the antiquities of the jews-1-第14章

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mind　to　return　to　his　parents；　he　would　send　him　back　with
presents；　and　this　in　as　honorable　a　manner　as　the　nearness　of
their　relation　should　require。　This　Jacob　heard　gladly；　and　said
he　would　willingly；　and　with　pleasure；　undergo　any　sort　of　pains
while　he　tarried　with　him；　but　desired　Rachel　to　wife；　as　the
reward　of　those　pains；　who　was　not　only　on　other　accounts
esteemed　by　him；　but　also　because　she　was　the　means　of　his　coming
to　him；　for　he　said　he　was　forced　by　the　love　of　the　damsel　to
make　this　proposal。　Laban　was　well　pleased　with　this　agreement；
and　consented　to　give　the　damsel　to　him；　as　not　desirous　to　meet
with　any　better　son…in…law；　and　said　he　would　do　this；　if　he
would　stay　with　him　some　time；　for　he　was　not　willing　to　send　his
daughter　to　be　among　the　Canaanites；　for　he　repented　of　the
alliance　he　had　made　already　by　marrying　his　sister　there。　And
when　Jacob　had　given　his　consent　to　this；　he　agreed　to　stay　seven
years；　for　so　many　years　he　had　resolved　to　serve　his
father…in…law；　that；　having　given　a　specimen　of　his　virtue；　it
might　be　better　known　what　sort　of　a　man　he　was。　And　Jacob；
accepting　of　his　terms；　after　the　time　was　over；　he　made　the
wedding…feast；　and　when　it　was　night；　without　Jacob's　perceiving
it；　he　put　his　other　daughter　into　bed　to　him；　who　was　both　elder
than　Rachel；　and　of　no　comely　countenance：　Jacob　lay　with　her
that　night；　as　being　both　in　drink　and　in　the　dark。　However；　when
it　was　day；　he　knew　what　had　been　done　to　him；　and　he　reproached
Laban　for　his　unfair　proceeding　with　him；　who　asked　pardon　for
that　necessity　which　forced　him　to　do　what　he　did；　for　he　did　not
give　him　Lea　out　of　any　ill　design；　but　as　overcome　by　another
greater　necessity：　that；　notwithstanding　this；　nothing　should
hinder　him　from　marrying　Rachel；　but　that　when　he　had　served
another　seven　years；　he　would　give　him　her　whom　he　loved。　Jacob
submitted　to　this　condition；　for　his　love　to　the　damsel　did　not
permit　him　to　do　otherwise；　and　when　another　seven　years　were
gone；　he　took　Rachel　to　wife。

8。　Now　each　of　these　had　handmaids；　by　their　father's　donation。
Zilpha　was　handmaid　to　Lea；　and　Bilha　to　Rachel；　by　no　means
slaves；　（35）　but　however　subject　to　their　mistresses。　Now　Lea　was
sorely　troubled　at　her　husband's　love　to　her　sister；　and　she
expected　she　should　be　better　esteemed　if　she　bare　him　children：
so　she　entreated　God　perpetually；　and　when　she　had　borne　a　son；
and　her　husband　was　on　that　account　better　reconciled　to　her；　she
named　her　son　Reubel；　because　God　had　had　mercy　upon　her；　in
giving　her　a　son；　for　that　is　the　signification　of　this　name。
After　some　time　she　bare　three　more　sons；　Simeon；　which
name　signifies　that　God　had　hearkened　to　her　prayer。　Then　she
bare　Levi；　the　confirmer　of　their　friendship。　After　him　was　born
Judah；　which　denotes　thanksgiving。　But　Rachel；　fearing　lest　the
fruitfulness　of　her　sister　should　make　herself　enjoy　a　lesser
share　of　Jacob's　affections；　put　to　bed　to　him　her　handmaid
Bilha；　by　whom　Jacob　had　Dan：　one　may　interpret　that　name　into
the　Greek　tongue；　a　divine　judgment。　And　after　him　Nephthalim；　as
it　were；　unconquerable　in　stratagems；　since　Rachel　tried　to
conquer　the　fruitfulness　of　her　sister　by　this　stratagem。
Accordingly；　Lea　took　the　same　method；　and　used　a
counter…stratagem　to　that　of　her　sister；　for　she　put　to　bed　to
him　her　own　handmaid。　Jacob　therefore　had　by　Zilpha　a　son；　whose
name　was　Gad；　which　may　be　interpreted　fortune；　and　after　him
Asher；　which　may　be　called　a　happy　man；　because　he　added　glory　to
Lea。　Now　Reubel；　the　eldest　son　of　Lea；　brought　apples　of
mandrakes　（36）　to　his　mother。　When　Rachel　saw　them；　she　desired
that　she　would　give　her　the　apples；　for　she　longed　to　eat　them；
but　when　she　refused；　and　bid　her　be　content　that　she　had
deprived　her　of　the　benevolence　she　ought　to　have　had　from　her
husband；　Rachel；　in　order　to　mitigate　her　sister's　anger；　said
she　would　yield　her　husband　to　her；　and　he　should　lie　with　her
that　evening。　She　accepted　of　the　favor；　and　Jacob　slept　with
Lea；　by　the　favor　of　Rachel。　She　bare　then　these　sons：　Issachar；
denoting　one　born　by　hire：　and　Zabulon；　one　born　as　a　pledge　of
benevolence　towards　her；　and　a　daughter；　Dina。　After　some　time
Rachel　had　a　son；　named　Joseph；　which　signified　there　should　be
another　added　to　him。

