(Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban.) ¹  Laban rushed out to meet the man at the spring.

“Agreed!” said Laban, “It will be as you say.” ¹ 

Laban overtook Jacob, and when Jacob pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead, Laban and his relatives set up camp there too. ¹ 

Jacob became angry ¹  and argued with Laban. “What did I do wrong?” he demanded of Laban. ²  “What sin of mine prompted you to chase after me in hot pursuit? ³ 

(32:1) ¹  Early in the morning Laban kissed ²  his grandchildren ³  and his daughters goodbye and blessed them. Then Laban left and returned home. ⁴ 

So Laban invited all the people ¹  of that place and prepared a feast.

Three days later Laban discovered Jacob had left. ¹ 

When Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his uncle Laban, ¹  and the sheep of his uncle Laban, he ²  went over ³  and rolled the stone off the mouth of the well and watered the sheep of his uncle Laban. ⁴ 

Now then, my son, do what I say. ¹  Run away immediately ²  to my brother Laban in Haran.

So he said to them, “Do you know Laban, the grandson ¹  of Nahor?” “We know him,” ²  they said.

Then Laban said to him, “You are indeed my own flesh and blood.” ¹  So Jacob ²  stayed with him for a month. ³ 

Then Laban said to Jacob, “Should you work ¹  for me for nothing because you are my relative? ²  Tell me what your wages should be.”

(Now Laban had two daughters; ¹  the older one was named Leah, and the younger one Rachel.

Laban replied, “I’d rather give her to you than to another man. ¹  Stay with me.”

Finally Jacob said ¹  to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. ²  I want to have marital relations with her.” ³ 

(Laban gave his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) ¹ 

“It is not our custom here,” ¹  Laban replied, “to give the younger daughter in marriage ²  before the firstborn.

(Laban gave his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) ¹ 

But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your sight, please stay here, ¹  for I have learned by divination ²  that the Lord has blessed me on account of you.”

But if the animals were weaker, he did not set the branches there. ¹  So the weaker animals ended up belonging to Laban ²  and the stronger animals to Jacob.