雅各到達舅父家

29 雅各繼續前行,來到東方人住的地方, 看見田間有一口井,有三群羊臥在井邊,因為當地人用那口井的水飲羊。井口蓋著一塊大石頭。 羊群聚集在井旁的時候,牧人就把石頭挪開飲羊,隨後再把石頭挪回原處。

雅各問牧人:「弟兄們,你們是從哪裡來的?」他們說:「我們是從哈蘭來的。」 雅各問道:「你們認識拿鶴的孫子拉班嗎?」他們說:「我們認識。」 雅各又問:「他好嗎?」他們回答說:「很好。你看,他的女兒拉結帶著羊群來了。」 雅各對他們說:「太陽還高,不到把羊關起來的時候,你們飲了羊,再放牠們去吃草吧!」 他們說:「不行,要等所有的羊群到齊,有人挪開井口的石頭後,才能飲羊。」

他們還在說話的時候,拉結就帶著她父親的羊群來到井邊,她是個牧羊女。 10 雅各看見表妹拉結和舅父拉班的羊群來了,就上前把井口的石頭挪開,飲他舅父的羊。 11 他親吻拉結,並放聲大哭。 12 雅各告訴拉結自己是她父親的外甥,是利百加的兒子。拉結便跑去告訴她父親。

13 拉班聽見外甥雅各來了,就跑去迎接他,擁抱他,親吻他,然後把他接到自己家裡。雅各把事情的經過告訴他。 14 拉班高興地說:「你真是我的骨肉之親啊!」雅各在拉班家裡住了一個月。

雅各娶妻

15 一天,拉班對他說:「雖然我們是親戚,也不能讓你白白地替我工作。告訴我,你希望得到什麼報酬?」 16 拉班有兩個女兒,大的叫利亞,小的叫拉結。 17 利亞兩眼無神[a],而拉結長得美麗出眾。 18 雅各愛上了拉結,於是對拉班說:「我願意為你工作七年,請你把拉結許配給我。」 19 拉班說:「把她嫁給你比嫁給外人好,你就留下來吧!」 20 雅各為了拉結給拉班工作了七年。因為他深愛拉結,所以這七年在他眼中就像短短的幾天。

21 一天,雅各對拉班說:「期限已經滿了,現在請把我妻子給我,我好和她同房。」 22 於是,拉班就擺設宴席款待當地的人。 23 到了晚上,拉班卻把女兒利亞送給雅各,雅各和她同房。 24 拉班又把自己的婢女悉帕送給女兒利亞做婢女。

25 第二天早上,雅各才發現娶的是利亞,就對拉班說:「你對我做的是什麼事啊!我服侍你不就是為了拉結嗎?你為什麼騙我?」 26 拉班說:「依照本地的習俗,妹妹不能比姐姐先出嫁。 27 等這七天的婚期過了,我就把拉結也許配給你,你再替我工作七年。」

28 雅各同意了。過了七天,拉班把女兒拉結嫁給雅各, 29 又把自己的婢女辟拉送給拉結。 30 雅各也和拉結同房,他深愛拉結,勝過愛利亞。他又替拉班工作了七年。

雅各的兒女

31 耶和華看見利亞失寵,就使利亞生育,但拉結卻不生育。 32 利亞懷孕生了一個兒子,給孩子取名叫呂便[b]。她說:「耶和華看見了我的痛苦,現在我丈夫一定會愛我。」 33 她又懷孕生了一個兒子,就說:「耶和華聽見了我丈夫不愛我,所以又給我這個兒子。」於是,她給孩子取名叫西緬[c] 34 她又再度懷孕,生了一個兒子,就說:「這次我丈夫一定會依戀我,因為我給他生了三個兒子。」於是,他給孩子取名叫利未[d] 35 後來,利亞再次懷孕,生了一個兒子,她說:「這次我要讚美耶和華!」於是,她給孩子取名叫猶大[e]。之後,利亞停止了生育。

Footnotes

  1. 29·17 兩眼無神」或譯「兩眼很美麗」。
  2. 29·32 呂便」意思是「看,一個兒子」,此詞發音像希伯來文「他看見了我的痛苦」一詞的發音。
  3. 29·33 西緬」意思是「聽見」。
  4. 29·34 利未」意思是「聯合」。
  5. 29·35 猶大」意思是「讚美」。

Jacob Meets Rachel

29 Then Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the east.(A) As he looked, he saw a well in the field and three flocks of sheep lying there beside it, for out of that well the flocks were watered. The stone on the well’s mouth was large, and when all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the mouth of the well and water the sheep and put the stone back in its place on the mouth of the well.

Jacob said to them, “My brothers, where do you come from?” They said, “We are from Haran.”(B) He said to them, “Do you know Laban son of Nahor?” They said, “We do.”(C) He said to them, “Is it well with him?” “Yes,” they replied, “and here is his daughter Rachel, coming with the sheep.”(D) He said, “Look, it is still broad daylight; it is not time for the animals to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go, pasture them.” But they said, “We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and the stone is rolled from the mouth of the well; then we water the sheep.”

While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them.(E) 10 Now when Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of his mother’s brother Laban, and the sheep of his mother’s brother Laban, Jacob went up and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of his mother’s brother Laban.(F) 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept aloud. 12 And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman and that he was Rebekah’s son, and she ran and told her father.(G)

13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him; he embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob[a] told Laban all these things,(H) 14 and Laban said to him, “Surely you are my bone and my flesh!” And he stayed with him a month.(I)

Jacob Marries Laban’s Daughters

15 Then Laban said to Jacob, “Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?” 16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah’s eyes were weak,[b] but Rachel was graceful and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, “I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”(J) 19 Laban said, “It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.”(K) 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and made a feast.(L) 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) 25 When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. 27 Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.”(M) 28 Jacob did so and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. 29 (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He served Laban[c] for another seven years.(N)

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.(O) 32 Leah conceived and bore a son, and she named him Reuben,[d] for she said, “Because the Lord has looked on my affliction, surely now my husband will love me.”(P) 33 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also,” and she named him Simeon.[e] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son and said, “Now this time my husband will be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons”; therefore he was named Levi.[f](Q) 35 She conceived again and bore a son and said, “This time I will praise the Lord,” therefore she named him Judah;[g] then she ceased bearing.(R)

Footnotes

  1. 29.13 Heb He
  2. 29.17 Gk: Meaning of Heb uncertain
  3. 29.30 Heb him
  4. 29.32 That is, see, a son
  5. 29.33 In Heb Simeon resembles the verb for has heard
  6. 29.34 In Heb Levi resembles the verb for will be joined
  7. 29.35 In Heb Judah resembles the verb for I will praise