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad .'
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And now you have surely gone because you greatly long for your father '
s house ,
but why did you steal my gods ?"
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Then Jacob answered and said to Laban , "
Because I was afraid ,
for I said , "
Perhaps you would take your daughters from me by force .'
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With whomever you find your gods ,
do not let him live .
In the presence of our brethren ,
identify what I have of yours and take it with you ."
For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them .
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And Laban went into Jacob '
s tent ,
into Leah '
s tent ,
and into the two maids '
tents ,
but he did not find them .
Then he went out of Leah '
s tent and entered Rachel '
s tent .
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Now Rachel had taken the household idols ,
put them in the camel '
s saddle ,
and sat on them .
And Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them .
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And she said to her father , "
Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise before you ,
for the manner of women is with me ."
And he searched but did not find the household idols .
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Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban ,
and Jacob answered and said to Laban : "
What is my trespass ?
What is my sin ,
that you have so hotly pursued me ?
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Although you have searched all my things ,
what part of your household things have you found ?
Set it here before my brethren and your brethren ,
that they may judge between us both !
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These twenty years I have been with you ;
your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried their young ,
and I have not eaten the rams of your flock .
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That which was torn by beasts I did not bring to you ;
I bore the loss of it .
You required it from my hand ,
whether stolen by day or stolen by night .
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There I was !
In the day the drought consumed me ,
and the frost by night ,
and my sleep departed from my eyes .
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Thus I have been in your house twenty years ;
I served you fourteen years for your two daughters ,
and six years for your flock ,
and you have changed my wages ten times .
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Unless the God of my father ,
the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac ,
had been with me ,
surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed .
God has seen my affliction and the labor of my hands ,
and rebuked you last night ."
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And Laban answered and said to Jacob , "
These daughters are my daughters ,
and these children are my children ,
and this flock is my flock ;
all that you see is mine .
But what can I do this day to these my daughters or to their children whom they have borne ?
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Now therefore ,
come ,
let us make a covenant ,
you and I ,
and let it be a witness between you and me ."
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So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar .
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Then Jacob said to his brethren , "
Gather stones ."
And they took stones and made a heap ,
and they ate there on the heap .
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Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha ,
but Jacob called it Galeed .
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