23 Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need!

^2-3 He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honors him the most.

⁴ Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.^[a]

⁵ You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest;^[b] blessings overflow!

⁶ Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home.

²⁵ Soon after the birth of Joseph to Rachel, Jacob said to Laban, “I want to go back home. ²⁶ Let me take my wives and children—for I earned them from you—and be gone, for you know how fully I have paid for them with my service to you.”

²⁷ “Please don’t leave me,” Laban replied, “for a fortune-teller that I consulted^[a] told me that the many blessings I’ve been enjoying are all because of your being here. ²⁸ How much of a raise do you need to get you to stay? Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”

²⁹ Jacob replied, “You know how faithfully I’ve served you through these many years, and how your flocks and herds have grown. ³⁰ For it was little indeed you had before I came, and your wealth has increased enormously; Jehovah has blessed you from everything I do! But now, what about me? When should I provide for my own family?”

^31-32 “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.

Jacob replied, “If you will do one thing, I’ll go back to work for you. Let me go out among your flocks today and remove all the goats that are speckled or spotted, and all the black sheep. Give them to me as my wages. ³³ Then if you ever find any white goats or sheep in my flock, you will know that I have stolen them from you!”

³⁴ “All right!” Laban replied. “It shall be as you have said!”

^35-36 So that very day Laban went out and formed a flock for Jacob of all the male goats that were ringed and spotted, and the females that were speckled and spotted with any white patches, and all of the black sheep. He gave them to Jacob’s sons to take them three days’ distance, and Jacob stayed and cared for Laban’s flock. ³⁷ Then Jacob took fresh shoots from poplar, almond, and sycamore trees, and peeled white streaks in them, ³⁸ and placed these rods beside the watering troughs so that Laban’s flocks would see them when they came to drink; for that is when they mated. ^39-40 So the flocks mated before the white-streaked rods, and their offspring were streaked and spotted, and Jacob added them to his flock. Then he divided out the ewes from Laban’s flock and segregated them from the rams, and let them mate only with Jacob’s black rams. Thus he built his flocks from Laban’s. ⁴¹ Moreover, he watched for the stronger animals to mate, and placed the peeled branches before them, ⁴² but didn’t with the feebler ones. So the less healthy lambs were Laban’s and the stronger ones were Jacob’s! ⁴³ As a result, Jacob’s flocks increased rapidly and he became very wealthy, with many servants, camels, and donkeys.

¹⁷ “Dear brothers, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders. ¹⁸ But God was fulfilling the prophecies that the Messiah must suffer all these things. ¹⁹ Now change your mind and attitude to God and turn to him so he can cleanse away your sins and send you wonderful times of refreshment from the presence of the Lord ²⁰ and send Jesus your Messiah back to you again. ^21-22 For he must remain in heaven until the final recovery of all things from sin, as prophesied from ancient times. Moses, for instance, said long ago, ‘The Lord God will raise up a Prophet among you, who will resemble me!^[a] Listen carefully to everything he tells you. ²³ Anyone who will not listen to him shall be utterly destroyed.’^[b]

²⁴ “Samuel and every prophet since have all spoken about what is going on today. ²⁵ You are the children of those prophets; and you are included in God’s promise to your ancestors to bless the entire world through the Jewish race—that is the promise God gave to Abraham. ²⁶ And as soon as God had brought his servant to life again, he sent him first of all to you men of Israel, to bless you by turning you back from your sins.”