創世記 30
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
30 拉結見自己沒有給雅各生孩子，就嫉妒姐姐。她對雅各說：「你給我孩子，不然我還不如死了！」 2 雅各氣憤地說：「使你不能生育的是上帝，難道我能代替上帝嗎？」 3 拉結說：「你去跟我的婢女辟拉同房吧，這樣她可以為我生孩子，我也可以留下後代。」 4 於是拉結把婢女辟拉給丈夫做妾，雅各和辟拉同房。 5 辟拉懷了孕，為雅各生下一個兒子。 6 拉結說：「上帝為我申了冤，也聽了我的懇求，賜給我一個兒子。」拉結就給孩子取名叫但[a]。 7 拉結的婢女辟拉又懷孕，為雅各生了第二個兒子。 8 拉結說：「我跟姐姐相爭，我得勝了。」她就給這孩子取名叫拿弗他利[b]。
9 利亞見自己不再生育，就把婢女悉帕給雅各做妾。 10 悉帕給雅各生了一個兒子。 11 利亞說：「真幸運！」她便給孩子取名叫迦得[c]。 12 悉帕又給雅各生了第二個兒子， 13 利亞說：「我真有福啊！婦女們會說我有福！」她就為孩子取名亞設[d]。
14 在收麥子的季節，呂便在田間找到一些風茄，拿回家給母親利亞。拉結知道後，對利亞說：「請給我一些你兒子找到的風茄。」 15 利亞說：「你搶了我丈夫還不夠嗎？現在還要搶我兒子的風茄嗎？」拉結回答說：「你給我風茄，今夜雅各就跟你同房。」 16 那天晚上，雅各從田間回來，利亞就出來迎接他說：「你要來跟我同房，因為我已經用兒子的風茄把你雇下來了。」於是，那天晚上雅各便跟利亞同房。 17 上帝答應利亞的祈求，使她懷孕，為雅各生了第五個兒子。 18 利亞說：「我把婢女送給丈夫做妾，現在上帝給我報酬了。」因此，她就為孩子取名叫以薩迦[e]。
19 後來，利亞又懷孕，給雅各生下第六個兒子。 20 她說：「上帝賜給我珍貴的禮物，現在我丈夫會尊重我，因為我給他生了六個兒子。」於是，她就給這個兒子取名叫西布倫[f]。 21 後來，利亞又生了一個女兒，給她取名叫底娜。
22 上帝眷顧拉結，聽了她的禱告，使她可以生育。 23 她就懷孕，生了一個兒子，說：「上帝除去了我的羞辱。」 24 她給孩子取名叫約瑟[g]，又說：「願上帝再給我添一個兒子！」
雅各與拉班的協議
25 拉結生約瑟以後，雅各對拉班說：「請讓我走吧！我想回故鄉， 26 請你讓我和妻兒一同回去吧！她們都是我替你工作得來的，你知道我怎樣努力為你工作。」
27 拉班卻挽留他，說：「如果你肯賞光，請你留下來！因為我占卜得知上帝為了你的緣故才賜福給我。 28 你要多少酬勞，只管說出來，我一定會給你。」
29 雅各回答說：「你知道我怎樣努力地服侍你，照顧你的牲畜。 30 我來以前，你的財產很少。上帝因為我的到來而賜福給你，使你財產大增。但我自己什麼時候才能興家立業呢？」
31 拉班問：「我該給你什麼呢？」雅各說：「你不用給我什麼，只要你答應一件事，我就繼續照料你的羊群。 32 今天讓我從你的羊群中挑出黑色或有斑點的綿羊，以及有斑點的山羊作為我的薪酬。 33 以後，如果你在給我作薪酬的羊群中發現白色的綿羊或沒有斑點的山羊，就算是我偷的。這樣你可以知道我是否誠實。」
34 拉班說：「好，就照你的話做！」 35 當天，拉班把有條紋或斑點的公山羊以及有斑點或夾雜白紋的母山羊，連同黑色的綿羊都挑出來，交給自己的兒子們看管。 36 然後，他離開雅各，彼此相隔三天的路程。雅各繼續為他照料其餘的羊。
37 雅各折下一些楊樹、杏樹和楓樹的嫩枝，削掉部分樹皮，露出白色的條紋， 38 然後把這些嫩枝插在羊喝水的水槽和水溝裡。羊群來喝水時互相交配。 39 牠們對著這些樹枝交配，就生下有條紋和有斑點的羊羔。 40 雅各把這些羊羔分出來，使牠們與拉班的羊各在一處。他把自己的羊安置在一處，不與拉班的羊攙雜在一起。 41 每當肥壯的羊交配時，雅各就把有條紋的枝子插在水溝裡，使羊對著樹枝交配。 42 但如果交配的羊是瘦弱的，他就不插枝子。這樣，瘦弱的羊歸拉班，肥壯的羊歸雅各。 43 因此，雅各變得極其富有，擁有很多羊、駱駝、驢和僕婢。
Genesis 30
Easy-to-Read Version
30 Rachel saw that she was not giving Jacob any children. She became jealous of her sister Leah. So Rachel said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I will die!”
