弟兄重逢

33 雅各遠遠看見以掃帶著四百人迎面而來,便把孩子們分別交給利亞、拉結和兩個婢女, 又吩咐兩個婢女和她們的孩子走在前面,利亞和她的孩子跟在後面,拉結和約瑟走在最後。 他自己則走在他們前面,接連俯伏下拜七次,直到他哥哥跟前。

以掃見到雅各,就跑上去擁抱他,親吻他,二人抱頭痛哭。 以掃看見跟在雅各後面的婦女和孩子,就問:「這些和你同行的是誰?」雅各說:「這些孩子是上帝施恩賜給你僕人的。」 雅各的兩個婢女和她們的孩子上前下拜, 利亞也和她的孩子上前下拜,最後約瑟和拉結也上前向以掃下拜。

以掃說:「我在路上遇見的那一群群牲畜是怎麼回事?」雅各回答說:「我帶來這些是要得到我主的恩待。」 以掃說:「弟弟,我已經有很多了,你自己留著吧!」 10 雅各說:「不,你若賞臉,就請收下!我見了你的面就像見了上帝的面,因為你這樣善侍我。 11 請你收下我的禮物吧,因為上帝恩待了我,使我富足。」雅各再三懇求,以掃才收下。

12 以掃說:「我們走吧!我陪你們走。」 13 雅各卻說:「我主知道孩子們還小,而且,我還要照料正在哺乳的牛羊,如果整天趕路,牛羊會累死。 14 倒不如請我主先走,我遷就牲畜和孩子慢慢走,我在西珥與我主會合。」

15 以掃說:「讓我給你留幾個幫手吧。」雅各說:「不用了,能得到我主的恩待就夠了。」 16 於是,以掃在當天先回西珥去了, 17 雅各卻去了疏割,在那裡為自己建造房屋,為牲畜搭起棚子。因此那地方叫疏割[a]

18 這樣,雅各從巴旦·亞蘭平安地回到迦南的示劍城,在城外搭營居住。 19 他搭營居住的這塊地是他用一百塊銀子向示劍的父親哈抹的子孫買的。 20 雅各在那裡築了一座壇,稱之為伊利·伊羅伊·以色列[b]

Footnotes

  1. 33·17 疏割」意思是「棚子」。
  2. 33·20 伊利·伊羅伊·以色列」意思是「以色列的上帝」。

Jacob and Esau Meet

33 Now Jacob looked up and saw Esau coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids.(A) He put the maids with their children in front, then Leah with her children, and Rachel and Joseph last of all. He himself went on ahead of them, bowing himself to the ground seven times, until he came near his brother.(B)

But Esau ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.(C) When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.”(D) Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down. Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor with my lord.”(E) But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” 10 Jacob said, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand, for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me with such favor.(F) 11 Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me and because I have everything I want.” So he urged him, and he took it.(G)

12 Then Esau said, “Let us journey on our way, and I will go alongside you.” 13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds, which are nursing, are a care to me, and if they are overdriven for one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord pass on ahead of his servant, and I will lead on slowly, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”(H)

15 So Esau said, “Let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “Why should my lord be so kind to me?”(I) 16 So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. 17 But Jacob journeyed to Succoth[a] and built himself a house and made booths for his cattle; therefore the place is called Succoth.(J)

Jacob Reaches Shechem

18 Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, on his way from Paddan-aram, and he camped before the city.(K) 19 And from the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, he bought for one hundred pieces of money[b] the plot of land on which he had pitched his tent.(L) 20 There he erected an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.[c]

Footnotes

  1. 33.17 That is, booths
  2. 33.19 Heb one hundred qesitah
  3. 33.20 That is, God, the God of Israel