9。　Now　Jacob　fed　the　flocks　of　Laban　his　father…in…law　all　this
time；　being　twenty　years；　after　which　he　desired　leave　of　his
father…in…law　to　take　his　wives　and　go　home；　but　when　his
father…in…law　would　not　give　him　leave；　he　contrived　to　do　it
secretly。　He　made　trial　therefore　of　the　disposition　of　his　wives
what　they　thought　of　this　journey；　…　when　they　appeared　glad；　and
approved　of　it。　Rachel　took　along　with　her　the　images　of　the
gods；　which；　according　to　their　laws；　they　used　to　worship　in
their　own　country；　and　ran　away　together　with　her　sister。　The
children　also　of　them　both；　and　the　handmaids；　and　what
possessions　they　had；　went　along　with　them。　Jacob　also　drove　away
half　the　cattle；　without　letting　Laban　know　of　it　beforehand　But
the　reason　why　Rachel　took　the　images　of　the　gods；　although　Jacob
had　taught　her　to　despise　such　worship　of　those　gods；　was　this；
That　in　case　they　were　pursued；　and　taken　by　her　father；　she
might　have　recourse　to　these　images；　in　order　obtain　his　pardon。

10。　But　Laban；　after　one　day's　time；　being　acquainted　with
Jacob's　and　his　daughters'　departure；　was　much　troubled；　and
pursued　after　them；　leading　a　band　of　men　with　him；　and　on　the
seventh　day　overtook　them；　and　found　them　resting　on　a　certain
hill；　and　then　indeed　he　did　not　meddle　with　them；　for　it　was
even…tide；　but　God　stood　by　him　in　a　dream；　and　warned　him　to
receive　his　son…in…law　and　his　daughters　in　a　peaceable　manner；
and　not　to　venture　upon　any　thing　rashly；　or　in　wrath　to　but　to
make　a　league　with　Jacob。　And　he　him；　that　if　he　despised　their
small　number；　attacked　them　in　a　hostile　manner；　he　would　assist
them。　When　Laban　had　been　thus　forewarned　by　God；　he　called　Jacob
to　him　the　next　day；　in　order　to　treat　with　him；　and　showed　him
what　dream　he　had；　in　dependence　whereupon　he　came　confidently　to
him；　and　began　to　accuse　him；　alleging　that　he　had　entertained
him　when　he　was　poor；　and　in　want　of　all　things；　and　had　given
him　plenty　of　all　things　which　he　had。　〃For；〃　said　he；　〃I　have
joined　my　daughters　to　thee　in　marriage；　and　supposed　that　thy
kindness　to　me　be　greater　than　before；　but　thou　hast　had　no
regard　to　either　thy　mother's　relations　to　me；　nor　to　the
affinity　now　newly　contracted　between　us；　nor　to　those　wives　whom
thou　hast　married；　nor　to　those　children；　of　whom　I　am　the
grandfather。　Thou　hast　treated　me　as　an　enemy；　driving　away　my
cattle；　and　by　persuading　my　daughters　to　run　away　from　their
father；　and　by　carrying　home　those　sacred　paternal　images　which
were　worshipped　by　my　forefathers；　and　have　been　honored　with　the
like　worship　which　they　paid　them　by　myself。　In　short；　thou　hast
done　this　whilst　thou　art　my　kinsman；　and　my　sister's　son；　and
the　husband　of　my　daughters；　and　was　hospiably　treated　by　me；　and
didst　eat　at　my　table。〃　When　Laban　had　said　this；　Jacob　made　his
defense　…　That　he　was　not　the　only　person　in　whom　God　had
implanted　the　love　of　his　native　country；　but　that　he　had　made　it
natural　to　all　men；　and　that　therefore　it　was　but　reasonable
that；　after　so　long　time；　he　should　go　back　to　it。　〃But　as　to　the
prey；　of　whose　driving　away　thou　accusest　me；　if　any　other　person
were　the　arbitrator；　thou　wouldst　be　found　in　the　wrong；　for
instead　of　those　thanks　I　ought　to　have　had　from　thee；　for　both
keeping　thy　cattle；　and　increasing　them；　how　is　it　that　thou　art
unjustly　angry　at　me　because　I　have　taken；　and　have　with　me；　a
small　portion　of　them？　But　then；　as　to　thy　daughters；　take
notice；　that　it　is　not　through　any　evil　practices　of　mine　that
they　follow　me　in　my　return　home；　but　from　that　just　affection
which　wives　naturally　have　to　their　husbands。　They　follow
therefore　not　so　properly　myself　as　their　own　children。〃　And　thus
far　of　his　apology　was　made；　in　order　to　clear　himself　of　having
acted　unjustly。　To　which　he　added　his　own　complaint　and
accusatio