雅各到达舅父家

29 雅各继续前行,来到东方人住的地方, 看见田间有一口井,有三群羊卧在井边,因为当地人用那口井的水饮羊。井口盖着一块大石头。 羊群聚集在井旁的时候,牧人就把石头挪开饮羊,随后再把石头挪回原处。

雅各问牧人:“弟兄们,你们是从哪里来的?”他们说:“我们是从哈兰来的。” 雅各问道:“你们认识拿鹤的孙子拉班吗?”他们说:“我们认识。” 雅各又问:“他好吗?”他们回答说:“很好。你看,他的女儿拉结带着羊群来了。” 雅各对他们说:“太阳还高,不到把羊关起来的时候,你们饮了羊,再放它们去吃草吧!” 他们说:“不行,要等所有的羊群到齐,有人挪开井口的石头后,才能饮羊。”

他们还在说话的时候,拉结就带着她父亲的羊群来到井边,她是个牧羊女。 10 雅各看见表妹拉结和舅父拉班的羊群来了,就上前把井口的石头挪开,饮他舅父的羊。 11 他亲吻拉结,并放声大哭。 12 雅各告诉拉结自己是她父亲的外甥,是利百加的儿子。拉结便跑去告诉她父亲。

13 拉班听见外甥雅各来了,就跑去迎接他,拥抱他,亲吻他,然后把他接到自己家里。雅各把事情的经过告诉他。 14 拉班高兴地说:“你真是我的骨肉之亲啊!”雅各在拉班家里住了一个月。

雅各娶妻

15 一天,拉班对他说:“虽然我们是亲戚,也不能让你白白地替我工作。告诉我,你希望得到什么报酬?” 16 拉班有两个女儿,大的叫利亚,小的叫拉结。 17 利亚两眼无神[a],而拉结长得美丽出众。 18 雅各爱上了拉结,于是对拉班说:“我愿意为你工作七年,请你把拉结许配给我。” 19 拉班说:“把她嫁给你比嫁给外人好,你就留下来吧!” 20 雅各为了拉结给拉班工作了七年。因为他深爱拉结,所以这七年在他眼中就像短短的几天。

21 一天,雅各对拉班说:“期限已经满了,现在请把我妻子给我,我好和她同房。” 22 于是,拉班就摆设宴席款待当地的人。 23 到了晚上,拉班却把女儿利亚送给雅各,雅各和她同房。 24 拉班又把自己的婢女悉帕送给女儿利亚做婢女。

25 第二天早上,雅各才发现娶的是利亚,就对拉班说:“你对我做的是什么事啊!我服侍你不就是为了拉结吗?你为什么骗我?” 26 拉班说:“依照本地的习俗,妹妹不能比姐姐先出嫁。 27 等这七天的婚期过了,我就把拉结也许配给你,你再替我工作七年。”

28 雅各同意了。过了七天,拉班把女儿拉结嫁给雅各, 29 又把自己的婢女辟拉送给拉结。 30 雅各也和拉结同房,他深爱拉结,胜过爱利亚。他又替拉班工作了七年。

雅各的儿女

31 耶和华看见利亚失宠,就使利亚生育,但拉结却不生育。 32 利亚怀孕生了一个儿子,给孩子取名叫吕便[b]。她说:“耶和华看见了我的痛苦,现在我丈夫一定会爱我。” 33 她又怀孕生了一个儿子,就说:“耶和华听见了我丈夫不爱我,所以又给我这个儿子。”于是,她给孩子取名叫西缅[c] 34 她又再度怀孕,生了一个儿子,就说:“这次我丈夫一定会依恋我,因为我给他生了三个儿子。”于是,他给孩子取名叫利未[d] 35 后来,利亚再次怀孕,生了一个儿子,她说:“这次我要赞美耶和华!”于是,她给孩子取名叫犹大[e]。之后,利亚停止了生育。

Footnotes

  1. 29:17 两眼无神”或译“两眼很美丽”。
  2. 29:32 吕便”意思是“看,一个儿子”,此词发音像希伯来文“他看见了我的痛苦”一词的发音。
  3. 29:33 西缅”意思是“听见”。
  4. 29:34 利未”意思是“联合”。
  5. 29:35 犹大”意思是“赞美”。

雅各到達舅父家

29 雅各繼續前行,來到東方人住的地方, 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。 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。

