創世記 24
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
亞伯拉罕為以撒娶妻
24 亞伯拉罕已經年邁,耶和華在一切的事上都賜福給他。 2 亞伯拉罕對他的老總管說:「請你把手放在我大腿底下, 3 我要你憑耶和華——掌管天地的上帝起誓,你不會找這迦南的女子做我兒子的妻子。 4 你要回到我的家鄉,在我的親族中為以撒物色妻子。」 5 老總管問他:「如果那女子不肯跟我到這裡來,我要把你兒子帶回你的家鄉嗎?」 6 亞伯拉罕說:「你千萬不可帶我的兒子回那裡! 7 因為帶領我離開父家和本鄉的耶和華——天上的主,曾經向我說話,起誓應許把這片土地賜給我的後代。祂必派天使在你前面引路,幫助你在那裡為我兒子找到妻子。 8 如果那女子不肯跟你來,你也算履行了你向我起的誓,只是你不可帶我兒子回那裡。」 9 於是,老總管就把手放在他主人亞伯拉罕的大腿底下,為這事向他起誓。
10 老總管帶著主人的十匹駱駝和各種上好的禮物,啟程前往美索不達米亞,來到拿鶴住的城。 11 黃昏,婦女們出來打水的時候,他讓駱駝跪在城外的井旁, 12 然後禱告說:「我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝耶和華啊,求你施恩給我家主人亞伯拉罕,讓事情今天能夠成就。 13 現在,我站在這泉水旁,城裡的少女正出來打水。 14 如果我對哪個少女說『請放下你的水罐,讓我喝點水』,如果她說『請喝,我也打水給你的駱駝喝』,願那女子做你為自己的僕人以撒選定的妻子。這樣,我可以知道你施恩給我的主人了。」
老總管井旁遇利百加
15 老總管的話還沒有說完,就有一位名叫利百加的少女肩上扛著水罐走出來。她是彼土利的女兒,彼土利是亞伯拉罕的兄弟拿鶴和密迦所生的兒子。 16 利百加長得非常美麗,是個處女,沒有男人親近過她。她下到井旁,把水罐盛滿了水後上來。 17 老總管跑上前去對她說:「求你給我一點水喝。」 18 她回答說:「我主,請喝!」說完,立刻放下水罐,托在手上讓他喝。 19 等他喝完以後,利百加又說:「我再為你的駱駝打些水來,讓牠們喝個飽。」 20 於是,她馬上把水罐裡的水倒進水槽裡,又跑到井邊為所有的駱駝打水。 21 當時,老總管在一旁靜靜地注視著利百加,要看看耶和華是否使他此行順利。
22 駱駝喝過水以後,老總管拿出一隻約六克重的金環和一對約一百一十克重的金鐲給利百加, 23 對她說:「請問你是誰的女兒?你父親家裡有地方讓我們住宿嗎?」 24 利百加回答說:「我是彼土利的女兒,我父親是拿鶴和密迦的兒子。 25 我家裡有充足的糧草,也有地方讓你留宿。」 26 老總管聽了,就俯伏敬拜耶和華, 27 說:「我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝耶和華當受稱頌,因為祂一直以慈愛和信實對待我的主人,引導我一路走到我主人兄弟的家裡。」
