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!」 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?」 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。」 於是拉結把婢女辟拉給丈夫做妾,雅各和辟拉同房。 辟拉懷了孕,為雅各生下一個兒子。 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] 拉結的婢女辟拉又懷孕,為雅各生了第二個兒子。 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]

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。

Footnotes

  1. 30·6 」意思是「伸冤」。
  2. 30·8 拿弗他利」意思是「相爭」。
  3. 30·11 迦得」意思是「幸運」。
  4. 30·13 亞設」意思是「有福」。
  5. 30·18 以薩迦」意思是「報酬」。
  6. 30·20 西布倫」意思是「尊重」。
  7. 30·24 約瑟」意思是「增添」。

30 And when Rachel saw that she did not bear [banim] to Ya’akov, Rachel had kina toward her achot; and said unto Ya’akov, Give me banim, or else I die.

And af Ya’akov was kindled against Rachel; and he said, Am I in place of Elohim, Who hath withheld from thee p’ri beten?

And she said, Hinei my amah (maidservant) Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my birkayim, that I may also build up through her.

And she gave him Bilhah her shifchah (slave woman, maidservant) as isha; and Ya’akov went in unto her.

And Bilhah conceived, and bore Ya’akov ben.

And Rachel said, Elohim danani (G-d hath judged me), and hath also heard my voice, and hath given to me ben: therefore called she shmo Dan.

And Bilhah shifchat Rachel conceived again, and bore Ya’akov ben sheni.

And Rachel said, With naftulei Elohim niflalti (with wrestlings of G-d have I wrestled) with my achot, and I have prevailed: and she called shmo Naphtali.

When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her shifchah, and gave her to Ya’akov as isha.

10 And Zilpah shifchat Leah bore Ya’akov ben.

11 And Leah said, BaGad (What Good Fortune!) And she called shmo Gad.

12 And Zilpah shifchat Leah bore Ya’akov ben sheni.

13 And Leah said, B’Ashri (Happy am I), for the banot will call me asher (blessed): so she called shmo Asher.

14 And Reuven went in the yemei ketzir chittim, and found duda’im (mandrakes) in the sadeh, and brought them unto Leah immo. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, now, of the duda’im of thy ben.

15 And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my ish? And wouldest thou take away the duda’im of beni also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee halailah (tonight) for the duda’im of thy ben.

16 And Ya’akov came in from the sadeh ba’erev, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with duda’im of beni. And he lay with her that night.

17 And Elohim paid heed unto Leah, and she conceived, and bore Ya’akov ben chamishi.

18 And Leah said, Elohim hath given me my hire, because I have given my shifchah to my ish; and she called shmo Yissakhar.

19 And Leah conceived again, and bore Ya’akov ben shishi.

20 And Leah said, Elohim hath endued me with a zeved tov (good endowment); now will my ish zabal (honor) me, because I have born him shisha banim; and she called shmo Zevulun.

21 And afterwards she bore a bat, and called her shem Dinah.

22 And Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim paid heed to her, and opened her rekhem (womb).

23 And she conceived, and bore ben; and said, Elohim hath taken away my cherpah (shame, disgrace, reproach);

24 And she called shmo Yosef; and said, yosef (may He add), may Hashem add me ben acher (another son).

25 And it came to pass, when Rachel had born Yosef, that Ya’akov said unto Lavan, Send me away, that I may go unto mine own makom (place, home) and to my eretz.

26 Give me my nashim and my yeladim, for whom I have served thee, and let me go: for thou knowest my avodah which I have done thee.

27 And Lavan said unto him, Now, if I have found chen (favor, grace) in thine eyes, tarry; for I have learned by nachash (divination) that Hashem hath made a brocha upon me for thy sake.

28 And he said, Specify thy sachar (wages, reward), and I will pay it.

29 And he said unto him, Thou knowest how I have served thee, and how thy mikneh fared with me

30 For it was me’at (little) which thou hadst before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and Hashem hath made a brocha upon thee since my coming; and now when shall I do for mine own bais also?

31 And he said, What shall I give thee? And Ya’akov said, Thou shalt not give me any thing; if thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again tend and be shomer over thy tzon.

32 I will pass through all thy tzon today, removing from there speckled and spotted seh, and every dark seh among the kesavim, and the spotted and speckled among the izzim; and of such shall be my sachar.

33 So shall my tzedakah answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my sachar before thy face; every one that is not speckled and spotted among the izzim, and dark among the kesavim, that shall be counted a ganav’s with me.

34 And Lavan said, Agreed, I would it might be according to thy davar.

35 And he removed that day the male goats that were streaked and spotted, and all the izzim that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some lavan in it, and all the dark among the kesavim, and gave them into the yad of his banim.

36 And he set a derech shloshet yamim between himself and Ya’akov; and Ya’akov tended the rest of the tzon Lavan.

37 And Ya’akov took him fresh cut makal (rod, branch) of poplar and of almond and plane tree; and peeled strips of bark in them, and made the lavan (white) appear which was in the maklot (rods, branches).

38 And he set the maklot which he had peeled before the flocks in the small channels of the shikatot mayim (watering troughs) when the tzon came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink,

39 And the flocks bred before the maklot, and brought forth tzon streaked, speckled, and spotted.

40 And Ya’akov did separate the kesavim, and set the faces of the tzon toward the streaked, and all the dark in the tzon Lavan; and he put his own adarim (flocks) by themselves, and put them not unto the tzon Lavan.

41 And it came to pass, whensoever tzon hamekusharot (the stronger flock) did breed, that Ya’akov set the maklot before the eyes of the tzon in the trough channels, that they might breed among the maklot.

42 But when the tzon were feeble, he put them not in: so the feebler would belong to Lavan, and the stronger to Ya’akov.

43 And the ish increased exceedingly, and had much tzon, and shefachot, and avadim, and gemalim, and chamorim.