the idols of her father. Jacob would not let Laban know of his
departing, and when he was departed with all that longed to him of
right, he came to the mount of Gilead. It was told to Laban, the third
day after, that Jacob was fled and gone, who anon took his brethren and
pursued him by the space of seven days and overtook him in the mount of
Gilead. He saw our Lord in his sleep saying to him: Beware that thou
speak not angrily ne hard words to Jacob. That time Jacob had set his
tabernacle in the hill, and when he came thither with his brethren, he
said to Jacob: Why hast thou done thus to me to take away my daughters
as prisoners taken by sword? Why fleddest thou from me and wouldst not
let me have knowledge thereof? Thou hast not suffered me to kiss my sons
and daughters, thou hast done follily. Now may I do thee harm and evil,
but the God of thy father said to me yesterday: Beware that thou speak
no hard words against Jacob. Thou desirest to go to the house of thy
father, why hast thou stolen my gods? Jacob answered: That I departed
thee not knowing, I dreaded that violently thou wouldst have taken from
me thy daughters. And where thou reprovest me of theft, whosoever have
stolen thy gods let him be slain tofore our brethren. Seek and what thou
findest that is thine, take with thee.

He, saying this, knew not that Rachel had stolen her father's gods. Then
Laban entered the tabernacle of Jacob and Leah, and sought and found
nothing. And when he came into the tabernacle of Rachel, she hied her
and hid the idols under the litter of her camel and sat upon it. And he
sought and found nought. Then said Rachel: Let not my lord be wroth for
I may not arise to thee, for sickness is fallen to me, and so she
deceived her father. Then Jacob, being angry and grudging, said to
Laban: What is my trespass and what have I sinned to thee that thou hast
pursued me, and hast searched everything? What hast thou now founden of
all the substance of thy house? Lay it forth tofore my brethren and thy
brethren, that they judge between me and thee. I have served thee twenty
years and have been with thee, thy sheep and thy goats were never
barren. I have eaten no wethers of thy flock, nor beast hath destroyed
none. I shall make all good what was stolen. I prayed therefore day and
night, I labored both in heat and in cold, sleep fled from mine eyes.
Thus I served thee in thy house twenty years, fourteen for thy daughters
and six for thy flocks.