28 利百加跑回家中,把這事告訴了母親和家人。 29 利百加有個哥哥名叫拉班。 30 他看見妹妹的金環和手上的金鐲,聽了她敘述老總管的話,就跑到井旁,見老總管跟駱駝仍然站在那裡, 31 便對他說:「你這蒙耶和華賜福的人,請到我家。為什麼站在外面呢?我已經為你預備好了房間,也為駱駝預備了地方。」 32 老總管就到了拉班的家裡,拉班卸下駱駝背上的東西,給駱駝餵上草料,打水給老總管和隨行的人洗腳。 33 他們備好了晚餐給他吃,老總管卻說:「不,等我說明來意後再吃。」拉班說:「請說。」
34 老總管說:「我是亞伯拉罕的僕人。 35 耶和華賜給我主人極大的福氣,使他非常富有。耶和華賜給他牛群、羊群、金子、銀子、男女僕婢、駱駝和驢。 36 我主人的妻子撒拉在晚年生了一個兒子,主人把所有的財產都給了他。 37 主人要我起誓,他說,『你不可以給我的兒子娶迦南女子為妻, 38 你要到我家鄉的親族中為我兒子物色妻子。』 39 我問我的主人,『如果那女子不願意跟我回來怎麼辦?』 40 他說,『我一向事奉的耶和華必會派天使與你同行,使你一路順利,為我兒子在家鄉的親族中物色妻子。 41 你去就是履行了你向我起的誓,如果我的親族不肯把女子交給你,你也算履行了你向我起的誓。』
42 「所以,今天我來到井旁時曾禱告說,『我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝耶和華啊,求你使我一路順利。 43 我現在站在井旁,有女子出來打水的時候,我會向她要水喝, 44 如果她說,請喝,我也打水給你的駱駝喝,就讓她做你為我家主人的兒子預備的妻子吧。』
45 「我心中的話還沒有說完,就看見利百加肩上扛著水罐到井旁打水。我上前向她要水喝, 46 她就連忙放下肩上的水罐,說,『請喝,我也打水給你的駱駝喝。』我喝了,她又打水給駱駝喝。 47 我問她是誰家的女兒,她說,『是拿鶴和密迦的兒子彼土利的女兒。』我就替她戴上金鼻環和金手鐲, 48 然後俯伏敬拜耶和華——我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝,因為祂引導我走正確的路,找到了主人兄弟的孫女兒給主人的兒子做妻子。 49 現在,你們若願意以慈愛和信實對待我的主人,答應這門親事,請告訴我;如果不答應,也請告訴我,好讓我知道應該怎麼辦。」
50 拉班和彼土利回答說:「既然是耶和華的安排,我們不能再多說什麼。 51 你看,利百加就在這裡,你可以照耶和華的話,把她帶回去給你主人的兒子做妻子。」 52 亞伯拉罕的僕人聽見這話,就俯伏在地上敬拜耶和華, 53 然後拿出金銀首飾和衣裳送給利百加,又把貴重的禮物送給她的哥哥和母親。 54 老總管和隨行的人用過晚飯以後,在那裡住了一夜。第二天早晨,老總管說:「請讓我返回我主人那裡。」 55 但利百加的哥哥和母親說:「讓利百加和我們住上十來天再去吧!」 56 可是,老總管說:「既然耶和華已經使我一路順利,請你們不要挽留我,請讓我回到我主人那裡。」 57 他們說:「我們問問利百加的意見吧。」 58 他們就叫來利百加,問她:「你願意跟這個人同去嗎?」利百加說:「我願意!」 59 於是,他們讓利百加和她的奶媽跟老總管及隨行的人一同離去, 60 並為利百加祝福,說:
「我們的妹妹啊,
願你成為千萬人之母!
