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

17. Then Jacob rose up and set all his children and wives upon camels.

18. And he drove away all his livestock and all his goods which he had gotten, the livestock of his property, which he had gotten in Padan Aram, in order to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

19. Now when Laban went to shear his sheep, Rachel stole the house idols which were her father’s.

20. And Jacob deceived the heart of Laban the Syrian in that he did not tell him that he fled.

21. And he fled with all that was his. And he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face toward Mount Gilead.

22. It was told to Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

23. Then he took his brothers with him and pursued after him seven days’ journey. And they overtook him in Mount Gilead.

24. And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said to him, “Take heed that you do not speak either good or bad to Jacob.”

25. Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the mount. And Laban with his brothers pitched in Mount Gilead.

26. And Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done that you have deceived my heart and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

27. Why did you flee away secretly and steal away from me, and did not tell me so that I might have sent you away with mirth and with songs, with tabret drum and with lyre?

28. And why have you not allowed me to kiss my sons and my daughters? You have done foolishly in so doing.

29. It is in the power of my hand to do you harm. But the God of your fathers spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Take heed that you do not speak either good or bad to Jacob.’

30. And now you have gone because you longed after your father’s house. Why have you stolen my gods?”

31. And Jacob answered and said to Laban, “Because I was afraid, for I said, ‘Perhaps you would take your daughters away from me by force.’

32. With whomever you find your gods, let him not live. In the presence of our brethren, point out what I have that is yours, and take it for yourself”; for Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them.

 (A Faithful Version)

17. 於是雅各準備好後起程，帶著兒女和妻子騎上駱駝離去。

18. 離開前將羊群和財物分派，都是從巴旦亞蘭這地所得，只因往迦南地，他祖父輩居住之地遙遠。

19. 在拉班去剪羊毛的時候，拉結偷走了她父親那鎮家神像。

20. 雅各不辭而別，實在傷了亞蘭人拉班的心。

21. 雅各帶著準備好的行裝離去。越過溪河，朝著基列山的方向。

22. 離去的第三天，有人告訴拉班雅各離去這事。

23. 拉班就帶著他眾兄弟直追其後，約走了七天的路程，到基列山便看來雅各踪影。

24. 就在夜間暫營時，耶和華在夢中向亞蘭人拉班說：要小心，萬不可觸發他的怒氣。

25. 那時，雅各在山上正要拆帳篷離去之際。拉班和他眾兄弟也拆了帳篷趕到。

26. 拉班一見雅各便說：你做這等事，傷透了我的心，兼且擄劫我的女兒！

27. 為何偷走，可以告訴我，就可以為你笙歌設宴歡送。

28. 更甚的是，無法吻別我的兒女，你這樣不是很蠢嗎！

29. 要加害你，我絕對有這能力。但你列祖相信的耶和華，昨晚對我說：要小心，不可招惹你。

30. 你走罷，相信是思念家鄉的緣故。可是，為何偷走我家神像？

31. 雅各回應拉班：我實在害怕，是因你或許會強行把留下你的女兒。

32. 至於神像這事，無論在誰身上找到，不讓他活著。在我眾兄弟裡邊，若有屬於你的東西，便請拿走。雅各共不曉得是拉結偷走他家中的神像。

這段描述有許多觀察點。故事大概是這樣：雅各在耶和華默示當中得到了啟迪，知道耶和華同在，就放膽離開這個不斷敲詐的拉班。

拉班是利百加的哥哥，是出生於相信耶和華的一個家族，遷徙到迦南的亞蘭，一個以實瑪利後代居住地，看來受到多神的影響，家中有供奉的世俗神像，人，也傾向欺詐奸狡，連自己姪女婿也不放過，那是乘人之危。本來追趕去是找霉氣，卻想起這人受耶和華眷顧，就打消念頭。為此就發生一段滑稽的對話：v26-29. 拉班一見雅各便說：你做這等事，傷透了我的心，兼且擄劫我的女兒！ 為何偷走，可以告訴我，就可以為你笙歌設宴歡送。更甚的是，無法吻別我的兒女，你這樣不是很蠢嗎！ 要加害你，我絕對有這能力。但你列祖相信的耶和華，昨晚對我說：要小心，不可招惹你。

雅各被騙14年之久，得了二位妻子和一些財物，正要離開拉班談留下來的條件：有班點的羊屬他。牧羊這事，相信雅各是從觀察中，得到牧羊的知識。因此提出這要求，也好準備有日離開時，有更多的保障 (當然這是眾多可能性的其中一種)。他離開時也寬待他的家中僕人，分派財物，是有愛的決定，也相信日後耶和華必能供應，在他的經歷中常有經驗，這時的雅各，是從心底裡改變過來，絕對地相信。

拉結在那個年代的婦女，與今日亞洲許多婦女，特別是華人社會，仍有嫁雞隨雞這傳統觀念，在這種文化下，生育是唯一的天職，榮辱與否在乎有沒有男丁。她不育多年，姊姊沒有不肖於好，自己感覺不好。以前用自己的方法，最後願意向一直愛她的耶和華求告，就給了約瑟，當時便說耶和華為好除去恥辱，得到女性在當時唯一的可以從中得來的榮譽，這是何等大的滿足，那是心被恩感這樣的心情。

拉結臨離開時，偷走拉班家中的異教神像，就是有心助他不去拜偶像，作為對耶和華的認同產生出來的信念，助哥哥離開偶像，這是作為女性唯一可以幫助男性的方式，女性因為生育，局限了她的活動能力，又不被尊重這樣的環境規範導致。

她兒子約瑟，是雅各唯一可以承接應許的兒子，導致後來與耶和華摔跤，被耶和華欣賞，產生了與耶和華互動的一幕，正好表明他對自己有足夠的信心，立信心不倒，有膽向耶和華在信心事上挑戰，說明打不贏，自己肢體會殘心志始終不變。你有沒有這份信心？相信自己可以，就分享開去。