創世記 29
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
雅各到達舅父家
29 雅各繼續前行，來到東方人住的地方， 2 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。 3 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。
4 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。」 5 雅各問道：「你們認識拿鶴的孫子拉班嗎？」他們說：「我們認識。」 6 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。」 7 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！」 8 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。」
9 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。
Genesis 29
Easy-to-Read Version
Jacob Meets Rachel
29 Then Jacob continued his trip. He went to the country in the East. 2 He looked and saw a well in the field. There were three flocks of sheep lying near the well, where the sheep drank water. There was a large rock covering the mouth of the well. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the rock away from the well. Then all the sheep could drink from the water. After the sheep were full, the shepherds would put the rock back in its place.
4 Jacob said to the shepherds there, “Brothers, where are you from?”
They answered, “We are from Haran.”
5 Then Jacob said, “Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?”
The shepherds answered, “We know him.”
6 Then Jacob said, “How is he?”
They answered, “He is well. Look, that is his daughter Rachel coming now with his sheep.”
7 Jacob said, “Look, it is still day and long before the sun sets. It is not yet time for the animals to be gathered together for the night. So give them water and let them go back into the field.”
8 But they said, “We cannot do that until all the flocks are gathered together. Then we will move the rock from the well, and all the sheep will drink.”
9 While Jacob was talking with the shepherds, Rachel came with her father’s sheep. (It was her job to take care of the sheep.) 10 Rachel was Laban’s daughter. Laban was the brother of Rebekah, Jacob’s mother. When Jacob saw Rachel, he went and moved the rock and gave water to the sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and cried. 12 He told her that he was from her father’s family. He told her that he was the son of Rebekah. So Rachel ran home and told her father.
13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him. Laban hugged him and kissed him and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban everything that had happened.
14 Then Laban said, “This is wonderful! You are from my own family.” So Jacob stayed with Laban for a month.
Laban Tricks Jacob
15 One day Laban said to Jacob, “You are a relative of mine. It is not right for you to continue working for me without pay. What should I pay you?”
16 Now Laban had two daughters. The older was Leah and the younger was Rachel.
17 Leah’s eyes were gentle,[a] but Rachel was beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he said to Laban, “I will work seven years for you if you will allow me to marry your daughter Rachel.”
19 Laban said, “It would be better for her to marry you than someone else. So stay with me.”
20 So Jacob stayed and worked for Laban for seven years. But it seemed like a very short time because he loved Rachel very much.
21 After seven years Jacob said to Laban, “Give me Rachel so that I can marry her. My time of work for you is finished.”
22 So Laban gave a party for all the people in that place. 23 That night Laban brought his daughter Leah to Jacob. Jacob and Leah had sexual relations together. 24 (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter to be her maid.) 25 In the morning Jacob saw that it was Leah he had slept with, and he said to Laban, “You have tricked me. I worked hard for you so that I could marry Rachel. Why did you trick me?”
26 Laban said, “In our country we don’t allow the younger daughter to marry before the older daughter. 27 Continue for the full week of the marriage ceremony, and I will also give you Rachel to marry. But you must serve me another seven years.”
28 So Jacob did this and finished the 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 had sexual relations with Rachel also. And Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah. Jacob worked for Laban for another seven years.
Jacob’s Family Grows
31 The Lord saw that Jacob loved Rachel more than Leah, so he made it possible for Leah to have children. But Rachel did not have any children.
32 Leah gave birth to a son, and she named him Reuben.[b] She named him this because she said, “The Lord has seen my troubles. My husband does not love me. So now maybe my husband will love me.”
33 Leah became pregnant again and had another son. She named this son Simeon.[c] She said, “The Lord has heard that I am not loved, so he gave me this son.”
34 Leah became pregnant again and had another son. She named this son Levi.[d] She said, “Now, surely my husband will love me. I have given him three sons.”
35 Then Leah gave birth to another son. She named this son Judah.[e] Leah named him this because she said, “Now I will praise the Lord.” Then Leah stopped having children.
Footnotes
- Genesis 29:17 Leah’s eyes were gentle This might be a polite way of saying Leah was not very pretty.
- Genesis 29:32 Reuben This is like the Hebrew word meaning “Look, a son.”
- Genesis 29:33 Simeon This is like the Hebrew word meaning “He hears.”
- Genesis 29:34 Levi This is like the Hebrew word meaning “accompany,” “be joined together,” or “become close.”
- Genesis 29:35 Judah This name is like the word meaning “He is praised.”
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International