願你的後代戰勝仇敵!」
以撒與利百加成婚
61 於是,利百加和她的婢女們準備妥當,騎上駱駝,跟著老總管離去。
62 那時,以撒住在南地,他剛從庇耳·拉海·萊回來。 63 傍晚的時候,以撒來到田間默想,他抬頭一看,見一隊駱駝迎面而來。 64 利百加抬頭看見以撒,就從駱駝上下來, 65 問老總管:「那從田間來迎接我們的是誰?」老總管說:「是我的主人!」利百加聽了就蒙上面紗。 66 老總管向以撒講述整個事情的經過。 67 以撒就帶利百加進入他母親撒拉的帳篷,娶她為妻,並且很愛她。自從母親去世後,以撒這才得到安慰。
创世记 24
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
亚伯拉罕为以撒娶妻
24 亚伯拉罕已经年迈,耶和华在一切的事上都赐福给他。 2 亚伯拉罕对他的老总管说:“请你把手放在我大腿底下, 3 我要你凭耶和华——掌管天地的上帝起誓,你不会找这迦南的女子做我儿子的妻子。 4 你要回到我的家乡,在我的亲族中为以撒物色妻子。” 5 老总管问他:“如果那女子不肯跟我到这里来,我要把你儿子带回你的家乡吗?” 6 亚伯拉罕说:“你千万不可带我的儿子回那里! 7 因为带领我离开父家和本乡的耶和华——天上的主,曾经向我说话,起誓应许把这片土地赐给我的后代。祂必派天使在你前面引路,帮助你在那里为我儿子找到妻子。 8 如果那女子不肯跟你来,你也算履行了你向我起的誓,只是你不可带我儿子回那里。” 9 于是,老总管就把手放在他主人亚伯拉罕的大腿底下,为这事向他起誓。
10 老总管带着主人的十匹骆驼和各种上好的礼物,启程前往美索不达米亚,来到拿鹤住的城。 11 黄昏,妇女们出来打水的时候,他让骆驼跪在城外的井旁, 12 然后祷告说:“我主人亚伯拉罕的上帝耶和华啊,求你施恩给我家主人亚伯拉罕,让事情今天能够成就。 13 现在,我站在这泉水旁,城里的少女正出来打水。 14 如果我对哪个少女说‘请放下你的水罐,让我喝点水’,如果她说‘请喝,我也打水给你的骆驼喝’,愿那女子做你为自己的仆人以撒选定的妻子。这样,我可以知道你施恩给我的主人了。”
老总管井旁遇利百加
15 老总管的话还没有说完,就有一位名叫利百加的少女肩上扛着水罐走出来。她是彼土利的女儿,彼土利是亚伯拉罕的兄弟拿鹤和密迦所生的儿子。 16 利百加长得非常美丽,是个处女,没有男人亲近过她。她下到井旁,把水罐盛满了水后上来。 17 老总管跑上前去对她说:“求你给我一点水喝。” 18 她回答说:“我主,请喝!”说完,立刻放下水罐,托在手上让他喝。 19 等他喝完以后,利百加又说:“我再为你的骆驼打些水来,让它们喝个饱。” 20 于是,她马上把水罐里的水倒进水槽里,又跑到井边为所有的骆驼打水。 21 当时,老总管在一旁静静地注视着利百加,要看看耶和华是否使他此行顺利。
22 骆驼喝过水以后,老总管拿出一只约六克重的金环和一对约一百一十克重的金镯给利百加, 23 对她说:“请问你是谁的女儿?你父亲家里有地方让我们住宿吗?” 24 利百加回答说:“我是彼土利的女儿,我父亲是拿鹤和密迦的儿子。 25 我家里有充足的粮草,也有地方让你留宿。” 26 老总管听了,就俯伏敬拜耶和华, 27 说:“我主人亚伯拉罕的上帝耶和华当受称颂,因为祂一直以慈爱和信实对待我的主人,引导我一路走到我主人兄弟的家里。”
28 利百加跑回家中,把这事告诉了母亲和家人。 29 利百加有个哥哥名叫拉班。 30 他看见妹妹的金环和手上的金镯,听了她叙述老总管的话,就跑到井旁,见老总管跟骆驼仍然站在那里, 31 便对他说:“你这蒙耶和华赐福的人,请到我家。为什么站在外面呢?我已经为你预备好了房间,也为骆驼预备了地方。” 32 老总管就到了拉班的家里,拉班卸下骆驼背上的东西,给骆驼喂上草料,打水给老总管和随行的人洗脚。 33 他们备好了晚餐给他吃,老总管却说:“不,等我说明来意后再吃。”拉班说:“请说。”
