Jacob Tends the Flocks of Laban. 

Genesis 30:25-43

Bible Stories

Genesis 30:25 But when Joseph was born, Jacob said to his fatherin- law: “Release me, so that I may return to my native country and to my land.

Genesis 30:26 Give me my wives, and my children, for whom I have served you, so that I may depart. You know the servitude with which I have served you.”

Genesis 30:27 Laban said to him: “May I find grace in your sight. I have learned by experience that God has blessed me because of you.

Genesis 30:28 Choose your wages, which I will give you.”

Genesis 30:29 But he responded: “You know how I have served you, and how great your possession became in my hands.

Genesis 30:30 You had little before I came to you, and now you have achieved riches. And the Lord has blessed you since my arrival. It is just, therefore, that at sometime I also should provide for my own house.”

Genesis 30:31 And Laban said, “What shall I give to you?” But he said, “I want nothing. But if you will do what I ask, I will feed and guard your sheep again.

Genesis 30:32 Go around through all your flocks and separate all the sheep of variegated or spotted fleece; and whatever will be darkened or blemished or variegated, as much among the sheep as among the goats, will be my wages.

Genesis 30:33 And my justice will answer on my behalf tomorrow, when the time of settlement arrives before you. And all that is not variegated or blemished or darkened, as much among the sheep as among the goats, these will prove me to be a thief.” Genesis 30:34 And Laban said, “I hold favor for this request.”

Genesis 30:35 And on that day he separated the she-goats, and the sheep, and the he-goats, and the rams with variegations or with blemishes. But every one of the flock which was of one color, that is, of white or of black fleece, he delivered into the hands of his sons.

Genesis 30:36 And he established a distance of three days journey between himself and his son-in-law, who pastured the remainder of his flock.

Genesis 30:37 Then Jacob, taking green branches of poplar, and almond, and sycamore trees, debarked them in part. And when the bark was pulled off, in the parts that were stripped, there appeared whiteness, yet the parts that were left whole, remained green. And so, in this way the color was made variegated.

Genesis 30:38 And he placed them in the troughs, where the water was poured out, so that when the flocks had arrived to drink, they would have the branches before their eyes, and in their sight they might conceive.

Genesis 30:39 And it happened that, in the very heat of joining together, the sheep looked upon the branches, and they bore the blemished and the variegated, those speckled with diverse color.

Genesis 30:40 And Jacob divided the flock, and he set the branches in the troughs before the eyes of the rams. Now whatever was white or black belonged to Laban, but, in truth, the others belonged to Jacob, for the flocks were dispersed among one another.

Genesis 30:41 Therefore, when the first to arrive were climbing on the ewes, Jacob placed the branches in the troughs of water before the eyes of the rams and the sheep, so that they might conceive while they were gazing upon them.

Genesis 30:42 Yet when the late arrivals and the last to conceive were let in, he did not place these. And so those that arrived late became Laban’s, and those that arrived first became Jacob’s.

Genesis 30:43 And the man was enriched beyond limit, and he had many flocks, women servants and men servants, camels and donkeys.