All the solid-coloured animals belonged to Laban. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Jacob, therefore, took this opportunity to give his own testimony to this effect, indicating to Laban that he well knew all this, but had until now refrained from using it to his own advantage. Any sheep that drank from this water would conceive speckled lambs, which Jacob was later able to claim as his own. 9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 25 After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Let me go, so that I can return home. 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 to Laban’s cattle. JACOB WITH LABAN Genesis 29 - 30 STRUCTURE Key-persons: Jacob, Laban, Leah, and Rachel Key-location: Haran ... That day Jacob removed all the streaked or spotted goats and sheep and all the black sheep. By this point, Jacob knew not to trust the sly Laban, and asked simply for ownership of all the speckled and spotted sheep. Laban, very much satisfied with his nephew’s excellent service, and aware of the blessing that his nephew’s arrival seemed to have brought to his house, wanted to make sure that he would not lose him too soon. Laban promises Jacob every speckled and spotted sheep and goat, and every black lamb as a reward for his labour. 9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. In Genesis, Jacob and his uncle Laban make a deal that Jacob (who takes care of his uncle's sheep so he can marry Laban's daughter Rachel) gets to keep all the striped and spotted animals. To avoid this anticipated trickery, Jacob agreed that Laban might separate for himself, all of the speckled and spotted lambs and goats, and brown sheep. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. See Puns and Pundits: Word Play in the Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Literature (Bethesda, MD: CDL Press, 2000), 164-165. Jacob continued to care for Laban's flocks.

Jacob placed them in his sons’ care. 19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father's household gods. Jacob will be paid from the offspring of Laban’s existing flocks, that were in Jacob’s care. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. Jacob’s Sheep are an heirloom (unaltered) breed of ancient sheep, mentioned in Genesis 30. And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted. 26 Give me my wives and children that I have earned by working for you, and I will leave. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. You know how hard I’ve worked for you, so let me take my wives and children and leave.” But Laban told him, “If you really are my friend, stay on, and I’ll pay whatever you ask. Jacob peeled the bark off wooden branches and placed them in the stream (two are floating lower left). Jacob agrees to work for Laban some more, under the condition that Laban pays him only in sheep and goats that are striped, spotted, and speckled – and that Laban does not pay Jacob with any of the flocks that he (Laban) already has.
But when Laban repeated the question, what should he give him, Jacob offered to feed and keep his flock still, upon one condition, which was founded upon the fact, that in the East the goats, as a rule, are black or dark-brown, rarely white or spotted with white, and that the sheep for the most part are white, very seldom black or speckled. (31:17-21) Laban Pursues Jacob … They originated with Jacob the Patriarch working for his father in law, Laban. Laban on his part, had evidently never before admitted openly to Jacob that he knew it was because of Jacob and Jacob's God that he had prospered so much in recent years. However, immediately afterward, Laban removes all the animals from his flock which are speckled, spotted, or black (verse 35), defrauding Jacob … Since these imperfect-looking sheep were few in number, Laban readily agreed. However, according to Rashi, it was not Jacob who took the speckled and spotted flock: this was Laban’s own move to eliminate any chance of Jacob… 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father … 21 So he fled with all he had, and crossing the River, he headed for 8 the hill country of Gilead." Laban recognized that he had been blessed exceedingly on account of Jacob’s presence, and offered him a new wage for his labour. Instead of paying wages, Laban promised Jacob he could keep any speckled lambs that were born. Jacob required as wages, namely, all the speckled, spotted, and black among the sheep, and all the speckled, spotted, and white among the goats; and offered "even to-day" to commence separating them, so that "to-morrow" Laban might convince himself of the uprightness of his proceedings.