¹ 此後，大衛問耶和華說：我上猶大的一個城去可以麼？耶和華說：可以。大衛說：我上哪一個城去呢？耶和華說：上希伯崙去。

² 於是大衛和他的兩個妻─一個是耶斯列人亞希暖，一個是作過迦密人拿八妻的亞比該─都上那裡去了。

³ 大衛也將跟隨他的人和他們各人的眷屬一同帶上去，住在希伯崙的城邑中。

⁴ 猶大人來到希伯崙，在那裡膏大衛作猶大家的王。有人告訴大衛說：葬埋掃羅的是基列雅比人。

⁵ 大衛就差人去見基列雅比人，對他們說：你們厚待你們的主─掃羅，將他葬埋。願耶和華賜福與你們！

⁶ 你們既行了這事，願耶和華以慈愛誠實待你們，我也要為此厚待你們。

⁷ 現在你們的主─掃羅死了，猶大家已經膏我作他們的王，所以你們要剛強奮勇。

⁸ 掃羅的元帥尼珥的兒子押尼珥，曾將掃羅的兒子伊施波設帶過河，到瑪哈念，

⁹ 立他作王，治理基列、亞書利、耶斯列、以法蓮、便雅憫，和以色列眾人。

¹⁰ 掃羅的兒子伊施波設登基的時候年四十歲，作以色列王二年；惟獨猶大家歸從大衛。

¹¹ 大衛在希伯崙作猶大家的王，共七年零六個月。

¹² 尼珥的兒子押尼珥和掃羅的兒子伊施波設的僕人從瑪哈念出來，往基遍去。

¹³ 洗魯雅的兒子約押和大衛的僕人也出來，在基遍池旁與他們相遇；一班坐在池這邊，一班坐在池那邊。

¹⁴ 押尼珥對約押說：讓少年人起來，在我們面前戲耍罷！約押說：可以。

¹⁵ 就按著定數起來：屬掃羅兒子伊施波設的便雅憫人過去十二名，大衛的僕人也過去十二名，

¹⁶ 彼此揪頭，用刀刺肋，一同仆倒。所以，那地叫作希利甲哈素林，就在基遍。

¹⁷ 那日的戰事凶猛，押尼珥和以色列人敗在大衛的僕人面前。

¹⁸ 在那裡有洗魯雅的三個兒子：約押、亞比篩、亞撒黑。亞撒黑腳快如野鹿一般；

¹⁹ 亞撒黑追趕押尼珥，直追趕他不偏左右。

²⁰ 押尼珥回頭說：你是亞撒黑麼？回答說：是。

²¹ 押尼珥對他說：你或轉向左轉向右，拿住一個少年人，剝去他的戰衣。亞撒黑卻不肯轉開不追趕他。

²² 押尼珥又對亞撒黑說：你轉開不追趕我罷！我何必殺你呢？若殺你，有甚麼臉見你哥哥約押呢？

²³ 亞撒黑仍不肯轉開。故此，押尼珥就用槍鐏刺入他的肚腹，甚至槍從背後透出，亞撒黑就在那裡仆倒而死。眾人趕到亞撒黑仆倒而死的地方，就都站住。

²⁴ 約押和亞比篩追趕押尼珥，日落的時候，到了通基遍曠野的路旁，基亞對面的亞瑪山。

²⁵ 便雅憫人聚集，跟隨押尼珥站在一個山頂上。

²⁶ 押尼珥呼叫約押說：刀劍豈可永遠殺人麼？你豈不知終久必有苦楚麼？你要等何時才叫百姓回去、不追趕弟兄呢？

²⁷ 約押說：我指著永生的神起誓：你若不說戲耍的那句話，今日早晨百姓就回去，不追趕弟兄了。

²⁸ 於是約押吹角，眾民就站住，不再追趕以色列人，也不再打仗了。

²⁹ 押尼珥和跟隨他的人整夜經過亞拉巴，過約但河，走過畢倫，到了瑪哈念。

³⁰ 約押追趕押尼珥回來，聚集眾民，見大衛的僕人中缺少了十九個人和亞撒黑。

³¹ 但大衛的僕人殺了便雅憫人和跟隨押尼珥的人，共三百六十名。

³² 眾人將亞撒黑送到伯利恆，葬在他父親的墳墓裡。約押和跟隨他的人走了一夜，天亮的時候到了希伯崙。

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.