Genesis chapters 29-31 Star Chart: Clockwise from when Jacob "looked, and behold a well in the field, and, lo, there were three (lunar) flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the (lunar) flocks: and a great (solar) stone was upon the well's mouth" (29:2) and "Jacob (Aquarius) went near, and rolled the (lunar) stone from the (Capricorn) well's mouth, and (Crater and Aquarius) (white radius) watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother" in 1714 B.C. till Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter" ending in 1707 B.C. (29:18) is 84° months (7 x 12 = 84°) "when the Lord saw that Leah was hated", and "he opened her (lunar) womb: but Rachel was barren" (29:31) (half moon is half black and half white) till Jacob "served with him yet seven other years" for Leah (29:30) ending in 1700 B.C. is 168° months (84 + 84 = 168°) when "God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her (lunar) womb" (29:22) in 1694 B.C. till "Jacob took him (green radius) rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the (white radius) rods" (30:37). "And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the (lunar) eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the (white radius) rods. But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's. And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle" (30:41-43) and saw in a dream "all the (lunar crescent-horned) rams which leap upon the cattle are ringstraked, speckled, and grisled" (lunar black and white) (31:12) (selective breeding) 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" (31:18) in 1694 B.C. is "twenty years" (31:41) (7 + 7 + 6 = 20). Each of these three segments also represents Leah's "week" (29:27) of seven days, Rachel's week of seven days and Laban's six days of pursuit till God "rebuked" him (31:23-25,42).

Since the first seven years had been prior to his two marriages, all of his eleven sons and one daughter must have been born during a seven-year period ending in 1700 B.C. when he asked Laban to dismiss him. The dominant color traits in Laban's flocks and herds were evidently white among the sheep, black among the goats, and brown among the cattle. Most of the animals were of these colors, but there were a few that were spotted and speckled among the cattle and goats, and brown among the sheep. It was of these that Jacob's pay would be. Water treated with a chemical may have served as an aphrodisiac and fertility promoter among the cattle [and other animals]. At least one such chemical substance found in these trees has been used for such a purpose in both ancient and modern times. He used the rods in the troughs when the stronger animals drank, but not when the weaker ones came there. Thus the stronger animals were stimulated to mate, and the others were not. This measure constituted a sound practice of animal husbandry.

Jacob agreed to keep feeding and tending the flocks if he could have all the spotted and speckled sheep and goats. The Biblical story describes how Jacob had a dream in which God instructed him to use only spotted rams for breeding, and this resulted in a flock that soon consisted almost entirely of spotted offspring. This Biblical reference is one of the oldest documented examples of selective breeding. To accomplish his purposes, Jacob built corrals at the watering spots and confined selected ewes with a spotted (lunar crescent-horned) ram.

Whiteness in sheep is dominant, color is recessive. What that means, essentially, is that there are sheep that will appear white that nevertheless carry a gene for color. They are called heterozygous. What Jacob realized, being smart and living with sheep and breeding them for years, is that even "pure" white sheep that bred sometimes had colored offspring (as would be expected in heterozygous white sheep).

Where this diverged from accepted breeding knowledge of the time was that the farmers thought that white was "pure" and that color would "spackle" the white, so to speak. Laban thought that by removing all the colored sheep from the flock, there would be no color to "depurify" the white sheep. This was a mistake. In fact, had Laban wanted to strip Jacob of all ability to profit, he would have made white sheep the payment, and removed all the white sheep from the flock. At that point, another white sheep would never have been born.

As Jacob selectively breeded (through the use of aphrodisiacs and corrals) the white sheep with the colored, he increased the incidence of heterozygous genotype/white phenotype sheep, which, in turn increased the incidence of colored offspring, until the majority of the sheep were colored, and there were no homozygous dominant left in the herd.

Think of this in terms of eye color, which may help explain it: Brown is dominant, blue recessive. You can have a blue-eyed child born to parents who both have Brown eyes; if both parents are hybrid/heterozygous brown (Bb), an estimated 25% of their offpsring will be bb, and have blue eyes.

