¹ 过了一年，到列王出战的时候，大卫又差派约押，率领臣仆和以色列众人出战。他们就打败亚扪人，围攻拉巴。大卫仍住在耶路撒冷。

² 一日，太阳平西，大卫从床上起来，在王宫的平顶上游行，看见一个妇人沐浴，容貌甚美，

³ 大卫就差人打听那妇人是谁。有人说：他是以连的女儿，赫人乌利亚的妻拔示巴。

⁴ 大卫差人去，将妇人接来；那时他的月经才得洁净。他来了，大卫与他同房，他就回家去了。

⁵ 於是他怀了孕，打发人去告诉大卫说：我怀了孕。

⁶ 大卫差人到约押那里，说：你打发赫人乌利亚到我这里来。约押就打发乌利亚去见大卫。

⁷ 乌利亚来了，大卫问约押好，也问兵好，又问争战的事怎样。

⁸ 大卫对乌利亚说：你回家去，洗洗脚罢！乌利亚出了王宫，随後王送他一分食物。

⁹ 乌利亚却和他主人的仆人一同睡在宫门外，没有回家去。

¹⁰ 有人告诉大卫说：乌利亚没有回家去。大卫就问乌利亚说：你从远路上来，为甚麽不回家去呢？

¹¹ 乌利亚对大卫说：约柜和以色列与犹大兵都住在棚里，我主约押和我主（或译：王）的仆人都在田野安营，我岂可回家吃喝、与妻子同寝呢？我敢在王面前起誓（原文是我指着王和王的性命起誓）：我决不行这事！

¹² 大卫吩咐乌利亚说：你今日仍住在这里，明日我打发你去。於是乌利亚那日和次日住在耶路撒冷。

¹³ 大卫召了乌利亚来，叫他在自己面前吃喝，使他喝醉。到了晚上，乌利亚出去与他主的仆人一同住宿，还没有回到家里去。

¹⁴ 次日早晨，大卫写信与约押，交乌利亚随手带去。

¹⁵ 信内写着说：要派乌利亚前进，到阵势极险之处，你们便退後，使他被杀。

¹⁶ 约押围城的时候，知道敌人那里有勇士，便将乌利亚派在那里。

¹⁷ 城里的人出来和约押打仗；大卫的仆人中有几个被杀的，赫人乌利亚也死了。

¹⁸ 於是，约押差人去将争战的一切事告诉大卫，

¹⁹ 又嘱咐使者说：你把争战的一切事对王说完了，

²⁰ 王若发怒，问你说：你们打仗为甚麽挨近城墙呢？岂不知敌人必从城上射箭麽？

²¹ 从前打死耶路比设（就是耶路巴力，见士师记九章一节）儿子亚比米勒的是谁呢？岂不是一个妇人从城上抛下一块上磨石来，打在他身上，他就死在提备斯麽？你们为甚麽挨近城墙呢？你就说：王的仆人─赫人乌利亚也死了。

²² 使者起身，来见大卫，照着约押所吩咐他的话奏告大卫。

²³ 使者对大卫说：敌人强过我们，出到郊野与我们打仗，我们追杀他们，直到城门口。

²⁴ 射箭的从城上射王的仆人，射死几个，赫人乌利亚也死了。

²⁵ 王向使者说：你告诉约押说：不要因这事愁闷，刀剑或吞灭这人或吞灭那人，没有一定的；你只管竭力攻城，将城倾覆。可以用这话勉励约押。

²⁶ 乌利亚的妻听见丈夫乌利亚死了，就为他哀哭。

²⁷ 哀哭的日子过了，大卫差人将他接到宫里，他就作了大卫的妻，给大卫生了一个儿子。但大卫所行的这事，耶和华甚不喜悦。

¹ Then Jacob went on his journey, and came to the land of the children of the east.

² He looked, and behold, a well in the field, and, behold, three flocks of sheep lying there by it. For out of that well they watered the flocks. The stone on the well's mouth was large.

³ There all the flocks were gathered. They rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep, and put the stone again on the well's mouth in its place.

⁴ Jacob said to them, "My relatives, where are you from?" They said, "We are from Haran."

⁵ He said to them, "Do you know Laban, the son of Nahor?" They said, "We know him."

⁶ He said to them, "Is it well with him?" They said, "It is well. See, Rachel, his daughter, is coming with the sheep."

⁷ He said, "Behold, it is still the middle of the day, not time to gather the livestock together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them."

⁸ They said, "We can't, until all the flocks are gathered together, and they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep."

⁹ While he was yet speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them.

¹⁰ It happened, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near, and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother.

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

¹² Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son. She ran and told her father.

¹³ It happened, when Laban heard the news of Jacob, his sister's son, that he ran to meet Jacob, and embraced him, and kissed him, and brought him to his house. Jacob told Laban all these things.

¹⁴ Laban said to him, "Surely you are my bone and my flesh." He lived with him for a month.

¹⁵ Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my brother, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what will your wages be?"

¹⁶ Laban had two daughters. The name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

¹⁷ Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in form and attractive.

¹⁸ Jacob loved Rachel. He said, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter."

¹⁹ Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you, than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me."

²⁰ Jacob served seven years for Rachel. They seemed to him but a few days, for the love he had for her.

²¹ Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her."

²² Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast.

²³ It happened in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him. He went in to her.

²⁴ Laban gave Zilpah his handmaid to his daughter Leah for a handmaid.

²⁵ It happened in the morning that, behold, it was Leah. He said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Didn't I serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?"

²⁶ Laban said, "It is not done so in our place, to give the younger before the firstborn.

²⁷ Fulfill the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you will serve with me yet seven other years."

²⁸ Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week. He gave him Rachel his daughter as wife.

²⁹ Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her handmaid.

³⁰ He went in also to Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

³¹ Yahweh saw that Leah was hated, and he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.

³² Leah conceived, and bore a son, and she named him Reuben. For she said, "Because Yahweh has looked at my affliction. For now my husband will love me."

³³ She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, "Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also." She named him Simeon.

³⁴ She conceived again, and bore a son. Said, "Now this time will my husband be joined to me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi.

³⁵ She conceived again, and bore a son. She said, "This time will I praise Yahweh." Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped bearing.