28. Tell me how much I owe you. Whatever it is, I’ll pay it.”
29. Jacob replied, “You know how hard I’ve worked for you, and how your flocks and herds have grown under my care.
30. You had little indeed before I came, but your wealth has increased enormously. The lord has blessed you through everything I’ve done. But now, what about me? When can I start providing for my own family?”
31. “What wages do you want?” Laban asked again.Jacob replied, “Don’t give me anything. Just do this one thing, and I’ll continue to tend and watch over your flocks.
32. Let me inspect your flocks today and remove all the sheep and goats that are speckled or spotted, along with all the black sheep. Give these to me as my wages.
33. In the future, when you check on the animals you have given me as my wages, you’ll see that I have been honest. If you find in my flock any goats without speckles or spots, or any sheep that are not black, you will know that I have stolen them from you.”
34. “All right,” Laban replied. “It will be as you say.”
35. But that very day Laban went out and removed the male goats that were streaked and spotted, all the female goats that were speckled and spotted or had white patches, and all the black sheep. He placed them in the care of his own sons,
36. who took them a three-days’ journey from where Jacob was. Meanwhile, Jacob stayed and cared for the rest of Laban’s flock.
37. Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them.
38. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated.