參考版本 AFV  A  Faithful Version 的希臘文 2009版本              

耶和華的事，不謀利沒有版權

1. Then Jacob moved on and went to the land of the sons of the east.

2. And he looked, and behold, a well was in the field! And, lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it, for they watered the flocks out of that well. And a great stone was upon the well’s mouth.

3. And all the flocks were gathered there. And they rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well’s mouth in its place.

4. And Jacob said to them, “My brethren, where are you from?” And they said, “We are from Haran.”

5. And he said to them, “Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?” And they said, “We know him.”

6. And he said to them, “Is he well?” And they said, “He is well. And, behold, his daughter Rachel comes with the sheep.”

7. And he said, “Lo, it is still high day and not yet time for gathering the flocks together. Water the sheep, then take them back to pasture.”

8. And they said, “We cannot until all the flocks have been gathered together. Only then is the stone rolled from the well’s mouth and we water the sheep.”

9. While he still spoke with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she kept them.

10. And when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, then Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth, and watered the flocks of Laban his mother’s brother.

11. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.

12. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s kinsman, and that he was Rebekah’s son. And she ran and told her father.

13. And it came to pass when Laban heard the news of Jacob his sister’s son, he ran to meet him and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And Jacob told Laban all these things.

 (A Faithful Version)

1. 雅各起程繼續前行，朝居住在東面方向那些人的地方。

2. 他看在荒野間有一口水源。有三群羊，圍在水源的四周等待飲水。泉口上原有一塊大石頭蓋住。

3. 群羊都聚集在一起。有人去把石頭攞開，給羊飲水，然後又用石頭把泉口封住。

4. 雅各問這些人：弟兄，你們是哪處人？回說：來自哈蘭。

5. 他雅各又問：認識拿鶴的兒子拉班嗎？他們回應：認識。

6. 再問：他們可好？他們回應：都很好。呀！他女兒拉結，就是趕羊群過來那位。

7. 繼續回應：如今天色還早，先讓羊群到來飲水，再去放牧。

8. 續說：我們會等齊，才讓羊群飲水。到齊了，會推開封住的水源的石頭，給羊飲水。

9. 雅各與這些牧羊人對話，拉結帶著她父親的羊群到來，牧羊是她的責任。

10. 雅各得知她是舅父拉班的女兒拉結，就上前幫手將石頭推開，給羊飲水。

11. 雅各相認並親吻拉結，就情不自禁地哭起來。

12. 雅各將身世告之拉結，他家是其父親有親屬關係，他是利百加的兒子。回程時拉結就跑去告訴其父。

13. 拉班聽到他外甥雅各到來，就去迎接他的來臨，一見面就擁抱他，雅各都感到有點尷尬，親吻他的臉，領他到屋裡坐。雅各就把這一切發生過的事，全告知拉班。

這章開頭，說雅各朝向東方的兒子，意思不明確，為此譯為：朝居住在東面方向那些人的地方。這是個什麼人居住的地方？有許多不同的解釋，這裡選用AI 這說法：

The Hebrew term for “sons of the east” is   Benei Qedem  (or Benei Kedem), derived from the Hebrew word  Qedem  (קֶדֶם), which means “east.” 

• Literal Meaning: The phrase translates directly to “Sons of the East” or “Children of the East.”

Geographical Context: In biblical Hebrew,   Qedem   (קֶדֶם)     referred broadly to the regions 旅程很遠，行程500里需時20天。對文弱的雅各是個挑戰，用華人眼光那是裙腳仔，對他而這是懲罰或是操練，這不同的觀點產生不同的結論。這處是以人犯錯，那是對人成長的操練，因為行為本身有正面效果，對相信的人更是。雅各對如何求存，從這段的經歷當中，學到了寶貴的經驗，累積成了人生應對的智慧。

行了500里，到水源旁邊去等候，不是偶然，是盤算過的。雅各精明，精明人為何可以被耶和華稱為合心意的人？

做人不是要忠直？ 這是華人的底線，是純良卻不靈巧。人，在這過千變萬化花花綠綠的世界，是要在純良上加靈活，雅各就是這樣的一個人。

對雅各這人有同感，就多分享。