Genesis 24
1 Abraham by now was old, really old, and the Lord had blessed him in every possible way.
亞伯拉罕年紀老邁，向來在一切事上耶和華都賜福給他。
2 At that time Abraham told his oldest servant who was in charge of his whole household, “Put your hand under my thigh,
亞伯拉罕對管理他全業最老的僕人說：「請你把手放在我大腿底下。
3 and swear an oath by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you won't arrange for my son to marry any daughter of the these Canaanite people that I'm living among.
我要叫你指着耶和華－天地的主起誓，不要為我兒子娶這迦南地中的女子為妻。
4 Instead, go to my homeland where my relatives live, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.”
你要往我本地本族去，為我的兒子以撒娶一個妻子。」
5 “What if the woman refuses to come back with me to this country?” the servant asked. “Should I take your son back to the country you came from?”
僕人對他說：「倘若女子不肯跟我到這地方來，我必須將你的兒子帶回你原出之地嗎？」
6 “No, you mustn't take my son back there,” Abraham replied.
亞伯拉罕對他說：「你要謹慎，不要帶我的兒子回那裏去。
7 “The Lord, the God of heaven, took me from my family home and my own country. He spoke to me and swore an oath to me in which he promised, ‘I will give this land to your descendants.’ He is the one who will send his angel ahead of you so that you can find a wife there for my son.
耶和華－天上的主曾帶領我離開父家和本族的地，對我說話，向我起誓說：『我要將這地賜給你的後裔。』他必差遣使者在你面前，你就可以從那裏為我兒子娶一個妻子。
8 However, if the woman refuses to return here with you, then you are released from this oath. But make sure you don't take my son back there.”
倘若女子不肯跟你來，我使你起的誓就與你無干了，只是不可帶我的兒子回那裏去。」
9 The servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to do as he had been told.
僕人就把手放在他主人亞伯拉罕的大腿底下，為這事向他起誓。
10 Then the servant arranged for ten of his master's camels to carry all kinds of valuable gifts from Abraham and left for the town of Nahor in Aram-naharaim.
那僕人從他主人的駱駝裏取了十匹駱駝，並帶些他主人各樣的財物，起身往美索不達米亞去，到了拿鶴的城。
11 Arriving in the evening, he had the camels kneel down by the spring that was outside the town. This was the time when women went out to fetch water.
天將晚，眾女子出來打水的時候，他便叫駱駝跪在城外的水井那裏。
12 He prayed, “Lord, the God of my master Abraham, please let me be successful today, and please show your faithfulness to my master Abraham.
他說：「耶和華－我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝啊，求你施恩給我主人亞伯拉罕，使我今日遇見好機會。
13 Look, I'm standing here beside this spring, and the young women of the town are coming to get water.
我現今站在井旁，城內居民的女子們正出來打水。
14 May it happen like this. The young woman that I ask, ‘Please hold your water jar so I can have a drink,’ and she replies, ‘Please drink, and I'll give your camels water too’ —may she be the one you've chosen as a wife for your servant Isaac. This way I'll know that you've shown your faithfulness to my master.”
我向那一個女子說：『請你拿下水瓶來，給我水喝。』她若說：『請喝！我也給你的駱駝喝。』願那女子就作你所預定給你僕人以撒的妻。這樣，我便知道你施恩給我主人了。」
15 He hadn't even finished praying when he saw Rebekah coming to get water, carrying her water jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel, son of Milkah. Milkah was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor.
話還沒有說完，不料，利百加肩頭上扛着水瓶出來。利百加是彼土利所生的；彼土利是亞伯拉罕兄弟拿鶴妻子密迦的兒子。
16 She was very beautiful, a virgin—no one had slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar, and came back up.
那女子容貌極其俊美，還是處女，也未曾有人親近她。她下到井旁，打滿了瓶，又上來。
17 The servant ran over to meet her and asked, “Please let me drink a few sips of water from your jar.”
僕人跑上前去迎着她，說：「求你將瓶裏的水給我一點喝。」
18 “Please drink, my lord,” she replied. She quickly lifted the jar down from her shoulder and held it for him to drink.
女子說：「我主請喝！」就急忙拿下瓶來，托在手上給他喝。
19 After she finished giving him a drink, she said, “Let me get water for your camels too until they've had enough.”
女子給他喝了，就說：「我再為你的駱駝打水，叫駱駝也喝足。」
20 She quickly emptied her jar into the trough and ran back to the spring to get more water. She brought enough for all his camels.
她就急忙把瓶裏的水倒在槽裏，又跑到井旁打水，就為所有的駱駝打上水來。
21 The man observed her in silence to see if the Lord had made his journey successful or not.
那人定睛看她，一句話也不說，要曉得耶和華賜他通達的道路沒有。
22 Once the camels had finished drinking, he gave her a gold nose-ring and two heavy gold bracelets for her wrists.
駱駝喝足了，那人就拿一個金環，重半舍客勒，兩個金鐲，重十舍客勒，給了那女子，
23 Then he asked her, “Whose daughter are you? Also could you tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?”
說：「請告訴我，你是誰的女兒？你父親家裏有我們住宿的地方沒有？」
24 She replied, “I'm the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.” Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and food for the camels,
女子說：「我是密迦與拿鶴之子彼土利的女兒」；
25 and yes, we have room for you to spend the night.”