2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, “I am not God. He is the one who has caused you to not have children.”
3 Then Rachel said, “You can have my maid Bilhah. Sleep with her, and she will have a child for me.[a] Then I can be a mother through her.”
4 So Rachel gave Bilhah to her husband Jacob. He had sexual relations with Bilhah. 5 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
6 Rachel said, “God has listened to my prayer. He decided to give me a son.” So she named this son Dan.[b]
7 Bilhah became pregnant again and gave Jacob a second son. 8 Rachel said, “I have fought hard to compete with my sister, and I have won.” So she named that son Naphtali.[c]
9 Leah saw that she could have no more children. So she gave her slave girl Zilpah to Jacob. 10 Then Zilpah had a son. 11 Leah said, “I am lucky.” So she named the son Gad.[d] 12 Zilpah gave birth to another son. 13 Leah said, “I am very happy! Now women will call me happy.” So she named that son Asher.[e]
14 During the wheat harvest Reuben went into the fields and found some special flowers.[f] He brought them to his mother Leah. But Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s flowers.”
15 Leah answered, “You have already taken away my husband. Now you are trying to take away my son’s flowers.”
But Rachel answered, “If you will give me your son’s flowers, you can sleep with Jacob tonight.”
16 Jacob came in from the fields that night. Leah saw him and went out to meet him. She said, “You will sleep with me tonight. I have paid for you with my son’s flowers.” So Jacob slept with Leah that night.
17 Then God allowed Leah to become pregnant again. She gave birth to a fifth son. 18 She said, “God has given me a reward because I gave my slave to my husband.” So she named her son Issachar.[g]
19 Leah became pregnant again and gave birth to a sixth son. 20 She said, “God has given me a fine gift. Now surely Jacob will accept me, because I have given him six sons.” So she named this son Zebulun.[h]
21 Later, Leah gave birth to a daughter. She named her Dinah.
22 Then God heard Rachel’s prayer and made it possible for Rachel to have children. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, “God has taken away my shame.” 24 Rachel named the son Joseph,[i] saying, “May the Lord give me another son.”
Jacob Tricks Laban
25 After the birth of Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Now let me go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and my children. I have earned them by working for you. You know that I served you well.”
27 Laban said to him, “Please, let me say something. I know[j] that the Lord has blessed me because of you. 28 Tell me what I should pay you, and I will give it to you.”
29 Jacob answered, “You know that I have worked hard for you. Your flocks have grown and been well while I cared for them. 30 When I came, you had little. Now you have much, much more. Every time I did something for you, the Lord blessed you. Now it is time for me to work for myself—it is time to do things for my family.”
31 Laban asked, “Then what should I give you?”
Jacob answered, “I don’t want you to give me anything! I only want you to let me do this one thing: I will go back and take care of your sheep. 32 But let me go through all your flocks today and take every lamb with spots or stripes. Let me take every black young goat and every female goat with stripes or spots. That will be my pay. 33 In the future you can easily see if I am honest. You can come to look at my flocks. If I have any goat that isn’t spotted or any sheep that isn’t black, you will know that I stole it.”
