弟兄重逢

33 雅各遠遠看見以掃帶著四百人迎面而來,便把孩子們分別交給利亞、拉結和兩個婢女, 又吩咐兩個婢女和她們的孩子走在前面,利亞和她的孩子跟在後面,拉結和約瑟走在最後。 他自己則走在他們前面,接連俯伏下拜七次,直到他哥哥跟前。

以掃見到雅各,就跑上去擁抱他,親吻他,二人抱頭痛哭。 以掃看見跟在雅各後面的婦女和孩子,就問:「這些和你同行的是誰?」雅各說:「這些孩子是上帝施恩賜給你僕人的。」 雅各的兩個婢女和她們的孩子上前下拜, 利亞也和她的孩子上前下拜,最後約瑟和拉結也上前向以掃下拜。

以掃說:「我在路上遇見的那一群群牲畜是怎麼回事?」雅各回答說:「我帶來這些是要得到我主的恩待。」 以掃說:「弟弟,我已經有很多了,你自己留著吧!」 10 雅各說:「不,你若賞臉,就請收下!我見了你的面就像見了上帝的面,因為你這樣善侍我。 11 請你收下我的禮物吧,因為上帝恩待了我,使我富足。」雅各再三懇求,以掃才收下。

12 以掃說:「我們走吧!我陪你們走。」 13 雅各卻說:「我主知道孩子們還小,而且,我還要照料正在哺乳的牛羊,如果整天趕路,牛羊會累死。 14 倒不如請我主先走,我遷就牲畜和孩子慢慢走,我在西珥與我主會合。」

15 以掃說:「讓我給你留幾個幫手吧。」雅各說:「不用了,能得到我主的恩待就夠了。」 16 於是,以掃在當天先回西珥去了, 17 雅各卻去了疏割,在那裡為自己建造房屋,為牲畜搭起棚子。因此那地方叫疏割[a]

18 這樣,雅各從巴旦·亞蘭平安地回到迦南的示劍城,在城外搭營居住。 19 他搭營居住的這塊地是他用一百塊銀子向示劍的父親哈抹的子孫買的。 20 雅各在那裡築了一座壇,稱之為伊利·伊羅伊·以色列[b]

Footnotes

  1. 33·17 疏割」意思是「棚子」。
  2. 33·20 伊利·伊羅伊·以色列」意思是「以色列的上帝」。

33 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau was coming, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids. And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he himself passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept. And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are these with thee? And he said, The children whom God hath graciously given thy servant. Then the handmaids came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves. And Leah also and her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meanest thou by all this company which I met? And he said, To find favor in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; let that which thou hast be thine. 10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found favor in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; [a]forasmuch as I have seen thy face, as one seeth the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. 11 Take, I pray thee, my [b]gift that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have [c]enough. And he urged him, and he took it. 12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. 13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds with me have their young: and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die. 14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on gently, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come unto my lord unto Seir. 15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find favor in the sight of my lord. 16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir. 17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called [d]Succoth.

18 And Jacob came [e]in peace to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram; and encamped before the city. 19 And he bought the parcel of ground, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for a hundred [f]pieces of money. 20 And he erected there an altar, and called it [g]El-Elohe-Israel.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 33:10 Or, for therefore have I seen
  2. Genesis 33:11 Hebrew blessing.
  3. Genesis 33:11 Hebrew all.
  4. Genesis 33:17 That is, Booths.
  5. Genesis 33:18 Or, to Shalem, a city
  6. Genesis 33:19 Hebrew kesitah.
  7. Genesis 33:20 That is, God, the God of Israel.