創世記 31
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
雅各逃離拉班
31 雅各聽見拉班的兒子們說:「雅各奪去了我們父親的一切!他的財富都是從我們父親那裡得來的。」 2 雅各發覺拉班對他的態度不如從前了。 3 這時,耶和華對雅各說:「回到你的家鄉和親族那裡吧!我必與你同在。」 4 於是,雅各就派人把拉結和利亞叫到放羊的地方, 5 對她們說:「我感到你們父親對我不如從前了,但我父親的上帝常與我同在。 6 你們知道我是怎樣盡心盡力地替你們父親工作, 7 他卻欺騙我,把我的工酬更改了十次。然而,上帝不讓他苦待我。 8 如果他說把有斑點的羊給我當酬勞,羊群生的就都是有斑點的;如果他說把有條紋的給我,羊群生的就都是有條紋的。 9 上帝就這樣把你們父親的牲畜奪過來給了我。
10 「在羊群交配的季節,我夢見所有和母羊交配的公羊都是有條紋或有斑點的。 11 在夢中,上帝的天使叫我,我說,『僕人在。』 12 他說,『拉班對你的所作所為,我都看見了。現在你留心看看,與母羊交配的公羊都是有條紋或有斑點的。 13 我就是你在伯特利遇見的上帝。你在那裡用油澆過柱子,向我許過願。現在,你要動身離開這裡,回到你的家鄉。』」
14 拉結和利亞說:「父親的家產沒有我們的份兒, 15 我們早就被當作外人了,他賣了我們,把我們的身價全部吞了。 16 上帝從我們父親那裡奪過來的一切財產,本來就屬於我們和我們的兒女。現在你只管照上帝的吩咐做吧!」
17 雅各便起來讓兒女和妻子都騎上駱駝, 18 帶著他在巴旦·亞蘭得到的所有牲畜和財物,啟程去迦南的父親以撒那裡。 19 那時拉班正在外面剪羊毛,拉結偷了父親的家庭神像。 20 雅各不辭而別,背著亞蘭人拉班偷偷地跑了。 21 他帶著所有的一切渡過幼發拉底河,逃往基列山區。
拉班追趕雅各
22 到了第三天,拉班才知道雅各逃走了。 23 於是,他帶著族人去追趕,追了七天,在基列山區追上了雅各。 24 當天晚上,上帝在夢中對亞蘭人拉班說:「你要當心,不可對雅各多說什麼。」
25 拉班追上了雅各,那時雅各在基列山搭起帳篷,拉班和他的族人也在那裡搭起帳篷。 26 拉班對雅各說:「你做的是什麼?你欺瞞我,把我的女兒像戰俘一樣帶走。 27 你為什麼要偷偷地溜走?你為什麼不告訴我,我好擊鼓、彈琴、唱歌歡送你? 28 你甚至不讓我親吻外孫和女兒,與他們道別,你這樣做真愚蠢。 29 我有能力傷害你,但你父親的上帝昨夜對我說,『你要小心,不可對雅各多說什麼。』 30 你思家心切,一定要走,但你為什麼要偷走我的神像呢?」
31 雅各對拉班說:「我逃跑是因為害怕你會奪回你的女兒。 32 至於你的神像,你在誰身上搜出來,誰就是該死的。你可以當著眾弟兄的面察看,如果在我這裡有什麼物件是你的,你只管拿走。」雅各不知道拉結偷走了神像。
33 拉班進入雅各、利亞和兩個婢女的帳篷搜查,卻搜不出什麼。拉班離開利亞的帳篷進入拉結的帳篷, 34 那時拉結已經把神像藏在駱駝的鞍座裡,自己坐在上面。拉班搜遍了整個帳篷什麼也找不到。 35 拉結對父親說:「父親,請別生氣,我有月事在身,不便起來。」結果,拉班搜來搜去找不到神像。
36 雅各發怒,斥責拉班說:「我做錯了什麼、犯了什麼罪以致你對我窮追不捨? 37 你搜遍我所有的東西,搜到了什麼?現在就當著眾弟兄的面拿出來,讓他們評評理吧! 38 我在你家這二十年,你的母綿羊、母山羊沒有掉過胎,我也沒有吃過你公羊的肉。 39 我沒有把被野獸撕裂的羊帶來給你,而是自己賠上。無論在白晝或黑夜被偷去的,你都要我賠償。 40 我白天受盡烈日煎熬,晚上飽嚐夜露寒霜,不得好睡。 41 這二十年來,我為了你的兩個女兒,替你工作了十四年,又用了六年才從你那裡得到這些羊,你把我的工錢更改了十次。 42 如果不是我父親以撒敬畏的上帝,就是亞伯拉罕的上帝與我同在,你肯定會讓我兩手空空地回家。但上帝看見了我的難處和勞苦,所以在昨夜責備了你。」
雅各和拉班立約
43 拉班回答說:「女兒是我的,這些孩子是我的,羊群也是我的,你的一切都是我的,我又怎會傷害我的女兒和她們的孩子呢? 44 來吧,你我立約為證。」 45 於是,雅各拿來一塊石頭,立作柱子, 46 又吩咐族人去收集石頭。他們把石頭堆成一堆,在旁邊吃喝。 47 拉班稱那石堆為伊迦爾·撒哈杜他[a],雅各卻稱那石堆為迦累得[b]。
48 拉班說:「今日,這石堆是你我之間的憑證。」因此,那地方名叫迦累得, 49 又叫米斯巴,因為拉班說:「我們分手以後,願上帝親自鑒察我們。 50 倘若你虐待我的女兒,或在她們以外另娶妻子,即使沒人知道,也有上帝在你我之間做見證。」
51 拉班又說:「看我在你我之間立的這石堆和石柱。 52 這石堆和石柱都是憑證,我一定不會越過石堆去害你,你也不可越過石堆和石柱來害我。 53 願亞伯拉罕和拿鶴的上帝,就是他們父親的上帝,在你我之間判斷是非。」雅各便在他父親以撒敬畏的上帝面前起誓, 54 又在山上獻祭,請眾弟兄吃飯。飯後,他們一同在山上過夜。
55 拉班清早起來,親吻外孫和女兒,給他們祝福,然後回家去了。
Genesis 31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jacob Flees with Family and Flocks
31 Now Jacob heard that the sons of Laban were saying, “Jacob has taken all that was our father’s; he has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob saw that Laban did not regard him as favorably as he did before. 3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your ancestors and to your kindred, and I will be with you.”(A) 4 So Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah into the field where his flock was 5 and said to them, “I see that your father does not regard me as favorably as he did before. But the God of my father has been with me.(B) 6 You know that I have served your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times, but God did not permit him to harm me.(C) 8 If he said, ‘The speckled shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore speckled, and if he said, ‘The striped shall be your wages,’ then all the flock bore striped.(D) 9 Thus God has taken away the livestock of your father and given them to me.
10 “During the mating of the flock I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats that leaped upon the flock were striped, speckled, and mottled. 11 Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am!’(E) 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the goats that leap on the flock are striped, speckled, and mottled, for I have seen all that Laban is doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and return to the land of your birth.’ ”(F) 14 Then Rachel and Leah answered him, “Is there any portion or inheritance left to us in our father’s house?(G) 15 Are we not regarded by him as foreigners? For he has sold us, and he has been using up the money given for us. 16 All the property that God has taken away from our father belongs to us and to our children; now then, do whatever God has said to you.”
17 So Jacob arose and set his children and his wives on camels, 18 and he drove away all his livestock, all the property that he had gained, the livestock in his possession that he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.