又說：「我們家裏足有糧草，也有住宿的地方。」
26 The man kneeled down and bowed in worship to the Lord.
那人就低頭向耶和華下拜，
27 “Thank you Lord, the God of my master Abraham,” he prayed. “You have not forgotten your commitment and faithfulness to my master. And Lord, you have led me directly to the home of my master's relatives!”
說：「耶和華－我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝是應當稱頌的，因他不斷地以慈愛誠實待我主人。至於我，耶和華在路上引領我，直走到我主人的兄弟家裏。」
28 She ran to her mother's house and told her family what had happened.
女子跑回去，照着這些話告訴她母親和她家裏的人。
29 Rebekah had a brother named Laban, and he ran out to meet the man who had remained at the spring.
利百加有一個哥哥，名叫拉班，看見金環，又看見金鐲在他妹子的手上，並聽見他妹子利百加的話，說那人對我如此如此說。拉班就跑出來往井旁去，到那人跟前，見他仍站在駱駝旁邊的井旁那裏，
30 He'd noticed the nose-ring and the bracelets she was wearing, and he'd heard his sister Rebekah explaining, “This is what the man told me.” When he arrived the man was still there, standing with his camels beside the spring.
31 “Please come home with me, you who are blessed by the Lord,” said Laban. “What are you standing out here for? I've got a room at home ready for you, and a place for the camels to stay.”
便對他說：「你這蒙耶和華賜福的，請進來，為甚麼站在外邊？我已經收拾了房屋，也為駱駝預備了地方。」
32 So the man went home with him. Laban unloaded the camels and gave them straw and food to eat. He also provided water for the man to wash his feet, as well as for the men who were with him.
那人就進了拉班的家。拉班卸了駱駝，用草料餵上，拿水給那人和跟隨的人洗腳；
33 Then Laban had food brought in. But the man told him, “I'm not going to eat until I've explained why I'm here.” “Please explain,” Laban replied.
把飯擺在他面前，叫他吃，他卻說：「我不吃，等我說明白我的事情再吃。」拉班說：「請說。」
34 “I'm Abraham's servant,” the man began.
他說：「我是亞伯拉罕的僕人。
35 “The Lord has blessed my master so much, and now he is a wealthy and powerful man. The Lord has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
耶和華大大地賜福給我主人，使他昌大，又賜給他羊群、牛群、金銀、僕婢、駱駝，和驢。
36 His wife Sarah has had a son for my master even in her old age, and my master has given him everything he owns.
我主人的妻子撒拉年老的時候給我主人生了一個兒子；我主人也將一切所有的都給了這個兒子。
37 My master made me swear an oath, saying, ‘You must not arrange for my son to marry any daughter of the Canaanite people in whose land I'm living.
我主人叫我起誓說：『你不要為我兒子娶迦南地的女子為妻。
38 Instead, go to my family home where my relatives live, and find a wife there for my son Isaac.’
你要往我父家、我本族那裏去，為我的兒子娶一個妻子。』
39 I said to my master, ‘What if the woman refuses to come back with me?’
我對我主人說：『恐怕女子不肯跟我來。』
40 He told me, ‘The Lord, in whose presence I have lived my life, will send his angel with you, and he will make your journey successful—you will find a wife for my son from my relatives, from my father's family.
他就說：『我所事奉的耶和華必要差遣他的使者與你同去，叫你的道路通達，你就得以在我父家、我本族那裏，給我的兒子娶一個妻子。
41 You will be released from the oath you swear to me if, when you go to my family, they refuse to let her return with you.’
只要你到了我本族那裏，我使你起的誓就與你無干。他們若不把女子交給你，我使你起的誓也與你無干。』
42 Today when I arrived at the spring, I prayed, Lord, God of my master Abraham, please let the journey I have taken be successful.
「我今日到了井旁，便說：『耶和華－我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝啊，願你叫我所行的道路通達。
43 Look, I'm standing here beside this spring. May it happen like this. If a young woman comes to get water, and I say, ‘Please give me a few sips of water to drink,’
我如今站在井旁，對哪一個出來打水的女子說：請你把你瓶裏的水給我一點喝；
44 and she says to me, ‘Please drink, and I'll get water for your camels too’ —may she be the one you've chosen as a wife for your servant Isaac.”
她若說：你只管喝，我也為你的駱駝打水；願那女子就作耶和華給我主人兒子所預定的妻。』
45 “I hadn't even finished praying silently when I saw Rebekah coming to get water, carrying her water jar on her shoulder. She went down to the spring to get water, and I said to her, ‘Please give me a drink.’