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。」 雅各問道:「你們認識拿鶴的孫子拉班嗎?」他們說:「我們認識。」 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。」 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!」 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。」

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。

Footnotes

  1. 29·17 兩眼無神」或譯「兩眼很美麗」。
  2. 29·32 呂便」意思是「看,一個兒子」,此詞發音像希伯來文「他看見了我的痛苦」一詞的發音。
  3. 29·33 西緬」意思是「聽見」。
  4. 29·34 利未」意思是「聯合」。
  5. 29·35 猶大」意思是「讚美」。

Jacob Meets Rachel

29 Jacob resumed his journey[a] and went to the eastern country.[b](A) He looked and saw a well in a field. Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it because the sheep were watered from this well. A large stone covered the opening of the well. When all the flocks[c] were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone from the opening of the well and water the sheep. The stone was then placed back on the well’s opening.

Jacob asked the men at the well, “My brothers! Where are you from?”

“We’re from Haran,” they answered.

“Do you know Laban grandson of Nahor?” Jacob asked them.

They answered, “We know him.”

“Is he well?” Jacob asked.

“Yes,” they said, “and here is his daughter Rachel, coming with his sheep.”

Then Jacob said, “Look, it is still broad daylight. It’s not time for the animals to be gathered. Water the flock, then go out and let them graze.”

But they replied, “We can’t until all the flocks have been gathered and the stone is rolled from the well’s opening. Then we will water the sheep.”

While he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. 10 As soon as Jacob saw his uncle Laban’s daughter Rachel with his sheep,[d] he went up and rolled the stone from the opening and watered his uncle Laban’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and wept loudly.[e] 12 He told Rachel that he was her father’s relative, Rebekah’s son. She ran and told her father.

Jacob Deceived

13 When Laban heard the news about his sister’s son Jacob, he ran to meet him, hugged him, and kissed him. Then he took him to his house, and Jacob told him all that had happened.

14 Laban said to him, “Yes, you are my own flesh and blood.”[f](B)

After Jacob had stayed with him a month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you’re my relative, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

16 Now Laban had two daughters: the older was named Leah, and the younger was named Rachel. 17 Leah had ordinary[g] eyes, but Rachel was shapely and beautiful. 18 Jacob loved Rachel, so he answered Laban, “I’ll work for you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.”(C)

19 Laban replied, “Better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay with me.” 20 So Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time is completed. I want to sleep with[h] her.” 22 So Laban invited all the men of the place to a feast. 23 That evening, Laban took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and he slept with her. 24 And Laban gave his slave Zilpah to his daughter Leah as her slave.

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So he said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Wasn’t it for Rachel that I worked for you? Why have you deceived me?”

26 Laban answered, “It is not the custom in this place to give the younger daughter in marriage before the firstborn. 27 Complete this week of wedding celebration, and we will also give you this younger one in return for working yet another seven years for me.”

28 And Jacob did just that. He finished the week of celebration, and Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as his wife. 29 And Laban gave his slave Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her slave. 30 Jacob slept with Rachel also, and indeed, he loved Rachel more than Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.(D)

Jacob’s Sons

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was unloved,(E) He opened her womb;(F) but Rachel was unable to conceive.(G) 32 Leah conceived, gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben,[i] for she said, “The Lord has seen my affliction;(H) surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “The Lord heard that I am unloved and has given me this son also.” So she named him Simeon.[j]

34 She conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “At last, my husband will become attached to me because I have borne three sons for him.” Therefore he was named Levi.[k]

35 And she conceived again, gave birth to a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she named him Judah.[l](I) Then Leah stopped having children.

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 29:1 Lit Jacob picked up his feet
  2. Genesis 29:1 Lit the land of the children of the east
  3. Genesis 29:3 Sam, some LXX mss read flocks and the shepherds
  4. Genesis 29:10 Lit with the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother
  5. Genesis 29:11 Lit and he lifted his voice and wept
  6. Genesis 29:14 Lit my bone and my flesh
  7. Genesis 29:17 Lit tender
  8. Genesis 29:21 Lit to go to
  9. Genesis 29:32 = See, a Son; in Hb, the name Reuben sounds like “has seen my affliction.”
  10. Genesis 29:33 In Hb, the name Simeon sounds like “has heard.”
  11. Genesis 29:34 In Hb, the name Levi sounds like “attached to.”
  12. Genesis 29:35 In Hb, the name Judah sounds like “praise.”