The same of the sheep. Pure White (W) is dominant. Taking out the ww sheep (the homozygous recessive spotted ones) still left Ww sheep in the flock. Heterozygous sheep tend to be stronger and more virile breeders. So, when Jacob mates the stronger sheep together, he’s mating heterozygous Ww. The expected result of such a pairing is that only one in four offspring will appear colored, but only one in four offspring will actually be “pure” white. The other three carry the recessive gene.

Now, in the next generation, mate a Ww with a ww, and you get a 50% chance of ww offspring and 50% chance of Ww offspring, and 100% chance that you have NO WW (pure white) in the litter.

Over time and (sheep) generations, you can essentially eliminate the pure white WW from the flock, and continually increase the number of ww spotted sheep in the gene pool.

Jacob and Laban reached an agreement that from that day forward, all of the goats and sheep (livestock) born into Jacobs' herd that were not solid white would be Jacob's. Now this would be very difficult after Laban removed all animals with any color from the herd Jacob was tending and sent them off three days journey away. I believe that Jacob knew, and we now know, that some of the animals carry a heterozygous (recessive) gene (color) even while appearing to be homozygous (dominate) solid white.

Now the first couple of years must have been very slow and frustrating while a small number of colored animals were born. But after a couple of years when Jacob got some colored males in the herd he began to breed all of the best animals with males that were dominate colored. This sharply increased the number of colored animals in the herd. Add to this the use of some kind of aphrodisiac in the watering troughs, which induced the females into "heat" allowing the selective breeding of the best, strongest, healthiest animals. The rods probably contained some substance that increased the estrus in the herd.

Today we have similar substances that come in a bottle, are injected into the animal and are very effective in starting the estrus. In cattle herds and swine herds, it is common to inject a certain number of animals that the operation intends to breed for a given period of time, in that way inducing the estrus at a time convenient for the operator. All of this is exactly what I understand Jacob to have been doing with the peeled rods in the drinking troughs.

The end results were that after six years Jacob had a herd of colored animals, with very few if any of the white animals left. By the 4th or 5th year every animal born in the herd was showing some sign of color, because the selective breeding on Jacob's part meant that every animal carried the colored genetics. Even the white female animals were throwing colored offspring because of the colored males used as sires and the fact that the females carried a recessive trait for color.

To put it another way, only the striped, speckled, and mottled males were mating, none of the rest.

Now this we know to be a very significant factor in determining the characteristics of the offspring. “Like father, like son,” we say. God was working on a premise that is scientifically proven. How was it that only the striped, speckled, and mottled males were mating? Simple. God appointed it to be so in order that Laban’s wealth would be passed on to Jacob.

Also a man who did not have sons of his own could adopt a near relative, who would then become his son. At times this “son” would be given a daughter in marriage by his new “father.” If the father later had sons of his own, the inheritance would have to be divided among these heirs in some fashion. The son who had the rights of the firstborn and, therefore, headship over the family, would in that culture, be given the household gods, which would signify his headship.

“The adoption tablet of Nashwi son of Arshenni: He adopted Wullu son of Puhishenni. As long as Nashwi lives, Wullu shall give (him) food and clothing. When Nashwi dies, Wullu shall be the heir. Should Nashwi beget a son, (the latter) shall divide equally with Wullu but (only) Nashwi’s son shall take Nashwi’s gods. But if there be no son of Nashwi’s, then Wullu shall take Nashwi’s gods. And (Nashwi) has given his daughter Nahuya as wife to Wullu. And if Wullu takes another wife, he forfeits Nashwi’s land and buildings. Whoever breaks the contract shall pay one mina of silver (and) one mina of gold.”

