Jacob Becomes Very Rich Working for Laban

30:25-43

25 After Rachel had Joseph, Jacob requested of Laban, “Please allow me to leave here, so that I can return to my own home in my own country. 26 Let me take my wives and my children, whom I have earned by working for you, so that I can leave with them. You yourself know how well I have worked for you.”

27 But Laban responded to him, “Please be kind to me and stay, because I have found out from observing signs that Yahweh has blessed me because you are here with me.” 28 Then he added, “Tell me what you want your pay to be, and that is what I will pay you.” 29 Jacob replied to him, “You yourself know how hard I have worked for you and how well your animals have prospered under my care. 30 The few that you owned before I came have multiplied dramatically. Yes, Yahweh has blessed you because of me. But now, I need to also provide for my own family!”

31 So Laban asked him, “What can I pay you to persuade you to stay here?” Jacob answered, “Do not pay me anything. Just do this one thing for me, and I will continue taking care of your flocks: 32 Let me look through all your flocks today and separate out from them all the lambs that are speckled, spotted or dark-colored, and all the young goats that are spotted or speckled. They will be my pay. 33 That way too, in the future it will be easy for you to know whether or not I am being honest whenever you check the animals you have paid me. If you see that I have any sheep or goats that are not speckled or spotted or any lambs that are not dark-colored, you will know that I stole them from you.”

34 Laban replied, “I agree, let’s do exactly as you have suggested.” 35 But that same day, Laban separated from his flocks all the he-goats that had stripes or spots, and all the she-goats that had speckles or spots, all that had any white marks on them, together with all the dark-colored lambs. Then he told his sons to take care of them, 36 and he and his sons took those animals a three-day walking-distance away from Jacob. Meanwhile Jacob continued taking care of the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Then Jacob cut some branches from poplar trees, almond trees, and chestnut trees, and made white streaks on them by peeling off long strips of bark, which exposed the white wood that was inside the branches. 38 Then he put those streaked branches in all the drinking troughs that the flocks would come to drink from, so that the flocks would see the branches. That way, whenever the animals that were ready to mate came to the troughs to drink, 39 they would see the branches as they were mating. As a result, they would have young that were striped or speckled or spotted. 40 Then Jacob separated those young animals from Laban’s flocks to form new flocks for himself, and he put the rest of the flocks with the striped and dark-colored animals in Laban’s flocks so that they would mate and have young that were striped or dark-colored. In that way, over time he created separate flocks of sheep and goats for himself that he kept separate from Laban’s flocks.

41 Whenever the stronger female animals were ready to mate, Jacob put the streaked branches in the drinking troughs in front of those animals so that they would see the branches as they were mating. 42 But whenever the weaker female animals were ready to mate, Jacob did not put the branches in the troughs. In that way, the young from the weaker animals were Laban’s and the young from the stronger animals were Jacob’s. 43 So Jacob became extremely wealthy. He owned large flocks of sheep and goats, and many male and female servants and many camels and donkeys.