Jacob finally gathers all he has and flees from Laban in order to return to the land of Canaan. There is a verse in this chapter that is often quoted but maybe it does not exactly mean what a lot people think it means.

Genesis 31

Jacob heard the words of Laban’s sons, saying “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s; and has built this wealth from what our father’s.”

2 Jacob saw on the face of Laban that he was not favored  as before.

3 And the Lord said to Jacob “Return to the land of your fathers, and to your kindred, and I will be with you.

4 Jacob sent word and called Rachel and Leah to the field where his flocks were,

5 And said to them “I see that your father does not regard me as before; but the God of my father has been with me.

6 You know that with all my power I have served your father.

7 And your father has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God did not allow him to hurt me.

8 If he said ‘The speckled will be your wages,’ then all the sheep bore speckled: and if he said ‘The striped will be your wages.’ then sheep all bore striped.

9 So God has taken away your father’s sheep and given them to me.

10 At the time the flocks were breeding, I raised my eyes and saw in a dream the male goats that were breeding were striped, speckled, and mottled.

11 Then the angel of God spoke to me in the dream, saying ‘Jacob.’ And I said ‘Here I am.’

12 He said ‘Lift up now your eyes and see, all the male goats which that are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled: for I have seen all that Laban does to you.

13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed the pillar, and where you made a vow to me: now arise, get out from this land, and return to the land of your kindred.’”

14 Rachel and Leah answered him “Is there any portion or inheritance left for us in our father’s house?

15 Are we not counted as strangers to him? For he sold us, and has quite devoured our money as well. 

16 For all the riches which God has taken from our father, that is ours, and our children’s: now then, do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives on camels.

18 He carried away all his livestock, and all the possessions he acquired in Padan-aram, to go back to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 When Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods.

20 Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, by not telling him he intended to flee.

21 So he fled with all that he had, crossed the river, and headed toward the hill country of Gilead.

22 Laban was told on the third day that Jacob had fled.

23 He took his brothers and pursued after him seven days’ journey; and they overtook him in the hill country of Gilead.

24 God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night, and said “Take heed that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.”

25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country: and Laban with his brothers also pitched their tents in the hill country of Gilead.

26 And Laban said to Jacob “What have you done by deceiving me, and carried away my daughters like prisoners of war?

27 Why did you flee secretly, and not tell me, that I might have sent you away with you, and with songs, with tambourines and lyres?

28 But you didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye? You have done so foolishly. 

29 It is in the power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying ‘Take heed that you do not speak to Jacob either good or bad.’

30 And now you have gone away, because you long greatly for your father’s house; but why have you stolen my gods?”

31 Jacob answered “Because I was afraid: for I said, what if you  would take your daughters from me by force?

32 Whomever you find with your gods, let him not live. Before our kinsmen, point out what is yours that is with me and take it.” For Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.”

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, into Leah’s tent, into the two servants’ tents; but he did not find them. Then he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered Rachel’s.

34 Now Rachel had taken the idols, and put them in her camel’s saddlebag and sat on them. Laban searched all about the tent but did not find them.

35 And she said to her father “Do not be upset my lord that I cannot stand before thee; for the way of women is upon me.” And he searched but did not find the images.

36 Jacob grew angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob said to Laban “What is my offense? what is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued after me?

37 Since you have searched all my stuff, what have you found from your household? Set it here before our relatives that they may judge between us both.

38 These twenty years have I been with you; your ewe lambs and female goats have not lost their young, and I have not eaten the rams of your flock.

39 I did not bring to you any that were torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss of them. You demanded it of my hand whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

40 There I was, consumed by the heat of the day and by frost at night; and sleep fled from my eyes.

41 For these twenty years I have been in your house. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your livestock, and you have changed my wages ten times.

42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had not been with me, your would have sent me away witty nothing. God has seen my affliction and the work of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

43 Laban answered Jacob “These daughters are my daughters, these children are my grandchildren, these flocks are my flocks, and all that you see here is mine: and what can I do this day to these my daughters, or to their children whom they have born?

44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be for a witness between me and you.

45 And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.

46 Jacob said unto his family “Gather stones,” and they took stones and made a heap: and they ate there upon the heap.

47 And Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed.  

48 Laban said “This heap is a witness between me and you this day.” Therefore the name of it was called Galeed;  

49 And Mizpah; for he said “The Lord watch between me and you, when we are absent one from another. 

50 If you mistreat my daughters, or take other wives beside my daughters, although no one is with us, know that God is witness between me and you.

51 Look at this mound and see this pillar, which I have set between me and you. 

52 This mound be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this mound to you, and that you shall not pass over this mound and this pillar to me, to do harm.

53 The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

54 Then Jacob offered sacrifice on the mountain, and called his relatives to eat bread: they ate and stayed all night on the mountain.

55 And early in the morning Laban got up, kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them. Laban departed, and returned home.