34 Laban answered, “I agree to that. We will do what you ask.” 35 But that day Laban hid all the male goats that had spots. And he hid all the female goats that had spots on them. He also hid all the black sheep. Laban told his sons to watch these sheep. 36 So the sons took all the spotted animals and led them to another place. They traveled for three days. Jacob stayed and took care of all the animals that were left.
37 Then Jacob cut green branches from poplar and almond trees. He stripped off some of the bark so that the branches had white stripes on them. 38 He put the branches in front of the flocks at the watering places. When the animals came to drink, they also mated in that place. 39 Then when the goats mated in front of the branches, the young that were born were spotted, striped, or black.
40 Jacob separated the spotted and the black animals from the other animals in the flock. He kept his animals separate from Laban’s. 41 Any time the stronger animals in the flock were mating, Jacob put the branches before their eyes. The animals mated near those branches. 42 But when the weaker animals mated, Jacob did not put the branches there. So the young animals born from the weak animals were Laban’s. And the young animals born from the stronger animals were Jacob’s. 43 In this way Jacob became very rich. He had large flocks, many servants, camels, and donkeys.
Footnotes
- Genesis 30:3 she will have a child for me Literally, “she will give birth on my knees, and I, too, will have a son through her.”
- Genesis 30:6 Dan This is like the Hebrew word meaning “to decide” or “to judge.”
- Genesis 30:8 Naphtali This is like the Hebrew word meaning “my struggle.”
- Genesis 30:11 Gad This is like the Hebrew word meaning “lucky” or “fortunate.”
- Genesis 30:13 Asher This is like the Hebrew word meaning “blessed” or “happy.”
- Genesis 30:14 special flowers Or “mandrakes.” The Hebrew word means “love plant.” People thought these plants could help women have babies.
- Genesis 30:18 Issachar This is like the Hebrew word meaning “reward” or “salary.”
- Genesis 30:20 Zebulun This is like the Hebrew word meaning “praise” or “honor.”
- Genesis 30:24 Joseph This is like the Hebrew word meaning “to add.”
- Genesis 30:27 know Or “guessed,” “divined,” or “concluded.”
Genesis 30
King James Version
30 And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die.
2 And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?
3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.
4 And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her.
5 And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son.
6 And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.
7 And Bilhah Rachel's maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son.
8 And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed: and she called his name Naphtali.
9 When Leah saw that she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife.
10 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a son.
11 And Leah said, A troop cometh: and she called his name Gad.
12 And Zilpah Leah's maid bare Jacob a second son.
13 And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name Asher.
14 And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes.
15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes.
16 And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night.
17 And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.
18 And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar.
19 And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son.
20 And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun.
21 And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah.
22 And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her, and opened her womb.
23 And she conceived, and bare a son; and said, God hath taken away my reproach:
24 And she called his name Joseph; and said, The Lord shall add to me another son.
25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place, and to my country.
26 Give me my wives and my children, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my service which I have done thee.
27 And Laban said unto him, I pray thee, if I have found favour in thine eyes, tarry: for I have learned by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.
28 And he said, Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.
29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy cattle was with me.
30 For it was little which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the Lord hath blessed thee since my coming: and now when shall I provide for mine own house also?
31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Jacob said, Thou shalt not give me any thing: if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock.
32 I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and of such shall be my hire.
33 So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me.
34 And Laban said, Behold, I would it might be according to thy word.
35 And he removed that day the he goats that were ringstraked and spotted, and all the she goats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.
36 And he set three days' journey betwixt himself and Jacob: and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.
37 And Jacob took him rods of green poplar, and of the hazel and chesnut tree; and pilled white strakes in them, and made the white appear which was in the rods.
38 And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.
39 And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth cattle ringstraked, speckled, and spotted.
40 And Jacob did separate the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstraked, and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not unto Laban's cattle.
41 And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.
42 But when the cattle were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.
43 And the man increased exceedingly, and had much cattle, and maidservants, and menservants, and camels, and asses.
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