Biblical Character Illustrated Emails | May 30 |
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God enables me to not take advantage of others |
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Laban constantly redefined the wages he promised Jacob. |
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“And Laban said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be? “And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
“Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured.
“And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter.
“And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.
“And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.
“And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.
“And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.
“And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.
“And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.
“And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
“And Laban said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.
“Fulfil her week, and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years.
“And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also.
“And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.
“And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.” |
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“And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country. “Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
“And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake.
“And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
“And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
“For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
“And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:
“I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
“So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
“And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.” |
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“And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and of that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory.
“And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
“And the LORD said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.
“And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,
“And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
“And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.
“And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.
“If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the cattle ringstraked.
“Thus God hath taken away the cattle of your father, and given them to me.
“And it came to pass at the time that the cattle conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
“And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
“And he said, Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.
“I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointedst the pillar, and where thou vowedst a vow unto me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.
“And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
“Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
“For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.
“Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;
“And he carried away all his cattle, and all his goods which he had gotten, the cattle of his getting, which he had gotten in Padanaram, for to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.
“And Laban went to shear his sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.
“And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.
“So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up, and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount Gilead.
“And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob was fled.
“And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.
“And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
“Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.
“And Laban said to Jacob, What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters, as captives taken with the sword?
“Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?
“And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
“It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt: but the God of your father spake unto me yesternight, saying, Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.
“And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?
“And Jacob answered and said to Laban, Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.
“With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
“And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.
“Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's furniture, and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.
“And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom of women is upon me. And he searched, but found not the images.
“And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
“Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both.
“This twenty years 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.
“That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.
“Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes.
“Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.” |
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