34 老总管说:“我是亚伯拉罕的仆人。 35 耶和华赐给我主人极大的福气,使他非常富有。耶和华赐给他牛群、羊群、金子、银子、男女仆婢、骆驼和驴。 36 我主人的妻子撒拉在晚年生了一个儿子,主人把所有的财产都给了他。 37 主人要我起誓,他说,‘你不可以给我的儿子娶迦南女子为妻, 38 你要到我家乡的亲族中为我儿子物色妻子。’ 39 我问我的主人,‘如果那女子不愿意跟我回来怎么办?’ 40 他说,‘我一向事奉的耶和华必会派天使与你同行,使你一路顺利,为我儿子在家乡的亲族中物色妻子。 41 你去就是履行了你向我起的誓,如果我的亲族不肯把女子交给你,你也算履行了你向我起的誓。’
42 “所以,今天我来到井旁时曾祷告说,‘我主人亚伯拉罕的上帝耶和华啊,求你使我一路顺利。 43 我现在站在井旁,有女子出来打水的时候,我会向她要水喝, 44 如果她说,请喝,我也打水给你的骆驼喝,就让她做你为我家主人的儿子预备的妻子吧。’
45 “我心中的话还没有说完,就看见利百加肩上扛着水罐到井旁打水。我上前向她要水喝, 46 她就连忙放下肩上的水罐,说,‘请喝,我也打水给你的骆驼喝。’我喝了,她又打水给骆驼喝。 47 我问她是谁家的女儿,她说,‘是拿鹤和密迦的儿子彼土利的女儿。’我就替她戴上金鼻环和金手镯, 48 然后俯伏敬拜耶和华——我主人亚伯拉罕的上帝,因为祂引导我走正确的路,找到了主人兄弟的孙女儿给主人的儿子做妻子。 49 现在,你们若愿意以慈爱和信实对待我的主人,答应这门亲事,请告诉我;如果不答应,也请告诉我,好让我知道应该怎么办。”
50 拉班和彼土利回答说:“既然是耶和华的安排,我们不能再多说什么。 51 你看,利百加就在这里,你可以照耶和华的话,把她带回去给你主人的儿子做妻子。” 52 亚伯拉罕的仆人听见这话,就俯伏在地上敬拜耶和华, 53 然后拿出金银首饰和衣裳送给利百加,又把贵重的礼物送给她的哥哥和母亲。 54 老总管和随行的人用过晚饭以后,在那里住了一夜。第二天早晨,老总管说:“请让我返回我主人那里。” 55 但利百加的哥哥和母亲说:“让利百加和我们住上十来天再去吧!” 56 可是,老总管说:“既然耶和华已经使我一路顺利,请你们不要挽留我,请让我回到我主人那里。” 57 他们说:“我们问问利百加的意见吧。” 58 他们就叫来利百加,问她:“你愿意跟这个人同去吗?”利百加说:“我愿意!” 59 于是,他们让利百加和她的奶妈跟老总管及随行的人一同离去, 60 并为利百加祝福,说:
“我们的妹妹啊,
愿你成为千万人之母!
愿你的后代战胜仇敌!”
以撒与利百加成婚
61 于是,利百加和她的婢女们准备妥当,骑上骆驼,跟着老总管离去。
62 那时,以撒住在南地,他刚从庇耳·拉海·莱回来。 63 傍晚的时候,以撒来到田间默想,他抬头一看,见一队骆驼迎面而来。 64 利百加抬头看见以撒,就从骆驼上下来, 65 问老总管:“那从田间来迎接我们的是谁?”老总管说:“是我的主人!”利百加听了就蒙上面纱。 66 老总管向以撒讲述整个事情的经过。 67 以撒就带利百加进入他母亲撒拉的帐篷,娶她为妻,并且很爱她。自从母亲去世后,以撒这才得到安慰。
Genesis 24
Living Bible
24 Abraham was now a very old man, and God blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to his household administrator, who was his oldest servant,
3 “Swear by Jehovah, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not let my son marry one of these local girls, these Canaanites. 4 Go instead to my homeland, to my relatives, and find a wife for him there.”
