Genesis 30:25-43 - Jacob's Prosperity
25 When Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban: Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my own country. 26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you. Let me depart. For you know how much service I have done for you.
27 But Laban said: If now it pleases you, stay with me. I have observed that Jehovah has blessed me on your account. 28 He continued: Name your wages, and I will pay.
29 Jacob responded: You know how much work I have done for you and what has happened to your livestock under my care. 30 The little that you had before I came has grown to a large amount. Jehovah has blessed you wherever I have been. When may I do something for my own family?
31 Laban asked: What should I give you? Jacob answered: Do not give me anything. Instead, do something for me. Then I will go back to taking care of and watching your flocks again. 32 Let me go through all of your flocks today and take every speckled and spotted sheep, every black lamb, and every spotted and speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 My honesty will speak for itself whenever you come to check on my wages. Any goat I have that is not speckled or spotted or any lamb that is not black will be considered stolen.
34 Laban answered: I agree; we will do as you have said.
35 Laban took out the striped and spotted male goats, all the speckled and spotted female goats (every one with white on it), and every black lamb. He had his sons take charge of them that same day. 36 They moved away from Jacob with this flock as far as he could travel in three days. Jacob took care of the rest of Laban's flocks.
37 Jacob took green branches of poplar (storax), almond, and plane trees and stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. 38 He placed these branches in front of the flocks at their drinking troughs. He put them there, because the animals mated when they came to drink. 39 So when the goats bred in front of the branches, they produced young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted. 40 Jacob kept the sheep separate from the goats and made them face in the direction of the streaked and black animals of Laban's flock. In this way he built up his own flock and kept it apart from Laban's.
41 When the strongest of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods. 42 When the flock was feeble, he did not put them in. That way the feebler were Laban's and the stronger Jacob's. 43 He became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys.