创世记 24
Chinese New Version (Simplified)
亚伯拉罕遣仆人为以撒娶妻
24 亚伯拉罕老迈了，年事已高，耶和华在一切事上都赐福给他。 2 亚伯拉罕对他家中最老的，管理他所有产业的那仆人说：“请把你的手放在我的大腿底下。 3 我要你指着耶和华天地的 神起誓，不可从我现在居住的迦南人中，为我的儿子娶他们的女子为妻。 4 你却要到我的故乡、我的亲族那里去，为我的儿子以撒娶妻。” 5 仆人问亚伯拉罕：“如果那女子不愿跟我到这地方来，我必须把你的儿子带回你原出之地去吗？” 6 亚伯拉罕对他说：“你要谨慎，切不可带我的儿子回到那里去。 7 耶和华天上的 神，就是领我离开我的父家和我亲族之地，曾经对我说话，又向我起誓的那位说：‘我必把这地赐给你的后裔。’他必在你前面差派他的使者，你就可以从那里为我的儿子娶妻。 8 如果那女子不愿跟你来，我叫你所起的这誓就与你无关了。只是不可带我的儿子回到那里去。” 9 于是，仆人把手放在他主人亚伯拉罕的大腿下，为这事向亚伯拉罕起誓。
10 那仆人从他主人的骆驼里取了十匹骆驼，带着主人各样的美物，起程往两河之间的亚兰去，到了拿鹤的城。 11 黄昏时分，女人出来打水的时候，那仆人就叫骆驼跪在城外的水井旁边， 12 然后祷告说：“耶和华我主人亚伯拉罕的 神啊，求你今日使我遇见好机会，施慈爱给我的主人亚伯拉罕。 13 我现在站在水泉旁边，城内居民的女儿正出来打水。 14 我对哪一个少女说：‘请你放下水瓶来，让我喝点水。’如果她回答：‘请喝，我也给你的骆驼喝。’愿那少女就作你选定给你仆人以撒的妻子。这样，我就知道你施慈爱给我的主人了。” 15 话还没有说完，不料，利百加肩头上扛着水瓶出来了。利百加是彼土利所生的。彼土利是亚伯拉罕兄弟拿鹤的妻子密迦的儿子。 16 那少女容貌非常美丽，还是个处女，没有男人亲近过她。她下到水泉那里，打满了水瓶，又上来。 17 仆人就跑去迎着她，说：“请你把瓶里的水给我喝一点。” 18 那少女回答：“我主请喝。”就急忙把水瓶拿下来，托在手上给他喝。 19 他喝足了，少女就说：“我也要为你的骆驼打水，直到牠们都喝足了。” 20 于是急忙把水瓶里的水倒在槽里，又跑到井旁去打水，给他所有的骆驼打上水来。 21 那人一句话也不说，只注视着她，要知道耶和华使他的道路亨通不亨通。 22 骆驼喝足了，那人就拿出一个重近六克的金鼻环，戴在她的鼻子上，又拿出两个重一百一十四克的金手镯，套在她的手上， 23 然后问她：“请你告诉我，你是谁的女儿？你父亲的家里有地方给我们住宿没有？” 24 她回答：“我是密迦给拿鹤所生的儿子彼土利的女儿。” 25 她又说：“我们有很多粮草和饲料，也有住宿的地方。” 26 那人就跪下敬拜耶和华， 27 说：“耶和华我主人亚伯拉罕的 神是应当称颂的，因为他不断以慈爱和信实待我的主人；耶和华也一路引导我，到了我主人的兄弟家里。”
28 那少女就跑回去，把这些事都告诉了她母亲家里的人。 29 利百加有一个哥哥，名叫拉班。 30 他看见了妹妹的鼻环和手上的手镯，又听见了妹妹利百加说：“那人对我这样这样说”，就跑去见外面水泉旁边的那人。他来到那人跟前的时候，见他仍然站在骆驼旁边的水泉那里。 31 拉班说：“你这蒙耶和华赐福的，请进来吧，为甚么站在外面呢？我已经收拾好了房间，也为骆驼预备了地方。” 32 那人就进了拉班的家。拉班卸了骆驼，拿粮草和饲料给骆驼吃，又拿水给那人和与他同来的人洗脚。 33 然后在他面前摆上食物，但那人说：“除非等我说完了我的事，我不会吃。”拉班说：“请说。” 34 那人说：“我是亚伯拉罕的仆人。 35 耶和华厚厚地赐福我主人，他就昌大起来；耶和华又赐给他羊群、牛群、金银、仆婢、骆驼和驴。 36 我主人的妻子撒拉年老的时候，给我主人生了一个儿子。我主人也把他一切所有的都给了这个儿子。 37 我主人要我起誓，说：‘你不可从我现在居住的迦南地中，为我的儿子娶迦南的女子为妻。 38 你要到我的父家，和我的族人那里去，为我的儿子娶一个妻子。’ 39 我问我主人：‘如果那女子不愿跟我回来呢？’ 40 他回答：‘我行事为人都在他面前的耶和华，必差派他的使者与你同去，使你的道路亨通，你就可以从我的族人和我的父家，给我的儿子娶一个妻子。 41 只要你到了我的族人那里去，我叫你起的誓就与你无关；他们若不把女子交给你，我叫你起的誓也与你无关。’ 42 我今天到了水泉那里，就说：‘耶和华我主人亚伯拉罕的 神啊，你若叫我所走的道路亨通， 43 那么，我现在站在水泉旁边，但愿有一个少女出来打水，我要对她说：“请你把瓶里的水给我喝一点。” 44 她若对我说：“你请喝，我还要打水给你的骆驼喝。”愿那女子就作耶和华给我主人的儿子所选定的妻子。’ 45 我心里的话还没有说完，利百加就肩头扛着水瓶出来了，她下到水泉那里去打水；我就对她说：‘请给我水喝。’ 46 她急忙从肩上拿下水瓶来，说：‘请喝，我还要给你的骆驼喝。’我喝了，她也打水给我的骆驼喝。 47 于是我问她，说：‘你是谁的女儿？’她回答：‘我是密迦给拿鹤所生的儿子彼土利的女儿。’我就把鼻环戴在她的鼻子上，把手镯套在她的两手上。 48 然后我跪下敬拜耶和华，称颂耶和华我主人亚伯拉罕的 神，因为他引导我走恰当的路，使我得到我主人的兄弟的孙女，作我主人的儿子的妻子。 49 现在你们若愿意以慈爱和信实待我的主人，就请告诉我。如果不愿意，也请你们告诉我；使我可以知道怎样行。”
50 拉班和彼土利回答，说：“这事既然出于耶和华，我们就不能对你说好说歹。 51 看哪，利百加就在你面前，你可以把她带去，照着耶和华所说的，作你主人儿子的妻子。” 52 亚伯拉罕的仆人听到了他们这些话，就俯伏在地敬拜耶和华。 53 那仆人拿出金器、银器和衣服送给利百加，又把贵重的礼物送给她的哥哥和她的母亲。 54 然后，仆人和与他同来的人才吃喝，并且住了一夜。他们早晨起来，仆人就说：“请打发我回到我主人那里去吧！” 55 利百加的哥哥和母亲说：“让这女孩子和我们同住多几天，或是十天，然后她可以离去。” 56 仆人回答他们：“你们不要挽留我，耶和华既然使我的道路亨通，就请打发我回到我主人那里去。” 57 他们说：“我们可以把那女孩子叫来，问问她的意思。” 58 他们把利百加叫了来，问她：“你愿意与这人同去吗？”她回答：“我愿意去。” 59 于是，他们把自己的妹妹利百加，她的乳母和亚伯拉罕的仆人，以及同来的人，都打发走了。 60 他们给利百加祝福，对她说：
“我们的妹妹啊，
愿你作千万人之母；
愿你的后裔，
占领仇敌的城门。”
以撒迎娶利百加
61 利百加和她的众使女就起来，骑上骆驼，跟着那人走；那仆人就带着利百加走了。 62 那时，以撒刚从庇耳．拉海．莱回来，他原本是住在南地的。 63 黄昏的时候，以撒出来田间默想。他举目观看，忽然看见来了些骆驼。 64 利百加举目观看，看见了以撒，就下了骆驼， 65 问那仆人：“在田间走来迎接我们的这人是谁？”仆人回答：“他是我的主人。”利百加就拿面纱蒙在面上。 66 仆人把所作的一切事，都告诉以撒。 67 以撒领利百加进了他母亲撒拉的帐棚，并且娶了她。利百加就作了以撒的妻子。以撒爱利百加。以撒自从他母亲去世后，这才得了安慰。
Genesis 24
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 24
The Marriage of Isaac.[a] 1 Abraham was now old, well advanced in years, and the Lord had blessed him in everything. 2 Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who supervised his property, “Place your hand under my thigh[b] 3 and swear to the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we live. 4 Rather, go to my homeland, to my family, and choose a wife for my son Isaac.”
5 The servant asked him, “If the woman does not wish to follow me to this land, should I take your son back to the land from which you came?”
6 Abraham answered him, “Never take my son back there! 7 The Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, who called me out from the house of my father and the land of my birth, spoke to me and promised, ‘To your descendants I will give this land.’ He himself will send an angel before you so that you can find a wife for my son. 8 If the woman does not wish to follow you, you will be absolved of the oath you have made to me. Only, you must not take my son back there.” 9 The servant placed his hand under the thigh of Abraham, his master, and he swore an oath to him concerning these things.
10 The servant took ten of his master’s camels along with all kinds of different precious objects and he set out and went to Aram-naharaim,[c] to the city of Nahor. 11 He rested the camels outside of the city, near the well, at evening time when the women would go out to draw water.
12 He said, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me success today and be gracious to my master Abraham! 13 Behold, I am in front of the well and the young women of the town are coming out to draw water. 14 That young woman to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and let me drink,’ and she responds, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels some water too,’ let her be the one you have chosen for Isaac, your servant. By this I will know that you have acted kindly to my master.”
15 He barely finished speaking when Rebekah, who was the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor, came out with a jug on her shoulder. 16 The young woman was very pretty and a virgin, never having slept with a man. She went down to the well and filled her jug and came back up.
17 The servant hurried up to her and said, “Please give me some of the water from your jug.”
18 She answered, “Drink, my lord,” and quickly lowered the jug unto her hand and gave him some water to drink.
19 When she had finished letting him drink, she said, “I will draw water for your camels as well, until they have finished drinking.” 20 She quickly emptied her jug in the water trough and ran off to draw more water from the well until all the camels had drunk from it. 21 The man watched in silence to see whether or not the Lord would grant success to this quest.
22 When the camels had finished drinking, he took a gold ring weighing half a shekel and fastened it to her nose, and he placed upon her wrists two golden bracelets that weighed ten shekels. 23 Then he said, “Whose daughter are you? Tell me. Do you have room in your house for us to pass the night?”
24 She answered, “I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son whom Milcah bore to Nahor.” 25 She added, “We have plenty of hay and forage and also a place where you can sleep tonight.”
26 The man knelt and bowed down to the Lord 27 and said, “Blessed be the Lord, God of my master Abraham, who has not ceased being generous and faithful to my master. As for me, the Lord has guided me along the way to the house of the brother of my master.”
28 The young woman ran and reported all these things to her mother’s household. 29 Now Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and Laban rushed out to the man at the well. 30 In fact, as soon as he saw the nose ring and the bracelets on the wrists of his sister and heard what Rebekah, his sister, said, “This is what that man told me,” he went to the man who was still standing alongside the camels at the well. 31 He said, “Come, blessed one of the Lord! Why are you still standing out here when I have already prepared the house for you and a place for your camels?”
32 The man went into the house while his camels were unloaded and given hay and forage. Water was brought to wash his feet and those of his men. 33 Then food was placed in front of him, but he said, “I will not eat until I have said what I must say.”
They answered, “Of course!”
34 He said, “I am the servant of Abraham. 35 The Lord has greatly blessed my master, and he has become powerful. He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female slaves, camels and donkeys. 36 Sarah, the wife of my master, gave birth to a son when he was already old, and he has given all his possessions to him. 37 My master has made me swear an oath. He said, ‘You must not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Canaanites among whom we live. 38 You must go to the house of my father, to my kin, to take a wife for my son.’ 39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman will not follow me?’
40 “He answered, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I walk, will send an angel with you and will assure the success of your journey. In this way, you will be able to take a wife for my son from my kin and the house of my father. 41 By going to my kin you will have fulfilled your oath. If they do not give her to you, you will have fulfilled your oath.’
42 “And so today I arrived at the well and said, ‘Lord, God of my master Abraham, if you are going to grant success to this journey I am making, 43 since I am standing near the well, grant that when a young woman comes out to draw water and to whom I say, “Give me a little water from your jar to drink,” 44 and she answers, “Drink some, and I will draw water for your camels,” this will be the wife that the Lord has chosen for the son of my master.’
45 “I had not even finished thinking this when Rebekah came out with a jug on her shoulder. She went to the well and drew water. When I said to her, ‘Please give me some to drink,’ 46 she immediately lowered the jug and said, ‘Drink, and I will give your camels water to drink as well.’ I drank and she even gave my camels water to drink.
47 “I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’
“She answered, ‘I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah who bore a son to Nahor.’
“I put the ring on her nose and the bracelets on her wrists. 48 Then I knelt and bowed down to the Lord and blessed the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who had guided me along the right path to find the daughter of the brother of my master to be the wife of my master’s son. 49 Now, if you intend to act kindly and loyally toward my master, let me know. If not, let me know as well, so that I may search elsewhere.”
50 Laban and Bethuel then answered, “This is from the Lord; there is nothing we can say. 51 Here is Rebekah; take her and go so that she may be the wife of the son of your master, just as the Lord has instructed you.”
52 When the servant of Abraham heard these words, he fell down to the earth before the Lord. 53 The servant then brought out silver and gold ornaments and articles of clothing and gave them to Rebekah. He gave precious gifts to her brother and mother as well. 54 He and his men then ate and drank and slept the night. When he rose in the morning, he said, “Let me go to my master.”
55 But the brother and mother said, “Let the girl remain with us for a little time, ten days or so, and afterward you can go on your way.”
56 He answered them, “Do not delay me, now that the Lord has granted success to my journey. Let me leave and go to my master.”
57 They therefore said, “Let us call the girl and ask her.” 58 So they called Rebekah and said to her, “Do you wish to leave with this man?”
She answered, “I do.”
59 They therefore allowed Rebekah and her nurse to leave with Abraham’s servant and his men. 60 They blessed Rebekah and told her,
“May you, our sister,
become thousands upon thousands,
and may your descendants conquer
the gates of their enemies.”
61 Thus, Rebekah and her nurse got up, mounted their camels, and followed the servant. He took Rebekah with him and left.
62 Meanwhile Isaac was returning from the well of Beer-lahai-roi and was dwelling in the territory of the Negeb. 63 Isaac went out toward evening. He was looking out over the countryside when he saw camels arriving. 64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac, and she got down off her camel. 65 She said to the servant, “Who is that man who is coming through the fields toward us?”
The servant answered, “It is my master.”
She took her veil[d] and covered herself. 66 The servant told Isaac everything that had happened. 67 Isaac then brought Rebekah into the tent that had been his mother’s. He married Rebekah and loved her. So Isaac found comfort after the death of his mother.
Footnotes
- Genesis 24:1 This Yahwist story is important for the People of God. It is not a good thing for the recipient of the promises to marry a Canaanite woman; since during the early years children are in the care of their mother, such a woman’s ties to a corrupt people would do harm to God’s work. A young woman from the man’s own stock is much preferable.
- Genesis 24:2 Under my thigh: a euphemism for touching the genitals; to do this is to ask God, the author of life, to be witness to the oath.
- Genesis 24:10 Aram-naharaim: “Land of the Two Rivers” (i.e., upper Mesopotamia), where Haran, residence of Abraham’s relatives, was located (Gen 11:31).
- Genesis 24:65 She took her veil: a betrothed woman did not remove her veil until the wedding night (see Gen 29:23-25).
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