5 “But suppose I can’t find a girl who will come so far from home?” the servant asked. “Then shall I take Isaac there, to live among your relatives?”
6 “No!” Abraham warned. “Be careful that you don’t do that under any circumstance. 7 For the Lord God of heaven told me to leave that land and my people, and promised to give me and my children this land. He will send his angel on ahead of you, and he will see to it that you find a girl from there to be my son’s wife. 8 But if you don’t succeed, then you are free from this oath; but under no circumstances are you to take my son there.”
9 So the servant vowed[a] to follow Abraham’s instructions.
10 He took with him ten of Abraham’s camels loaded with samples of the best of everything his master owned and journeyed to Iraq, to Nahor’s village. 11 There he made the camels kneel down outside the town, beside a spring. It was evening, and the women of the village were coming to draw water.
12 “O Jehovah, the God of my master,” he prayed, “show kindness to my master Abraham and help me to accomplish the purpose of my journey. 13 See, here I am, standing beside this spring, and the girls of the village are coming out to draw water. 14 This is my request: When I ask one of them for a drink and she says, ‘Yes, certainly, and I will water your camels too!’—let her be the one you have appointed as Isaac’s wife. That is how I will know.”
15-16 As he was still speaking to the Lord about this, a beautiful young girl[b] named Rebekah arrived with a water jug on her shoulder and filled it at the spring. (Her father was Bethuel the son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.) 17 Running over to her, the servant asked her for a drink.
18 “Certainly, sir,” she said, and quickly lowered the jug for him to drink. 19 Then she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels, too, until they have enough!”
20 So she emptied the jug into the watering trough and ran down to the spring again and kept carrying water to the camels until they had enough. 21 The servant said no more, but watched her carefully to see if she would finish the job,[c] so that he would know whether she was the one. 22 Then at last, when the camels had finished drinking, he produced a quarter-ounce gold earring[d] and two five-ounce gold bracelets for her wrists.
23 “Whose daughter are you, miss?” he asked. “Would your father have any room to put us up for the night?”
24 “My father is Bethuel,” she replied. “My grandparents are Milcah and Nahor. 25 Yes, we have plenty of straw and food for the camels, and a guest room.”
26 The man stood there a moment with head bowed, worshiping Jehovah. 27 “Thank you, Lord God of my master Abraham,” he prayed; “thank you for being so kind and true to him, and for leading me straight to the family of my master’s relatives.”
28 The girl ran home to tell her folks,[e] 29-30 and when her brother Laban saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister’s wrists, and heard her story, he rushed out to the spring where the man was still standing beside his camels, and said to him, 31 “Come and stay with us, friend;[f] why stand here outside the city when we have a room all ready for you, and a place prepared for the camels!”
32 So the man went home with Laban, and Laban gave him straw to bed down the camels, and feed for them, and water for the camel drivers to wash their feet. 33 Then supper was served. But the old man said, “I don’t want to eat until I have told you why I am here.”
“All right,” Laban said, “tell us your errand.”
34 “I am Abraham’s servant,” he explained. 35 “And Jehovah has overwhelmed my master with blessings so that he is a great man among the people of his land. God has given him flocks of sheep and herds of cattle, and a fortune in silver and gold, and many slaves and camels and donkeys.
36 “Now when Sarah, my master’s wife, was very old, she gave birth to my master’s son, and my master has given him everything he owns. 37 And my master made me promise not to let Isaac marry one of the local girls,[g] 38 but to come to his relatives here in this far-off land, to his brother’s family,[h] and to bring back a girl from here to marry his son. 39 ‘But suppose I can’t find a girl who will come?’ I asked him. 40 ‘She will,’ he told me—‘for my Lord, in whose presence I have walked, will send his angel with you and make your mission successful. Yes, find a girl from among my relatives, from my brother’s family. 41 You are under oath to go and ask. If they won’t send anyone, then you are freed from your promise.’
