Laban

But then he heard what Lavan's sons were saying: "Ya'akov has taken away everything that our father once had. It's from what used to belong to our father that he has gotten so rich."

He also saw that Lavan regarded him differently than before.

He continued, 'Raise your eyes now, and look: all the male goats mating with the females are streaked, speckled and mottled; for I have seen everything Lavan has been doing to you.

Now Lavan had gone to shear his sheep, so Rachel stole the household idols that belonged to her father,

and Ya'akov outwitted Lavan the Arami by not telling him of his intended flight.

Not until the third day was Lavan told that Ya'akov had fled.

But God came to Lavan the Arami in a dream that night and said to him, "Be careful that you don't say anything to Ya'akov, either good or bad."

When Lavan caught up with Ya'akov, Ya'akov had set up camp in the hill-country; so Lavan and his kinsmen set up camp in the hill-country of Gil'ad.

Lavan said to Ya'akov, "What do you mean by deceiving me and carrying off my daughters as if they were captives taken in war?

Ya'akov answered Lavan, "Because I was afraid. I said, 'Suppose you take your daughters away from me by force?'

Lavan went into Ya'akov's tent, then into Le'ah's tent and into the tent of the two slave-girls; but he did not find them. He left Le'ah's tent and entered Rachel's tent.

Now Rachel had taken the household gods, put them in the saddle of the camel and was sitting on them. Lavan felt all around the tent but did not find them.

Then Ya'akov became angry and started arguing with Lavan. "What have I done wrong?" he demanded. "What is my offense, that you have come after me in hot pursuit?

Lavan answered Ya'akov, "The daughters are mine, the children are mine, the flocks are mine, and everything you see is mine! But what can I do today about these daughters of mine or the children they have borne?

Lavan called it Y'gar-Sahaduta ["pile of witness" in Aramaic], while Ya'akov called it Gal-'Ed ["pile of witness" in Hebrew].

Lavan said, "This pile witnesses between me and you today."This is why it is called Gal-'Ed

Lavan also said to Ya'akov, "Here is this pile, and here is this standing-stone, which I have set up between me and you.

Early in the morning Lavan got up, kissed his sons and daughters, and blessed them. Then Lavan left and returned to his own place.

with these instructions: "Here is what you are to say to my lord 'Esav: 'Your servant Ya'akov says, "I have been living with Lavan and have stayed until now.

These were the children of Zilpah, whom Lavan gave to Le'ah his daughter; she bore them to Ya'akov - sixteen people.

These were the sons of Bilhah, whom Lavan gave to Rachel his daughter; she bore them to Ya'akov - in sum, seven people.