Genesis 31:1-16

     Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, "Jacob has taken all that was our father's; he has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father."¹ And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him as favorably as he did before.²
     Then the LORD said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your ancestors and to your kindred, and I will be with you."³
     So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was, and said to them, "I see that your father does not regard me as favorably as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.⁴ You know that I have served your father with all my strength; yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me. If he said, 'The speckled shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said, 'The striped shall be your wages,' then all the flock bore striped.⁵ Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father, and given them to me. During the mating of the flock I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats that leaped upon the flock were striped, speckled, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, 'Jacob,' and I said, 'Here I am!⁶' And he said, 'Look up and see that all the goats that leap on the flock are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you.⁷ I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and return to the land of your birth.'"
     Then Rachel and Leah answered him, "Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father's house? Are we not regarded by him as foreigners?⁸ For he has sold us, and he has been using up the money given for us. All the property⁹ that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you."

^[1] Jacob's trickery, which had been in response to Laban's trickery, now leads to more conflict.
^[2] Duh.
^[3] God suggests a peaceful means of avoiding the conflict.
^[4] I read this as Jacob laying all the blame on Laban here, using his own chosen status as evidence of his own moral supremacy. Since I assume that someone who explicitly points out their favored status is implying that they deserve it, I see Jacob's actions as bragging. But they could actually be just a detailing of the facts in this case.
^[5] This is not the same story we just heard. My Study Bible explains that the previous passage was a Yahwist account, while this is an Elohist passage.
^[6] "Here I am" is clearly the favored way to respond to a personal call from God, much more prevalent than I had thought before.
^[7] Certainly establishes who is in the right!
^[8] Strong words.
^[9] Focus is on the family wealth, the means of security.


Take-home: A different account of Jacob's acquisition of wealth tells it to be a direct result of God's judgement of Laban's actions. God speaks to Jacob, telling him to avoid more conflict by returning home. Jacob's primary wives are taken into his confidence and stand with him in solidarity.