42 “Well, this afternoon when I came to the spring I prayed this prayer: ‘O Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, if you are planning to make my mission a success, please guide me in this way: 43 Here I am, standing beside this spring. I will say to some girl who comes out to draw water, “Please give me a drink of water!” 44 And she will reply, “Certainly! And I’ll water your camels too!” Let that girl be the one you have selected to be the wife of my master’s son.’
45 “Well, while I was still speaking these words, Rebekah was coming along with her water jug upon her shoulder; and she went down to the spring and drew water and filled the jug. I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’ 46 She quickly lifted the jug down from her shoulder so that I could drink, and told me, ‘Certainly, sir, and I will water your camels too!’ So she did! 47 Then I asked her, ‘Whose family are you from?’ And she told me, ‘Nahor’s. My father is Bethuel, the son of Nahor and his wife Milcah.’ So I gave her the ring and the bracelets. 48 Then I bowed my head and worshiped and blessed Jehovah, the God of my master Abraham, because he had led me along just the right path to find a girl from the family of my master’s brother.[i] 49 So tell me, yes or no. Will you or won’t you be kind to my master and do what is right? When you tell me, then I’ll know what my next step should be, whether to move this way or that.”
50 Then Laban and Bethuel replied, “The Lord has obviously brought you here, so what can we say? 51 Take her and go! Yes, let her be the wife of your master’s son, as Jehovah has directed.”
52 At this reply, Abraham’s servant fell to his knees before Jehovah. 53 Then he brought out jewels set in solid gold and silver for Rebekah, and lovely clothing; and he gave many valuable presents to her mother and brother. 54 Then they had supper, and the servant and the men with him stayed there overnight. But early the next morning he said, “Send me back to my master!”
55 “But we want Rebekah here at least another ten days or so!” her mother and brother exclaimed. “Then she can go.”
56 But he pleaded, “Don’t hinder my return; the Lord has made my mission successful, and I want to report back to my master.”
57 “Well,” they said, “we’ll call the girl and ask her what she thinks.”
58 So they called Rebekah. “Are you willing to go with this man?” they asked her.
And she replied, “Yes, I will go.”
59 So they told her good-bye, sending along the woman who had been her childhood nurse, 60 and blessed her with this blessing as they parted:
“Our sister,
May you become
The mother of many millions!
May your descendants
Overcome all your enemies.”
61 So Rebekah and her servant girls mounted the camels and went with him.
62 Meanwhile, Isaac, whose home was in the Negeb, had returned to Beer-lahai-roi. 63 One evening as he was taking a walk out in the fields, meditating, he looked up and saw the camels coming. 64 Rebekah noticed him and quickly dismounted.
65 “Who is that man walking through the fields to meet us?” she asked the servant.
And he replied, “It is my master’s son!”[j] So she covered her face with her veil. 66 Then the servant told Isaac the whole story.
67 And Isaac brought Rebekah into his mother’s tent, and she became his wife. He loved her very much, and she was a special comfort to him after the loss of his mother.
Footnotes
- Genesis 24:9 the servant vowed, literally, “the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him that.”
- Genesis 24:15 a beautiful young girl, literally, “a virgin.” the son of Nahor, Abraham’s brother.
- Genesis 24:21 to see if she would finish the job, implied.
- Genesis 24:22 gold earring, literally, “nose-ring.”
- Genesis 24:28 the girl ran home to tell her folks. Doubtless to tell them that a messenger had arrived from her great-uncle.
- Genesis 24:31 friend, literally, “blessed of Jehovah.”
- Genesis 24:37 local girls, literally, “daughters of the Canaanites.”
- Genesis 24:38 to his brother’s family, literally, “to my father’s house.”
- Genesis 24:48 a girl from the family of my master’s brother, literally, “my master’s brother’s daughter.”
- Genesis 24:65 It is my master’s son, literally, “It is my master.”
Chinese Contemporary Bible Copyright © 1979, 2005, 2007, 2011 by Biblica® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.