After citing this translation of tablet G51 from a Nuzu tablet, Vos goes on to suggest this interpretation of what took place in the Jacob-Laban contest:

“The interpretation would then run something like this. Laban adopted Jacob (at least he made him a member of his household and made him heir, sealing the transaction by giving Jacob a daughter to be his wife. As long as Laban lived, Jacob had the responsibility of caring for him. When Laban died Jacob would inherit Laban’s estate in full if Laban failed to have any sons. If Laban had natural sons, each would receive an equal share of the property, and one of them would receive the household gods, which signified headship of the family.” Howard F. Vos, Genesis and Archaeology (Chicago: Moody Press, 1963), p. 99. Cf. also Harold G. Stigers, A Commentary on Genesis (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1976), p. 231.

From these facts we can read somewhat between the lines of the story and surmise with some degree of confidence the cause of the change in attitude toward Jacob and his family. Initially Laban would have looked on Jacob as his son, his heir; but when sons of his own came, this was no longer needed. In fact, Jacob was now a competitor for the family inheritance. When Jacob prospered at Laban’s expense, it is easy to understand why Laban’s sons looked on him with disfavor, for all their inheritance was fleeing before their very eyes. Thus, the change in attitude on the part of Laban and his sons brought about a change of plans for Jacob.




Did Jacob Use Corrals With Aphrodisiacs
to Selectively Breed Spotted Goats and Sheep?


29:1 Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

2 And he (Orion) (white radius) looked, and behold a (solar) well in the field, and, lo, there were three (lunar) flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks: and a great (solar) stone was upon the well's mouth.

3 And thither were all the flocks gathered: and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and (white radius) watered the (lunar) sheep, and put the (solar) stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

4 And Jacob (Orion) (white radius) said unto them, My brethren, whence be ye? And they (Aquarius, Auriga and Hercules) said, Of Haran are we.

5 And he said unto them, Know ye Laban the son of Nahor? And they (white radius) said, We know him.

6 And he said unto them, Is he well? And they said, He is well: and, behold, Rachel (Auriga) his daughter cometh with the sheep.

7 And he said, Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the (Taurus) cattle should be gathered together: (Crater and Aquarius) (white radius) water ye the (Aries) sheep, and go (Ophiuchus and Orion) and (solar golden grain) feed them.

8 And they (white radius) said, We cannot, until all the (lunar) flocks be gathered together, and till they roll the (solar) stone from the well's mouth; then we water the (lunar) sheep.

9 And while he yet spake with them, Rachel (Auriga) came with her father's (lunar) sheep; for she kept them.

10 And it came to pass, when Jacob (Orion) (white radius) saw Rachel (Auriga) the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the (lunar) sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob (Aquarius) went near, and rolled the (lunar) stone from the (Capricorn) well's mouth, and (white radius) watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

11 And Jacob (Orion) (white radius) kissed Rachel (Auriga), and lifted up his (white radius) voice, and wept.

12 And Jacob (Orion) (white radius) told Rachel (Auriga) that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son: and she (white radius) ran and told her father.

13 And it came to pass, when Laban (Hercules) heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he (Hercules) ran to meet him, and embraced him, and kissed him (Ophiuchus), and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

14 And Laban (Orion) said to him, Surely thou art my bone and my flesh. And he abode with him the space of a month.

15 And Laban (Orion) (white radius) said unto Jacob, Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? tell me, what shall thy wages be?

16 And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

17 Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel (Auriga) was beautiful and well favoured.

18 And Jacob (Orion) loved Rachel (Auriga); and (white radius) said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel (Auriga) thy younger daughter (84 degree months).

19 And Laban (Orion) said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me.

20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

21 And Jacob (Orion) (white radius) said unto Laban (Hercules), Give me my wife (Auriga), for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her.

22 And Laban (Orion) gathered together all the (Gemini, Hercules Ophiuchus, Aquarius, etc) men of the place, and made a feast.