我心裏的話還沒有說完，利百加就出來，肩頭上扛着水瓶，下到井旁打水。我便對她說：『請你給我水喝。』
46 She quickly lifted the jar down from her shoulder and she said, ‘Please drink, and I'll get water for your camels too.’ So I drank, and she got water for the camels.
她就急忙從肩頭上拿下瓶來，說：『請喝！我也給你的駱駝喝。』我便喝了；她又給我的駱駝喝了。
47 I asked her, ‘Whose daughter are you?’ She replied, ‘I'm the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Milcah and Nahor.’ So I put the ring in her nose, and the bracelets on her wrists.
我問她說：『你是誰的女兒？』她說：『我是密迦與拿鶴之子彼土利的女兒。』我就把環子戴在她鼻子上，把鐲子戴在她兩手上。
48 Then I kneeled down and bowed in worship to the Lord. I thanked the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, for he led me directly to find my master's niece for his son.
隨後我低頭向耶和華下拜，稱頌耶和華－我主人亞伯拉罕的上帝；因為他引導我走合式的道路，使我得着我主人兄弟的孫女，給我主人的兒子為妻。
49 So please tell me now, will you show commitment and faithfulness to my master? Please tell me yes or no so I can decide what to do next.”
現在你們若願以慈愛誠實待我主人，就告訴我；若不然，也告訴我，使我可以或向左，或向右。」
50 Laban and Bethuel replied, “Clearly all this is from the Lord, so we can't argue one way or the other.
拉班和彼土利回答說：「這事乃出於耶和華，我們不能向你說好說歹。
51 Rebekah's here, you can take her and leave. She can become the wife of your master's son, as the Lord has decided.”
看哪，利百加在你面前，可以將她帶去，照着耶和華所說的，給你主人的兒子為妻。」
52 As soon as Abraham's servant heard their decision, he bowed down in worship to the Lord.
亞伯拉罕的僕人聽見他們這話，就向耶和華俯伏在地。
53 Then he unpacked silver and gold jewelry and expensive clothes and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave valuable presents to her brother and her mother.
當下僕人拿出金器、銀器，和衣服送給利百加，又將寶物送給她哥哥和她母親。
54 He and the men with him ate and drank, and spent the night there. When they got up in the morning, he said, “Let me leave now and go home to my master.”
僕人和跟從他的人吃了喝了，住了一夜。早晨起來，僕人就說：「請打發我回我主人那裏去吧。」
55 But her brother and her mother said, “Let her stay with us for another ten days or so. She can leave after that.”
利百加的哥哥和她母親說：「讓女子同我們再住幾天，至少十天，然後她可以去。」
56 “Please don't delay me,” he told them. “The Lord has made my journey successful, so let me leave and go back to my master.”
僕人說：「耶和華既賜給我通達的道路，你們不要耽誤我，請打發我走，回我主人那裏去吧。」
57 “Let's call Rebekah and find out what she wants to do,” they suggested.
他們說：「我們把女子叫來問問她」，
58 They called Rebekah in and asked her, “Do you want to go with this man now?” “Yes, I'll go,” she replied.
就叫了利百加來，問她說：「你和這人同去嗎？」利百加說：「我去。」
59 So they let Laban's sister Rebekah leave with Abraham's servant and his men, together with the woman who had nursed her as a child.
於是他們打發妹子利百加和她的乳母，同亞伯拉罕的僕人，並跟從僕人的，都走了。
60 They asked a blessing on her, saying, “Our dear sister, may you become the mother to thousands and thousands of descendants, and may they conquer their enemies.”
他們就給利百加祝福說： 我們的妹子啊，願你作千萬人的母！ 願你的後裔得着仇敵的城門！
61 Then Rebekah and her servant girls got on the camels. They followed Abraham's servant and left.
利百加和她的使女們起來，騎上駱駝，跟着那僕人，僕人就帶着利百加走了。
62 Meanwhile Isaac, who was living in the Negev, had just come back from Beer-lahai-roi.
那時，以撒住在南地，剛從庇耳‧拉海‧萊回來。
63 He went out into the fields one evening to think things over. He looked into the distance and saw camels coming.
天將晚，以撒出來在田間默想，舉目一看，見來了些駱駝。
64 Rebekah was also keeping a look out. When she saw Isaac, she got down from her camel.
利百加舉目看見以撒，就急忙下了駱駝，
65 She asked the servant, “Who is this walking through the fields to meet us?” “He's my master, Isaac,” he replied. So she put on her veil to cover herself.
問那僕人說：「這田間走來迎接我們的是誰？」僕人說：「是我的主人。」利百加就拿帕子蒙上臉。
66 The servant told Isaac everything he'd done.
僕人就將所辦的一切事都告訴以撒。
67 Isaac took Rebekah into his mother Sarah's tent, and he married her. He loved her, and she brought him comfort after his grief over his mother's death.
以撒便領利百加進了他母親撒拉的帳棚，娶了她為妻，並且愛她。以撒自從他母親不在了，這才得了安慰。
