He said ‘I desire to marry you to one of these two daughters of mine either the elder or the younger one on condition that you hire yourself to me that you are employed by me to tend my flock for eight years. And if you complete ten that is the tending of ten years that completion shall be of your own accord. I do not want to be hard on you by making it the marriage conditional on ten years service. God willing — expressed to seek God’s blessing — you shall find me to be one of the righteous’ of those who fulfil their covenants.