23 And it came to pass in the evening (sun on white radius horizon), that he took Leah (Auriga) his daughter, and brought her to him; and he (white radius) went in unto her.

brought her to him, to Jacob, in his apartment, his bedchamber, or to him in bed: for it is still the custom in some eastern countries for the bridegroom to go to bed first, and then the bride comes, or is brought to him in the dark, and veiled, so that he sees her not: so the Armenians have now such a custom at their marriages that the husband goes to bed first; nor does the bride put off her veil till in bed (o): and in Barbary the bride is brought to the bridegroom's house, and with some of her female relations conveyed into a private room (p); then the bride's mother, or some very near relation, introduces the bridegroom to his new spouse, who is in the dark, and obliged in modesty not to speak or answer upon any account: and if this was the case here, as it is highly probable it was, the imposition on Jacob is easily accounted for:

and he went in unto her; or lay with her as his wife; a modest expression of the use of the bed.

(o) Tournefort's Voyage to the Levant, vol. 3. p. 255. (p) Ockley's Account of Southwest Barbary, c. 6. p. 78.

24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid.

25 And it came to pass, that in the (sun on the white radius horizon) morning, behold, it was Leah (Auriga): and he said to Laban (Hercules), What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel (Auriga)? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?

he beguiled his own father, pretending he was his brother Esau; and now his father-in-law beguiles him, giving him blear eyed Leah instead of beautiful Rachel.

26 And Laban (Orion) said, It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

Jacob, who deceived his father and his brother, is made to suffer himself from deception.

27 Fulfil her week (84 degrees), and we will give thee this also for the service which thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years (84 degrees).

Judges 14:17

28 And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week (7 days): and he gave him Rachel (Auriga) his daughter to wife also.

29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

30 And he (white radius) went in also unto Rachel (Auriga), and he loved also Rachel more than Leah (Auriga), and served with him yet seven other years (84 degrees).

31 And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her (lunar white) womb: but Rachel (lunar black) was barren ( half moon is half black and half white).

32 And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me.

33 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard I was hated, he hath therefore given me this son also: and she called his name Simeon.

The Jews (x) have a notion, that Leah brought forth her sons at seven months' end:

(x) Pirke Eliezer, c. 36.

34 And she conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have born him three sons: therefore was his name called Levi.

35 And she conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.

30:1 And when Rachel (white radius) saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.

2 And Jacob's (Orion's) anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?

3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah (Auriga), go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob (white radius) went in unto her.

5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.

6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.

7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid (white radius) conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.

8 And Rachel (Auriga) (white radius) said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.

9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah (Auriga) her maid, and gave her Jacob (Orion) to wife.

10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.

11 And Leah (white radius) said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.

12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.

13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.

14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.

15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.

16 And Jacob (Orion) came out of the field in the evening, and Leah (Auriga) went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.

17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.

18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.

19 And Leah (white radius) conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.

20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.

21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.

22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her (white lunar gibbous) womb.

23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:

24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.

25 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.

26 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.

27 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.

28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.

29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.

30 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?

31 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.

32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the (lunar white and black) 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.

33 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.

34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.

35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.


Jacob will begin the new term of service with nothing in his favour. All the sheep that he will tend will be white, and all the goats black.

36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

37 And Jacob took him (green radius) rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the (white radius) rods.

Jacob’s trick turns upon the whiteness of the rods; and this supplies a play upon the name “Laban” (= “white”), who is outwitted by Jacob. The device is said to be well known to shepherds. “Strake” is Old English for “streak”; cf. Leviticus 14:37.

38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the (lunar) flocks in the gutters in the (Milky Way) watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should (white radius) conceive when they came to drink.

39 And the (lunar) flocks conceived before the (white radius) rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted (lunar white and black)

40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.

41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the (lunar) eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the (white radius) rods.

42 But when the (lunar) cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.

31:1 And he heard the (white radius) 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.

