Thematic Bible: Laban


Thematic Bible



And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, Our sister! become thou, thousands of ten thousands, - And let thy seed take possession of the gate of them that hate them!


But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ton times, - yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with me.

Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver?

This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, - I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep - And thou didst change my wages ten times: - But that the God of my father - The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac - Proved to he mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence last night!


This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, - I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep - And thou didst change my wages ten times: -


Now, Rebekah, had a brother, whose name, was Laban, - so Laban ran unto the man outside, unto the fountain. And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister saying, Thus, did the man speak unto me, that he came unto the man, and lo! he was standing by the camels near the fountain; and he said, Come in. thou blessed of Yahweh, - Wherefore shouldst thou stand outside, when I have made ready the house and a place for the camels? read more.
So the man came in towards the house, and ungirded the camels, - and there was given him straw and fodder for the camels, and water for bathing his own feet and the feet of the men who were with him; and food was set before him to eat, But he said, I cannot eat, until I have spoken my words. And he said - Speak! Then said he, - Servant of Abraham, am I. Now, Yahweh, having blessed my lord exceedingly, and made him great, - and given him flocks and herds and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels, and asses, then did Sarah wife of my lord, bear a son to my lord, after she had become old, - so he gave to him all that he had; And my lord put me on oath saying, - Thou shalt not take a wife for my son, of the daughters of the Canaanites in whose land, I, am dwelling; but, unto the house of my father, shalt thou go, and unto my family, - and take a wife for my son. So I said unto my lord, - Peradventure the woman will not follow me. And he said unto me, - Yahweh, before whom I have walked to and fro, will send his messenger with thee, so shall he prosper thy way, and thou shalt take a wife for my son out of my kindred and out of the house of my father. Then, shalt thou clear thyself from mine oath, for thou shalt go in unto my kindred, - and, if they will not grant her unto thee, then shalt thou be clear from mine oath. So I came in to-day, unto the fountain, - and I said O Yahweh God of my lord Abraham! if, I pray thee thou art prospering my way whereon am going, here, am I stationed by the fountain of water, - so then it shall come to pass that, the maiden that is coming forth to draw, and I shall say unto her Let me drink. I pray thee a little water out of thy pitcher; and she shall say unto me Both, thou, drink, and for thy camels also, will I draw, the same, shall be the woman whom Yahweh hath appointed for the son of my lord. Ere yet, I, could make an end of speaking unto mine own heart, lo! then Rebekah, coming forth, with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the fountain, and drew, - and I said unto her Let me drink I pray thee! So she hastened and lowered her pitcher from off her, and said. Drink! and to thy camels also, will I give to drink, - So I drank and the camels also, she let drink. Then I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said Daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor, whom, Milcah, bare to him, - Then put I the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands; and bowed my head and bent myself down unto Yahweh, - and I blessed Yahweh God of my lord Abraham, who had led me in a way of faithfulness, to take the daughter of the brother of my lord for his son. Now, therefore, if ye are dealing in lovingkindness and faithfulness with my lord, tell me, - and, if not, tell me, that I may turn unto the right hand or unto the left. Then answered Laban and Bethuel and said, from Yahweh, hath come forth the word, - we cannot speak unto thee ill or well. Go! Rebekah, is before thee, Take her and go thy way, - And let her become wife unto the son of thy lord, as Yahweh hath spoken.


Then said Laban to Jacob, Is it because my brother, thou art, that thou shouldst serve me for naught? Come tell me! What shall be thy wages? Now, Laban, had two daughters, - the name of the elder, Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel, But, the eyes of Leah were weak, - whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance. read more.
So Jacob loved Rachel, - and he said, I will serve thee seven years, for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, Better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man, - Abide with me! So Jacob served for Rachel - seven years, - and they became, in his eyes, as single days, for his love to her. Then said Jacob unto Laban: Come give me my wife, for fulfilled are my days, - that I may go in unto her. So Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a banquet, And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her in unto him, - and he went in unto her. And Laban gave her Zilpah, his handmaid, unto Leah his daughter. as handmaid. And it came to pass in the morning, that lo! it was Leah, - and he said unto Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? Was it not, for Rachel, I served with thee? Wherefore then hast thou deceived me? And Laban said, It must not be done so in our place, - to give the later-born before the firstborn. Fulfil the week of this one, - then must we give thee, the other one also, for the service wherewith thou shalt serve with me, yet seven years more. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week of this one, - and he gave him Rachel his daughter - to him to wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid, - to be hers as a handmaid. So he went in, unto Rachel also, and loved, Rachel also, more than Leah, - and he served with him, yet seven years more.


