Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord the Shepherd

A song of David.

Jacob Tricks Laban

²⁵ After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now let me go to my own home and country. ²⁶ Give me my wives and my children, and let me go. I have earned them by working for you. You know that I served you well.”

²⁷ Laban said to him, “If I have pleased you, please stay. I know the Lord has blessed me because of you. ²⁸ Tell me what I should pay you, and I will give it to you.”

²⁹ Jacob answered, “You know that I have worked hard for you. Your flocks have grown while I cared for them. ³⁰ When I came, you had little. Now you have much. Every time I did something for you, the Lord blessed you. But when will I be able to do something for my own family?”

³¹ Laban asked, “Then what should I give you?”

Jacob answered, “I don’t want you to give me anything. Just do this one thing. Then I will come back and take care of your flocks. ³² Today let me go through all your flocks of white sheep and black goats. I will take every spotted or speckled lamb. I will take every black lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. That will be my pay. ³³ In the future you can easily see if I am honest. You can come to look at my flocks. If I have any goat that isn’t speckled or spotted or any sheep that isn’t black, you will know I stole it.”

³⁴ Laban answered, “Agreed! We will do what you ask.” ³⁵ But that day Laban took away all the male goats that had streaks or spots. And he took all the speckled and spotted female goats (all those that had white on them). And he took all the black sheep. He told his sons to watch over them. ³⁶ Laban took these animals to a place that was three days’ journey away from Jacob. Jacob took care of all the animals that were left.

³⁷ So Jacob cut green branches from poplar, almond and plane trees. He peeled off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. ³⁸ He put the branches in front of the flocks at the watering places. When the animals came to drink, they also mated there. ³⁹ So the goats mated in front of the branches. Then the young that were born were streaked, speckled or spotted. ⁴⁰ Jacob separated the young animals from the others. And he made them face the streaked and dark animals in Laban’s flock. Jacob kept his animals separate from Laban’s. ⁴¹ When the stronger animals in the flock were mating, Jacob put the branches before their eyes. This was so the animals would mate near the branches. ⁴² But when the weaker animals mated, Jacob did not put the branches there. So the animals born from the weaker animals were Laban’s. And the animals born from the stronger animals were Jacob’s. ⁴³ In this way Jacob became very rich. He had large flocks, many male and female servants, camels and donkeys.

¹⁷ “Brothers, I know you did those things to Jesus because you did not understand what you were doing. Your leaders did not understand either. ¹⁸ God said this would happen. He said through the prophets that his Christ would suffer and die. And now God has made these things come true in this way. ¹⁹ So you must change your hearts and lives! Come back to God, and he will forgive your sins. ²⁰ Then the Lord will give you times of spiritual rest. He will give you Jesus, the One he chose to be the Christ. ²¹ But Jesus must stay in heaven until the time comes when all things will be made right again. God told about this time long ago when he spoke through his holy prophets. ²² Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will give you a prophet like me. He will be one of your own people. You must obey everything he tells you. ²³ Anyone who does not obey him will die, separated from God’s people.’^{[a] 24} Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, told about this time now. ²⁵ You have received what the prophets talked about. You have received the agreement God made with your ancestors. He said to your father Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the nations on the earth will be blessed.’^{[b] 26} God has raised up his servant and sent him to you first. He sent Jesus to bless you by turning each of you away from doing evil things.”