The Flight from Haran

‎At length, Jacob matched his own guile against that of Laban. When he had served his fourteen years and proved himself by far the ablest man of all the household, Laban entreated him to stay for other wages. So they agreed that all the striped and spotted animals in Laban’s flocks and herds were to be Jacob’s. Then Jacob so arranged, by placing striped and spotted sticks before the beasts, that all the best of the young herds were his, and he grew rich. Again, and again, Laban changed the form of the arrangement as to which of the new cattle were to be Jacob’s; but always the change worked to Jacob’s advantage, “the favor of God was with him.” Laban and especially Laban’s sons became furious, until Jacob, watching them, knew that he must go away. He summoned his two wives secretly to him in the field and bade them gather all his household goods. Then he himself gathered his flocks and serving-men; and in haste and secret they all set out to return to Palestine.

‎They made quite a caravan, for, besides lesser servants, Jacob had taken two wives in addition to Leah and Rachel, and he had in all, twelve sons, important to remember because from them sprang the twelve Hebrew tribes. Reuben and Simeon and Levi were the three eldest; they were sons of Leah, and then came her fourth and ablest, Judah. Rachel at this time had only one son, as yet a mere baby, Joseph.