But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ton times, - yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with me.


And God went in unto Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, - and said to him Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob either good or bad.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I served your father. But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ton times, - yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with me.


Then said Laban to Jacob, Is it because my brother, thou art, that thou shouldst serve me for naught? Come tell me! What shall be thy wages? Now, Laban, had two daughters, - the name of the elder, Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel, But, the eyes of Leah were weak, - whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance. read more.
So Jacob loved Rachel, - and he said, I will serve thee seven years, for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, Better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man, - Abide with me! So Jacob served for Rachel - seven years, - and they became, in his eyes, as single days, for his love to her.

Fulfil the week of this one, - then must we give thee, the other one also, for the service wherewith thou shalt serve with me, yet seven years more.

And Laban said unto him, If, I pray thee, I have found favour in thine eyes, -- I have divined that Yahweh hath blessed me for thy sake. And he said, - Come, fix thy wages for me, that I may give it! And he said unto him, Thou, knowest how I have served thee, - and how thy cattle have fared, with me. read more.
For it was, little I that thou hadst - before I came and then it brake forth into multitude, and Yahweh blessed thee at my every step. Now, therefore, when am, I, also to do something for my own house? And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said: Thou shall give me, nothing at all, If thou wilt do for me this thing, I will return, I will shepherd thy flock I will keep it: Let me pass through all thy flock to-day, removing from thence every young one that is speckled and spotted and every young one that is dark-coloured among the young sheep, and spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall he my wages. And my righteousness shall answer for me on a future day, when thou shall come in respecting my hire that is before thee, Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats and dark-coloured among the young sheep, stolen, shall it be accounted, if found with me. Then said Laban, Lo! would it might he according to thy word! So he removed, on that day, the he-goats that were striped and spotted and all the she-goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white in it, and every dark-coloured one among the young sheep, - and delivered then into the hand of his sons; then put he a journey of three days between himself and Jacob, - but, Jacob himself, continued tending the flocks of Laban that were left. So then Jacob took him rods of young storax, and hazel and maple, - and peeled in them white stripes, laying bare the white which was on the rods. And he set the reds which he had peeled, in the channels in the troughs of water, - where the flocks came in to drink straight before the flocks, and the females of the flock used to be in heat when they came in to drink; and the males of the flock were in heat before the rods, - so the flocks brought forth ring-straked, speckled, and spotted. The rams also, did Jacob separate, and then set the faces of the flocks towards the ring-straked and all the dark-coloured, among the flocks of Laban, - and he put his own droves by themselves, and put them not with the flocks of Laban. So it came to pass whensoever the stronger of the flocks were in heat, that Jacob set the rods before the eyes of the flocks in the channels, - that the females might be in heat among the rods; but, when the flocks were late in bearing, he did not set them, - and so the late-born were Laban's, out the strong ones Jacob's. Thus did the man break forth, exceedingly, - thus came he to have flocks in abundance, and maid-servants, and men-servants and camels and asses.


So then Jacob took him rods of young storax, and hazel and maple, - and peeled in them white stripes, laying bare the white which was on the rods. And he set the reds which he had peeled, in the channels in the troughs of water, - where the flocks came in to drink straight before the flocks, and the females of the flock used to be in heat when they came in to drink; and the males of the flock were in heat before the rods, - so the flocks brought forth ring-straked, speckled, and spotted. read more.
The rams also, did Jacob separate, and then set the faces of the flocks towards the ring-straked and all the dark-coloured, among the flocks of Laban, - and he put his own droves by themselves, and put them not with the flocks of Laban. So it came to pass whensoever the stronger of the flocks were in heat, that Jacob set the rods before the eyes of the flocks in the channels, - that the females might be in heat among the rods; but, when the flocks were late in bearing, he did not set them, - and so the late-born were Laban's, out the strong ones Jacob's. Thus did the man break forth, exceedingly, - thus came he to have flocks in abundance, and maid-servants, and men-servants and camels and asses.

