Study Desk

Let me take my wives and children, for I have earned them by serving you, and let me be on my way. You certainly know how hard I have worked for you."

"Please listen to me," Laban replied. "I have become wealthy, for the Lord has blessed me because of you.

Jacob replied, "You know how hard I've worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care.

You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The Lord has blessed you through everything I've done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?"

who took them a three-days' journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban's flock.

Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated.

You know how hard I have worked for your father,

For if he said, ‘The speckled animals will be your wages,' the whole flock began to produce speckled young. And when he changed his mind and said, ‘The striped animals will be your wages,' then the whole flock produced striped young.

"The angel said, ‘Look up, and you will see that only the streaked, speckled, and spotted males are mating with the females of your flock. For I have seen how Laban has treated you.

He has reduced our rights to those of foreign women. And after he sold us, he wasted the money you paid him for us.

and he drove all his livestock in front of him. He packed all the belongings he had acquired in Paddan-aram and set out for the land of Canaan, where his father, Isaac, lived.

Jacob outwitted Laban the Aramean, for they set out secretly and never told Laban they were leaving.

So Jacob took all his possessions with him and crossed the Euphrates River, heading for the hill country of Gilead.

I can understand your feeling that you must go, and your intense longing for your father's home. But why have you stolen my gods?"

But as for your gods, see if you can find them, and let the person who has taken them die! And if you find anything else that belongs to you, identify it before all these relatives of ours, and I will give it back!" But Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the household idols.

she said to her father, "Please, sir, forgive me if I don't get up for you. I'm having my monthly period." So Laban continued his search, but he could not find the household idols.

You have rummaged through everything I own. Now show me what you found that belongs to you! Set it out here in front of us, before our relatives, for all to see. Let them judge between us!

"For twenty years I have been with you, caring for your flocks. In all that time your sheep and goats never miscarried. In all those years I never used a single ram of yours for food.

If any were attacked and killed by wild animals, I never showed you the carcass and asked you to reduce the count of your flock. No, I took the loss myself! You made me pay for every stolen animal, whether it was taken in broad daylight or in the dark of night.

"I worked for you through the scorching heat of the day and through cold and sleepless nights.