2 And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before (black lunar frown rather than solar radiating sun).

3 And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee.

4 And Jacob (Orion) sent and called Rachel (Auriga) and Leah (Auriga) to the field unto his flock,

5 And said unto them, I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before (black lunar frown rather than sunny); but the God of my father hath been with me.

6 And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

7 And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.

Now it must be observed, that the sheep in Mesopotamia, as in Italy (x), brought forth the young twice a year; so that every yeaning time, which was ten times in five years, Laban made an alteration in Jacob's wages; one time he would let him have only the speckled, and not the ringstraked; another time the ringstraked, and not the speckled; and so changed every time, according as he observed the prevailing colour was, as may be concluded from Genesis 31:8,

8 If he said thus, The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the cattle bare (lunar) speckled: and if he said thus, The ringstraked shall be thy hire; then bare all the (lunar) cattle ringstraked.

which shows the hand of God in it

9 Thus God hath taken away the (lunar) cattle of your father, and given them to me.

10 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 (lunar) ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.(black and white crescent-horned)

this probably was at the beginning of the six years' servitude, or just before the agreement was made between Laban and Jacob, and was an instruction to the latter how to make his bargain with the former:

11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lift up now thine (lunar) eyes, and see, all the rams which leap upon the cattle are (lunar) ringstraked, speckled, and grisled: for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

13 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.

14 And Rachel and Leah (Auriga) answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

the price paid for us. Laban had taken to himself the full profits of Jacob’s fourteen years’ service as the gift, or mohar, to the bride’s family; but had assigned nothing of it as the dowry or gift to the two brides. Cf. Genesis 24:53. This conduct they imply was contrary to usual custom, and was part of his stinginess. It was too late now to expect him to give anything back.

16 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.

17 Then Jacob (Orion) rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels;

18 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.

19 And Laban went to shear his (lunar)sheep: and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

20 And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

21 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.

22 And it was told Laban (Hercules) on the third day that Jacob (Orion) was fled.

23 And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him in the mount Gilead.

Gilead; said to be three hundred and eighty miles from Haran (e)(e) Bunting's Travels, p. 72.

24 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.

25 Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his (white radius)tent in the mount: and Laban with his brethren pitched in the mount of Gilead.

26 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?

27 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?

28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

29 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.

30 And now, though thou wouldest needs be gone, because thou sore longedst after thy father's house, yet wherefore hast thou stolen my gods?

31 And Jacob (Orion) (white radius) answered and said to Laban (Hercules), Because I was afraid: for I said, Peradventure thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.

32 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.

33 And Laban went into Jacob's (white radius) tent, and into Leah's (white radius) tent, and into the two maidservants' (white radius) tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

34 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.

35 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.

36 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?

37 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.

38 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.

39 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.

40 Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine (lunar) eyes.

41 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.

42 Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Did Jacob reap what he sowed? Jacob had stolen Isaac's blessing from Esau and had charged a very high price to Esau for a bowl of soup. Apparently Laban charged a very high price for Jacob's wives and attempted to steal Jacob's wages also. But Laban's scemes failed because Jacob had done God's will in obtaining the blessing, even though by a wrong method and deceitfully. Jacob had also done God's will in obtaining the birthright. But notice in the next chapter that Jacob gives his brother a generous gift out of his flocks.

43 And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born?

44 Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee.

45 And Jacob (Orion) took a (solar) stone, and set it up for a pillar.

46 And Jacob (white radius) said unto his brethren, Gather (lunar) stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap.

47 And Laban (white radius) called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob (white radius) called it Galeed.

48 And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed;

49 And Mizpah; for he said, The Lord watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another.

50 If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.

51 And Laban (Orion) said to Jacob (Auriga), Behold this heap, and behold this (solar) pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee:

52 This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

53 The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac.

54 Then Jacob offered (solar) sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat (solar) bread: and they did eat (solar) bread, and tarried all night in the mount.

55 And early in the morning Laban (Orion) rose up, and kissed his (Auriga) sons and his (Auriga) daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.



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