Then heard he the words of the sons of Laban, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that belonged to our father; Yea out of what belonged to our father, hath he made all this wealth. And Jacob looked upon the face of Laban, - and lo! it was not with him as afore-time. Then said Yahweh unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, - that I may be with thee. read more.
So Jacob sent, and called for Rachel and for Leah, to the field unto his flock; and said to them, Beholding, am I the face of your father, that it is not towards me as aforetime, - nevertheless, the God of my father, hath been with me; and, ye, know that with all my vigour, have I served your father. But, your father, hath deceived me, and hath changed my wages ton times, - yet God hath not suffered him to deal harmfully with me. If thus he saith, The speckled, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth speckled, - But if thus he saith, The ring-straked, shall be thy wages, then do all the flock bring forth ring-straked. So hath God stripped away the herds of your father, and given them to me. And it came to pass in the season when the flock were in heat, then lifted I mine eyes and beheld in a dream, - and lo! the he-goats that were leaping upon the flock, were ring-straked speckled and dappled. And the messenger of God said unto me in a dream, Jacob! and I said, Behold me! Then he said Lift, I pray thee, thine eyes and behold All, the he-goats that are leaping upon the flock are ring-straked, speckled, and dappled, - for I have seen all that Laban, has been doing to thee. I, am the GOD of Beth-el, where thou didst anoint a pillar, where thou didst vow to me a vow, - Now, rise, go forth out of this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred. Then responded Rachel and Leah, and said to him, - Have we any longer a portion or an inheritance in the house of our father? Are we not accounted, aliens, to him seeing that having sold us, he hath then gone on devouring, our silver? Surely all the riches which God hath stripped off from our father, unto us, it belongeth, and unto our sons, - Now, therefore, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do. So Jacob arose, - and mounted his sons and his wives on the camels; and drave away all his herds and all his goods which he had gathered, the gains he had gained, which he had gathered in Padan-aram; that he might go in unto Isaac his father unto the land of Canaan. Now, Laban, had gone, to shear his sheep, - so Rachel stole the household gods that belonged to her father, Thus Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, - in that he had not told him that he was about to flee. So he fled, the - and all that he had, and he arose, and passed over the River, - and set his face towards the mountain of Gilead.


And it came to pass, ere yet, he, had done speaking, that lo! Rebekah, was coming forth who had been born to Bethuel son of Milcah, wife of Nahor, brother of Abraham, - with her pitcher upon her shoulder,

And, Bethuel, hath begotten Rebekah, - These eight, hath Milcah borne to Nahor brother of Abraham.

Now, Rebekah, had a brother, whose name, was Laban, - so Laban ran unto the man outside, unto the fountain.


And it was told Laban, on the third day, - that Jacob had fled. So he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him a journey of seven days - and overtook him in the mountain of Gilead. And God went in unto Laban the Syrian in a dream of the night, - and said to him Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob either good or bad. read more.
So then Laban came up with Jacob, - Jacob, having pitched his tent in the mountain, Laban, also, with his brethren pitched in the mountain of Gilead. Then said Laban to Jacob, What hadst thou done, that thou shouldst steal away unawares to me, - and shouldst carry off my daughters, as captives of the sword? Wherefore didst thou secretly flee, and rob me, - and didst not tell me, that I might send thee away with rejoicing and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly. It is in the power of my hand, to deal with thee for harm, - but the God of your father, last night, spake unto me, saying, Take heed to thyself that thou speak not with Jacob, either good or bad. But, now, though thou, didst even take thy journey, because thou, didst sorely long, for the house of thy father,, wherefore didst thou steal away my gods? And Jacob answered and said unto Laban, - Because I was afraid, for I said, Lest thou take by force thy daughters from me! He with whom thou find thy gods, shall not live! Before our brethren, note thou for thyself what is with me and take what is thine. Neither did Jacob know that, Rachel, had stolen them. Then entered Laban into the tent of Jacob and into the tent of Leah and into the tent of the two handmaids, and found nothing, - then went he forth out of the tent of Leah, and entered into the tent of Rachel. Now Rachel, had taken the household gods and put them in the basket-saddle of the camel, and taken her seat upon them. And Laban felt about throughout all the tent, and found them not. And she said unto her father, Let it not be vexing in the eyes of my lord that I cannot rise up at thy presence, for, the way of women, is upon me. So he made search, but found not the household gods, And it was vexing to Jacob and he contended with Laban, - and Jacob responded and said to Laban, What was my trespass, what my sin, that thou shouldst have come burning after me? Now that thou hast felt about among all my goods, what hast thou found of the goods of thine own house? Set it out here, right before my brethren and thy brethren, - that they may give sentence betwixt us two. This twenty years' time, have, I, been with thee - Thy ewes and thy she-goats, have not cast their young, - And the rams of thy flock, have I not eaten, The torn, have I not brought in unto thee - I bare the loss, At my hand, didst thou require it, - Stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus have I been - By day, drought hath consumed me, And, frost, by, night, - So that my sleep fled away from mine eyes. This, hath been my lot twenty years in thy house, - I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, And six years for thy sheep - And thou didst change my wages ten times: - But that the God of my father - The God of Abraham, and the Dread of Isaac - Proved to he mine, Surely even now, empty, hadst thou let me go? My humiliation and the wearying toil of my hands, God had seen, And therefore gave sentence last night! Then responded Laban and said unto Jacob - the daughters, are my daughters, And the sons, are my sons, And the sheep are my sheep, And, all that, thou, beholdest, To me doth it belong! But to my daughters, what can I do to these this day, Or to their sons whom they have borne? Now, therefore, come on! Let us solemnise a covenant, I and thou, - So shall it be a witness betwixt me and thee. So Jacob took a stone, - and set it up as a pillar. Then said Jacob to his brethren - Gather stones. And they took stones and made a heap, - and they did eat there, by the heap. And Laban called it, Jegar-sahadutha, - but, Jacob, called it, Galeed. Then said Laban: This heap, be witness betwixt me, and thee, to-day. For this cause, is the name thereof called Galeed; also, The Watch Tower, as to which it is said, Yahweh watch betwixt me and thee, when we are parted one from another. If thou oppress my daughters, or if thou take wives besides my daughters, - there may be no man with us - see! God, be witness betwixt me, and thee! And Laban said to Jacob - Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have set betwixt me, and thee: A witness, be this heap, and, a witness, the pillar, - That, I, am not to pass, unto thee, over this heap, And, thou, art not to pass, unto me, over this heap and this pillar for harm. The Gods of Abraham and the Gods of Nahor judge betwixt us - the Gods of their fathers. And Jacob sware by the Dread of his father Isaac: and Jacob offered sacrifice in the mountain, and called on his brethren to eat bread. So they did eat bread, and tarried the night in the mountain. And Laban rose up early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban went his way and returned to his place.


