Jacob Outwits Laban.^* 25After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban: “Allow me to go to my own region and land. 26Give me my wives and my children for whom I served you and let me go, for you know the service that I rendered you.” 27Laban answered him: “If you will please! I have learned through divination that the LORD has blessed me because of you.” 28He continued, “State the wages I owe you, and I will pay them.” 29Jacob replied: “You know what work I did for you and how well your livestock fared under my care; 30the little you had before I came has grown into an abundance, since the LORD has blessed you in my company. Now, when can I do something for my own household as well?” 31Laban asked, “What should I give you?” Jacob answered: “You do not have to give me anything. If you do this thing for me, I will again pasture and tend your sheep. 32Let me go through your whole flock today and remove from it every dark animal among the lambs and every spotted or speckled one among the goats.^* These will be my wages. 33In the future, whenever you check on my wages, my honesty will testify for me: any animal that is not speckled or spotted among the goats, or dark among the lambs, got into my possession by theft!” 34Laban said, “Very well. Let it be as you say.”

35That same day Laban removed the streaked and spotted he-goats and all the speckled and spotted she-goats, all those with some white on them, as well as every dark lamb, and he put them in the care of his sons.^* 36Then he put a three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was pasturing the rest of Laban’s flock.

37Jacob, however, got some fresh shoots of poplar, almond and plane^* trees, and he peeled white stripes in them by laying bare the white core of the shoots. 38The shoots that he had peeled he then set upright in the watering troughs where the animals came to drink, so that they would be in front of them. When the animals were in heat as they came to drink, 39the goats mated by the shoots, and so they gave birth to streaked, speckled and spotted young. 40The sheep, on the other hand, Jacob kept apart, and he made these animals face the streaked or completely dark animals of Laban. Thus he produced flocks of his own, which he did not put with Laban’s flock. 41Whenever the hardier animals were in heat, Jacob would set the shoots in the troughs in full view of these animals, so that they mated by the shoots; 42but with the weaker animals he would not put the shoots there. So the feeble animals would go to Laban, but the hardy ones to Jacob. 43So the man grew exceedingly prosperous, and he owned large flocks, male and female servants, camels, and donkeys.

1Hallelujah!

How good to sing praise to our God;

how pleasant to give fitting praise.^a

2The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem,

and gathers the dispersed of Israel,^b

3Healing the brokenhearted,

and binding up their wounds.^c

4He numbers the stars,

and gives to all of them their names.^d

5Great is our Lord, vast in power,

with wisdom beyond measure.^e

6The LORD gives aid to the poor,

but casts the wicked to the ground.^f

7Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;

with the lyre make music to our God,^g

8^*Who covers the heavens with clouds,

provides rain for the earth,

makes grass sprout on the mountains,^h

9Who gives animals their food

and young ravens what they cry for.ⁱ

10^*He takes no delight in the strength of horses,

no pleasure in the runner’s stride.^j

11Rather the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,

those who put their hope in his mercy.

37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?”^t 38Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized,^* every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.^u 39For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.”^v 40He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”^w 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.^x

Communal Life.^* 42^y They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.^z 43Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.^a 44All who believed were together and had all things in common;^b 45they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. 46Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry.^* 12^g When he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13He left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali,^h 14that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

15“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,ⁱ

the way to the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

16the people who sit in darkness

have seen a great light,

on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death

light has arisen.”^j

17^* From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,^k “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

The Call of the First Disciples.^* 18^l As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen. 19He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20^* At once they left their nets and followed him. 21He walked along from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them, 22and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

Jesus’ Testimony to John. 24^* When the messengers of John had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.ⁱ “What did you go out to the desert to see—a reed swayed by the wind? 25Then what did you go out to see? Someone dressed in fine garments? Those who dress luxuriously and live sumptuously are found in royal palaces. 26Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.^j 27This is the one about whom scripture says:

‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

he will prepare your way before you.’^k

28I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29^l (All the people who listened, including the tax collectors, and who were baptized with the baptism of John, acknowledged the righteousness of God;