19 Now Laban had gone to shear his sheep, and Rachel stole her father’s household gods.(H) 20 And Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean, in that he did not tell him that he intended to flee. 21 So he fled with all that he had; starting out he crossed the Euphrates[a] and set his face toward the hill country of Gilead.(I)
Laban Overtakes Jacob
22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 So he took his kinsfolk with him and pursued him for seven days until he caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead.(J) 24 But God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream by night and said to him, “Take heed that you say not a word to Jacob, either good or bad.”(K)
25 Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsfolk camped in the hill country of Gilead. 26 Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You have deceived me and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword.(L) 27 Why did you flee secretly and deceive me and not tell me? I would have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre.(M) 28 And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? What you have done is foolish. 29 It is in my power to do you harm, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Take heed that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.’(N) 30 Even though you had to go because you longed greatly for your father’s house, why did you steal my gods?”(O) 31 Jacob answered Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. 32 But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsfolk, point out what I have that is yours, and take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.[b](P)
33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle and sat on them. Laban felt all about in the tent but did not find them. 35 And she said to her father, “Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.” So he searched but did not find the household gods.(Q)
36 Then Jacob became angry and upbraided Laban. Jacob said to Laban, “What is my offense? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? 37 Although you have felt about through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsfolk and your kinsfolk, so that they may decide between us two. 38 These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. 39 That which was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself; of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.(R) 40 It was like this with me: by day the heat consumed me and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. 41 These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times.(S) 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear[c] of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”(T)
Laban and Jacob Make a Covenant
43 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, “The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do today about these daughters of mine or about their children whom they have borne? 44 Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I, and let it be a witness between you and me.”(U) 45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(V) 46 And Jacob said to his kinsfolk, “Gather stones,” and they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha,[d] but Jacob called it Galeed.[e] 48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” Therefore he called it Galeed(W) 49 and the pillar[f] Mizpah, for he said, “The Lord watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other.(X) 50 If you ill-treat my daughters or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, though no one else is with us, remember that God is witness between you and me.”
51 Then Laban said to Jacob, “See this heap and see the pillar, which I have set between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and the pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to you, and you will not pass beyond this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor[g] judge between us.” So Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac,(Y) 54 and Jacob offered a sacrifice on the height and called his kinsfolk to eat bread, and they ate bread and tarried all night in the hill country.
55 [h]Early in the morning Laban rose up and kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them; then he departed and returned home.(Z)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.