And when Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son, then ran she, and told her father. And it came to pass when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sisters son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fondly kissed him, and brought him into his house, - when he recounted to Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, Surely, my bone and my flesh, art thou. So he abode with him a month of days. read more.
Then said Laban to Jacob, Is it because my brother, thou art, that thou shouldst serve me for naught? Come tell me! What shall be thy wages? Now, Laban, had two daughters, - the name of the elder, Leah, and the name of the younger, Rachel, But, the eyes of Leah were weak, - whereas, Rachel, was comely in form and comely in countenance. So Jacob loved Rachel, - and he said, I will serve thee seven years, for Rachel thy younger daughter. And Laban said, Better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man, - Abide with me! So Jacob served for Rachel - seven years, - and they became, in his eyes, as single days, for his love to her. Then said Jacob unto Laban: Come give me my wife, for fulfilled are my days, - that I may go in unto her. So Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a banquet, And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her in unto him, - and he went in unto her. And Laban gave her Zilpah, his handmaid, unto Leah his daughter. as handmaid. And it came to pass in the morning, that lo! it was Leah, - and he said unto Laban, What is this thou hast done to me? Was it not, for Rachel, I served with thee? Wherefore then hast thou deceived me? And Laban said, It must not be done so in our place, - to give the later-born before the firstborn. Fulfil the week of this one, - then must we give thee, the other one also, for the service wherewith thou shalt serve with me, yet seven years more. And Jacob did so, and fulfilled the week of this one, - and he gave him Rachel his daughter - to him to wife. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid, - to be hers as a handmaid. So he went in, unto Rachel also, and loved, Rachel also, more than Leah, - and he served with him, yet seven years more.


Now, Rebekah, had a brother, whose name, was Laban, - so Laban ran unto the man outside, unto the fountain. And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on the hands of his sister, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister saying, Thus, did the man speak unto me, that he came unto the man, and lo! he was standing by the camels near the fountain; and he said, Come in. thou blessed of Yahweh, - Wherefore shouldst thou stand outside, when I have made ready the house and a place for the camels? read more.
So the man came in towards the house, and ungirded the camels, - and there was given him straw and fodder for the camels, and water for bathing his own feet and the feet of the men who were with him; and food was set before him to eat, But he said, I cannot eat, until I have spoken my words. And he said - Speak!


So Isaac sent away Jacob, and he took his journey to Padan-aram, - unto Laban son of Bethuel, the Syrian, brother of Rebekah, mother of Jacob and Esau.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


Then said Laban to Jacob, What hadst thou done, that thou shouldst steal away unawares to me, - and shouldst carry off my daughters, as captives of the sword? Wherefore didst thou secretly flee, and rob me, - and didst not tell me, that I might send thee away with rejoicing and with songs, with timbrel and with lyre; and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


and didst not suffer me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Now, hast thou done, foolishly.


For it was, little I that thou hadst - before I came and then it brake forth into multitude, and Yahweh blessed thee at my every step. Now, therefore, when am, I, also to do something for my own house?


And Laban rose up early in the morning, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban went his way and returned to his place.